#he was such a cute and protective raoul
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Mar's BBC vs Book Canon Musketeers Assession: a Short Yet Comprehensive Guide
(read under the cut!)
bbc d'Artagnan: baby. has not done anything wrong in his life ever, actual angel, just very stupid.
vs
book d'Artagnan: has the power of god and anime on his side, most annoying little bitch you'll ever meet, broke, has a stupid horse, perpetually single.
*
bbc Athos: depressed older brother figure that's not-so-secretly very soft and loving of his found family and would die to protect them, also still horny for one Milady de Winter. Carries the communal garrison braincell.
vs
book Athos: drunk misogynist who yearns for death and whose only reason to live is his son Raoul. All his braincells have committed self-murder.
*
bbc Porthos: feisty ray of sunshine who has never had a single evil thought in that silly head of his, actually quite clever, complicated and emotional, deserves the world.
vs
book Porthos: vainest person you'll ever meet, doesn't know when to shut up, sugar baby who cares only about himself (and maybe Aramis), has not had a single intelligent thought in his entire existence.
*
bbc Aramis: cinnamon roll, golden retriever, actually quite clever, troublemaker who can't keep it in his pants, lovable self-sacrificial idiot who would get himself killed in a heartbeat to save his loved ones, brightest smile in all of Paris. Invented bisexuality.
vs
book Aramis: mean, edgy, probably secretly a vampire, would sell you to satan for one (1) corn chip, one bad day away from going on a murder spree. Also invented bisexuality.
*
bbc Treville: exasperated dad.
vs
book Treville: extremely exasperated dad.
*
bbc Cardinal: genius evil mastermind played by Peter Capaldi.
vs
book Cardinal: genius evil mastermind sadly not played by Peter Capaldi.
*
bbc Rochefort: worst person you'll ever fucking meet, arguably the only downgrade in the show.
vs
book Rochefort: sneaky lil bastard that's also the bestieTM, we stan.
*
bbc Constance: feminist icon, beautiful queen I'd kill and die for, gaslight gatekeep girlboss.
vs
book Constance: she's just there and then she dies ig.
*
bbc Milady: my cunning evil murderwife, would die for her, deserves the world.
vs
book Milady: actually I believe Athos should have strangled her with his own hands, fuck her.
*
bbc Bonacieux: evil greasy little man, fuck him.
vs
book Bonacieux: he's just... kinda... there I guess? Idk man Dumas looked at the Bonacieuxs and went "nah".
*
bbc Louis: annoying little shit but he's kinda cute and nice sometimes
vs
book Louis: manchild, just There ig.
*
bbc Anne: radiant angel who has done nothing wrong in her life ever and she's also perfection itself.
vs
book Anne: literal drama queen.
*
BONUS ROUND- GRIMAUD
bbc Grimaud: hot evil emo dude, idk what his problem was tho
vs
book Grimaud: actually he just doesn't get paid enough for this shit so if he wanted to murder Athos like in the show I'd understand that lmao
#bbc musketeers#the musketeers#the three musketeers#les trois mousquetaires#alexandre dumas#athos#porthos#aramis#d'artagnan#constance bonacieux#milady de winter
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A Raoulstine and Eristine fan recommend fanfics from our ships to each other!!
So @nerdywriter36 and I were talking about fanfics we liked and recommending some to each other, then, for fun and so we can both try experiencing it, we decided to directly recommend fics that are from the "opposite side"!! And for fun, since we can, we decided to exchange them publicly so that y'all can check them out too!! Here's my recommendations!!
Important note: we are both aware that some of the phics we recommend might put Raoul and Erik in a not so great light! It's bound to happen in phics for these ships 😅
Note: I don't know which of these authors have Tumblr aside from two, but if they do, please tell me so I can tag them!
This one is absolutely adorable and heartbreaking and but comforting in the best possible way 😭. This is actually the first phanfic I ever read! I LOVE the way they wrote Raoul SO MUCH, as well as his and Christine's relationship. It's really simple but REALLY sweet and THE WAY HE JUST WANTS TO PROTECT HER AND GETS SCARED WHEN SHE'S SCARED AND OH MY HEART I CANNOT HWHDHWHDHWHDHHWDHHWHD
Rating: General audiences
Summary:
She wasn’t being rational, she wasn’t thinking clearly, and he could tell, but what was there for him to do other than to reassure her that he would try his hardest to keep her safe? She trusted him enough to want to marry him, so he had to be doing something right, but he didn’t feel like it was enough.
This is by my mutual @rumpletrumple and WHEN I TELL YOU THE PAIN THIS CAUSED MY ALREADY WOUNDED HEART??? ALL I WANTED TO DO WAS COLLAPSE ONTO THE FLOOR BREAK DOWN AND SOB 😭 so this is obviously a very angsty fic but it's SO GOOD 😭 IT'S SO SO GOOD AND MY HEART HURTS JUST THINKING ABOUT IT AGAIN AND I WUDJWJDJJWJR
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Summary:
Erik runs out of patience and lets his temper get the best of him, costing him the boy's life and Christine's pity.
Now THIS one... this one is a little spicy, I will admit, but it's not smut I promise. Obviously I don't normally read stuff like this 😅 but It's really short and I thought it really was cute and well written too 😭
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Summary:
Raoul laughed, "I'm afraid I never sought out that bit of 'education' when I was on shore leave."
This is a very good fic with a very good look at Christine and what she might've been feeling after Masquerade. "Themes of fear" according to the author 😭 and while there aren't as many Raoulstine bits, I thought I might as well include it 🥺
Rating: Teen And up Audiences
Summary:
Every time she thought of what had happened that night at the masquerade, she could feel his hands so close to her neck. He had been cold, and whatever kindness, even love, she had seen his eyes was gone—replaced only with cruel and bitter jealousy.
This one's from @textsfromthefifthbasement!
HURT/COMFORT MY BELOVED 😭 this one's also really short but it is EFFECTIVE. THE IMAGERY. AUGHWHDYHWHDHWHFHWHDHEHD I'M whhdhwhdhejfje *cries*.
Rating: General Audiences
Summary:
Christine's thoughts the morning after the final lair. Originally written in 2021 as part of the Touch Prompts on tumblr. Based on prompt #14, On a Bruise.
AND THAT'S ALL OF MY RECOMMENDATIONS!! if the version of the post you see doesn't have the reblog CHECK THE REBLOGS FOR EMILY'S REBLOG FOR HER SUGGESTIONS!! GNIGHT!!
#phantom of the opera#the phantom of the opera#poto#poto musical#phanfiction#phanfic#fic recs#nerdywriter#raoulstine#eristine#erikstine#r/c#e/c#raoul x christine#erik x christine
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August 12, 2023 Seoul
Cast : Kim ju-taek, Sohn ji-soo, Hwang gun-ha
[first review]
[second review]
KJT Phantom will be the Phantom's favorite Phantom…
Once you hear him sing *in the theatre*, it's the point of no return. I guarantee it. I've heard a lot of Phantoms sing over the years, but when you sit in a theater and are surrounded by KJT's voice, you realize that there really isn't a singer who can top him...
i mean, really! The first thing I thought of while listening to his MOTN was the story of Zeus and Semele, where Semele asked Zeus to show her his true colors, and Zeus showed up in his most humble attire, but she burned to death. I can't help but feel that...He has a voice that is beyond human, but he is singing at a level that we humans can handle...
The only thing I wish is that he would have connected the strength of his voice (absolute majesty) to his acting, giving it more weight and emotional control.
I feel like he was heavily influenced by JSW and JDS, and they are actors who fill their scenes with emotional outbursts and added details, which is not KJT's strength as he can fill the stage with his majestic voice… A singing is a singing, and it's true that his musical acting is inexperienced…lol Wouldn't it have been enough if he just stuck to the script without being... greedy?(sorry but i really want to see serious phantom...😂)
Choosing SJS christine as his partner was a great choice. She's thoughtful (she wants to comfort Phantom even in the STYDI), and the desire to reach the angels of music is desperate. but she's human after all… Like Semele, her Christine is not the right vessel to receive the KJT Phantom, so it seems that she will not be able to survive by his side. It's not that Christine isn't good enough, it's that the Phantom is more than humans can handle.
Her portrayal of Christine is very sweet, but at the same time, you can really feel her fear of the Phantom as an absolute. That's why I feel like KJT and her fit together like puzzle pieces...
And! This time I realized, when the managers praise her prima donna debut, she hears it from the room and smiles proudly! So cute omg
As for HGH Raoul, looking at him makes me think about how different he is compared to the SWG Raoul I saw just before.
HGH Raoul is young. He seems to have a lot of anger, but it can also be seen as passion. He finds it difficult to understand Christine, but at the same time, he doesn't always wrap his arms around her but helps her face the trials she has to face under his protection.
like, In TWISTED EVERY WAY, SJS Christine shrinks back in fear, but he doesn't let go of her hand and pulls her to face reality. It wasn't that he was cold, this seemed to be his way of loving.. Helping her do something she doesn't want to do but needs to do (face the Phantom as a man).
The biggest difference in SWG Raoul is that in the rooftop scene, He turns his head with Christine as if they heard the phantom's 'Christine...' together. HGH Raoul doesn't understand the confused Christine at all, but SWG Raoul definitely notices something is very wrong.
HGH raoul will be an eternal stranger in the world of the phantom and christine, but she will no longer be in that world.
The terzetto of these three was staggering. The final lair is…🤯 Andrew Lloyd Webber should see their show. I’m deadly serious. If he sees this, he'll stop the… some ridiculous non-replica productions and focus on finding good actors. This is what the original POTO was all about. To move the audience through song. To make them stop breathe and focus on the show…
I didn't think their acting was special. But with their singing alone, they made the scene suspenseful and compelling.
+ KJT grabbed Raoul's arm as he was putting the lasso on and started singing, teasing him (백마 탄 왕자님아!/Prince charming!), and it was a small funny scene where HGH Raoul got annoyed and brushed it off lol
I loved the rest of the cast, but as always, it was Piangi and Andre who stood out for me. I'm obsessed with PHR Piangi, and I'd feel like I hadn't seen a full show if he didn't hold that high notes🤣 (and he does that in every show I've ever seen!)
YYS Andre makes me laugh every time he's in the box seats. Not to mention the way he watches Christine nervously and then claps in ecstasy, or the way he freaks out when Carlotta throws Christine into bed in Il Muto, He is so Scene stealer.
In Il muto, everyone laughed when Carlotta tried to pull up Christine's skirt, but it didn't come off and SJS was dragged away. I didn't notice because I was looking elsewhere through my opera glasses...🥲 I'll admit that POTO has a very pretty stage to watch from the upper seats, but I think the first floor is the best for watching the actors.
#poto korea#i’m still thinking about going to Daegu…#phantom of the opera#poto korea review#review#kim ju taek#sohn ji soo#hwang gun ha
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Let your S(e)oul take you where you long to be (v) - Christines, Raouls, and the last of this review
Finally finally fishing my reviews of August 8 and 9 shows (two months later, so embarrassing)
Christine
The first Christine I've seen is Song Eun-hye who showed herself to be a young wide-eyed Christine with a powerful belt (she gave an especially hair-standing Wishing). She was already fearful of the Phantom from the start and for most of the performance and it seemed being agape was her main play of the character until eventually becoming sympathetic to the Phantom (Cho Seung-woo) by Final Lair. It's a bit typical for me and I was looking for more variation, but from what I'm reading from her current performances, she's been even more emotive. I think she's still very much a work in progress but actually off to a good start.
Son Ji-soo reminded me of those 1950s/1960s film actresses with her physical features and the way she sang (very classical trained). That kind of presence hooked me in. At first she showed herself to be an excited Christine who was inspired by singing and apparently by her unseen mentor (giving her a joyful Think of Me and even POTO title song). I like how she uses her hands in her acting especially to reach out to her co-stars (from Carlotta in Il Muto, to Raoul in AIAOY/Notes reprise, and to the Phantom (Jeon Dong-seok) when he's commanding her to leave the lair), I like handy Christines in general. Overall, I find myself leaning toward SJS's Christine as having a more unique impression, but I would love to see how SEH is now.
Raoul
Hwang Gun-ha has...the most unusual Raoul voice I've ever heard. In that it's way too deep. He surprises me each time he sings. Because he looks like this kpop idol but with such a low register, there was somewhat a disconnect. And when he's angry he gets ANGRY. Definitely kept me alert.
Song Won-geun played an ever-reliable Raoul and ticked the boxes of a conventional portrayal. He is the Raoul you'd expect to see, gentlemanly, protective, and heroic, but nothing that really jumps out, it's all by the label.
Notables
Kim Ah-sun (Madame Giry) - She looked the role and sang it well. (sorry kdrama geek out moment) she reminded me of Kim Seo-hyung in Sky Castle who was this tutor from hell, and that kind of gothic stern presence made her a very effective Giry.
Park Ha-rim (Piangi) - Loved this guy's enthusiastic portrayal of Piangi and he is always a crowd-favorite because of how he extends his notes. I like how his character fanboys over Carlotta and actually becomes quietly impressed with Christine during the Don Juan Rehearsals. His was such a dynamic portrayal.
Han Bo-ra / Lee Ji-young (Carlotta) - Han Bo-ra was the comedic Carlotta and Lee Ji-young was the elegant one. Both delightful in their own ways and both worked well with Park Ha-rim with LJY even lovingly coaching him during the Don Juan Rehearsals.
Shin Jae-hee (Buquet) - I like how his Buquet is natural and not exaggerated, he actually seems to be spooked out by the Phantom, too, which makes me feel sorry about his death. Also the corpse is such a deadringer of the actor it's legit terrifying.
Yoon Young-seok (Andre) - Last but not the least, our Phantom veteran is now a manager with possibly an anxiety disorder. It's funny knowing he was the terror who haunts the opera house now he gets easily spooked up and he has his hand to his heart. Such a poor guy, but also cute at times.
No doubt their performances are even better two months after I've seen them so definitely take these reviews as dated. I'm glad the show is going to Daegu but sad that not all cast members are going. This time I look forward to all your reviews!! And I sincerely hope everyone can have a chance to see this masterpiece of a production at the Charlotte Theatre to experience it yourselves.
Thank you so much for reading and apologies for how long it's taken!!
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The Arcana Main Six + MC as The Phantom of The Opera Characters
It's Masquerade time, bitches.
I must admit, I have an unhealthy obsession with The Phantom of The Opera. And therefore, it was only a matter of time before I came up with this idea. The 2004 movie is like one of the best things I've ever watched in my entire life (but I also like the theater plays), and Gerard Butler is incredibly hot (have you seen those thighs?). This was the straightest thing I've ever said.
If you haven't watched the movie, then this is your sign to do it.
As I stated in my previous post, there's something going on with my left eye, and I'm in pain whenever I look at the screen. Right now, I'm feeling better, so I wrote this real quick. With this eye issue going on, it takes me longer to write the requests that you all have sent me, but I'm working on them. My requests are still open if anyone has ideas, but yeah, I'm taking my sweet time.
I would also like to thank everyone for their support and for all the requests you've sent me. It feels incredible and very motivating.
I'm not sure if anyone in the Arcana fandom is interested in POTO, but I had fun writing this, so it was worth it.
With that being said, we shall now progress to the good stuff before my cat sits on me and prevents me from moving.
And don't take this seriously. It's all just silly fun.
MC - Christine Daaé
Come on; it's the obvious choice.
Everyone wants to date MC, and MC loves everyone. Christine loves everyone regardless of their flaws, even the Phantom.
A bit of a dumbass, tbh.
Could probably solve world hunger with a kiss.
Asra - Viscount Raoul de Chagny
Raoul would die for Christine (and he almost did), and Asra gave half his heart for MC. See the connection?
Pretty boys.
Has a few flaws, but is the obvious choice™
Raoul was Christine's childhood sweetheart and love interest. Reminds me of Asra and MC's relationship.
First love™
Brings stuff for their s/o.
Everyone thinks they slept with the protagonist.
Julian - Ubaldo Piangi
Clumsy drama boys.
Gets hanged but also pegged.
Do they like to sing? Hell yes. Should they sing? Hell no.
I'm sorry, I don't have much else to say.
Nadia - Carlotta Gudicelli
Mommy. Fancy ma'am.
Is this even a question?
Actually, it is. I was torn between Christine, Madame Giry, and Carlotta, but I decided on the latter.
Carlotta played the role of Countess in Il Muto, so it has to be.
Also, Carlotta is a fucking leading lady and Prima Donna, and so is Nadia.
They both pegged their husbands, and they know their worth.
Husband is dead™
Professional girlbosses.
Amazing taste in clothes.
Tired of everyone's bullshit.
Also, the actress who plays Carlotta in the 2004 movie (Minnie Driver) is the same height as Nadia. Tall women 😍
I am a slut for them, and I want them both to step on me.
Prima donna, first lady of the stage! Your devotees are MC is on their knees to implore you! 🎶🎵
Portia - Meg Giry
Lil girlboss™
They both look cute and innocent but would slap a bitch without hesitation.
Bestie™
Curious and sweet.
Gives warm hugs.
Underrated.
Secret passage girls.
Muriel - Madame Giry
Mysterious.
Protective.
Sweethearts who take care of others.
Madame Giry worked for the Phantom, and Muriel worked for Lucio.
They run away when people try to talk to them.
They both look depressed until we see them in their Masquerade outfits.
Lucio - Erik/The Phantom
Sexy drama boys with many issues.
They are tragic, they are violent, and they are ridiculously handsome.
Thighs. Look at their fucking thighs.
Raoul hates Erik. Asra hates Lucio.
They are supposed to be the antagonists, but for some very understandable reason, a lot of people simp for them.
Dramatic cape swinging.
Rose lover plague boys.
The Phantom troubles Carlotta, and Lucio does the same with Nadia.
They both show up at the Masquerade. Suddenly and uninvited.
Everyone in the movie/game hates them.
But mama I'm in love with a criminal.
#the arcana#arcana#arcana nadia#countess nadia#the arcana nadia#nadia satrinava#the arcana headcanons#the arcana hc#lucio morgasson#arcana lucio#lucio arcana#count lucio#portia arcana#portia devorak#portiathearcana#arcana portia#arcana julian#julian the arcana#julian devorak#muriel of the kokhuri#arcana muriel#muriel#arcana asra#asra arcana#asra the magician#asra alnazar#phantom of the opera#christine daae#the phantom of the opera#raoul de chagny
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The Phantom of the Opera Broadway Thoughts/Review - March 9, 2023
This marked my fifth time seeing Phantom on Broadway, and I went with my friend who was seeing it for the first time. The Phantom was Ben Crawford, Raoul was Paul A. Schaefer, and Christine was played by both Emilie Kouatchou and Kanisha Marie Feliciano. Kanisha replaced Emilie during Il Muto.
compared to when I saw it in December, the audience was not as loud during songs and was more enthralled/not taking a breath
From the start, Paul’s Raoul seemed stronger than the last time I saw him. It was also a vocally strong performance all around for everyone.
While going down to the lair during the title song, Ben’s Phantom caressed Christine’s arm as she passed him at the end of the travelator
During STYDI, Emilie and Ben had a lot of tension when she decided to hand his mask back. And the way Ben hovered over her before grabbing her arm made me sjdjsk
Ben and Emilie were not seen coming up the trap door after the lair and the part where the ballerinas would spot the Phantom and Christine was cut. Instead the ballerinas just screamed after Magical Lasso and exited instead of pointing toward the Phantom and Christine so something felt off there
Kanisha came on during Il Muto instead of Emilie and it was my first time ever seeing an emergency cover happen in a show. During Il Muto I thought Kanisha’s confusion played well, but in All I Ask of You she seemed a bit overwhelmed. Paul really took over All I Ask of You and increased his energy in a really reassuring way.
When Ben appeared in the angel my friend went “oh fuck oh fuck” so it’s cool how surprising the angel still is to people who haven’t seen it
Ben also timed his hand coming up over the angel to the music so well it made it feel really gothic and creepy
Nehal Joshi as Andre really brought a ton of physical comedy and had dialed it up a bunch since I saw it in December. He walked through the ballerinas performing in Hannibal and bumped into more ballerinas during Il Muto. He also was more exaggerated with Firmin.
Ok so we have to talk about Paul in act II... the first time I have seen him have consistent stage presence all the way through. He had so many cute moments with Kanisha and was appearing so protective instead of just standing there. I can’t even begin to recount the number of little reassuring touches he did that just added so much to his relationship with Christine. My friend commented that she thought she would be bored of Raoul based on the beginning but was obsessed with him in act II so she also noticed it
Kanisha has such a beautiful voice, but I think it took until Wishing for her to settle into the character. Her Wishing was really beautiful!
When Ben appeared in the graveyard my friend went “not this fucker again.”
It was the best Wandering Child trio I’ve seen (and I do not like the trio in the song I prefer how it used to be from years ago). But the trio actually worked here. It was really cool to see Ben’s characterization change with Kanisha compared to how he would be with Emilie. With Kanisha he was immediately more paternal with her and this made the lyrics “wandering child” and “fathering gaze” that much more impactful.
Paul was bringING it during Wandering Child and since Kanisha and Ben were too, the sequence of Christine walking in a trance to the Phantom to Raoul stopping her, to the Phantom yelling at them while Chrisitne tries to stop Raoul while Raoul tries to protect Chrisitne just all ~ came together ~
Ben sounded really good in PONR. The new blocking I think this time I interpreted that Christine was just trying to force the Phantom to finish the choreography and then once she unveiled it as him she was maybe going to try and find a way to help the situation without the Phantom needing to die. And then he proposed to her and she was SHOCKED
During the final lair Ben was a bit more scary and physical than when I saw him in December and this made Paul louder and more protective. Kanisha’s “tears of hate” line was very defiant.
After the kiss for a second it looked like Kanisha’s Christine maybe felt something for the Phantom but a bit unclear on what that feeling was. She definitely stopped hating him after the kiss though and was looking at him almost perplexed and even after he let Roaul go, she still seemed to be trying to figure out what he was doing and what she felt
Ben broke my heart because when Christine came back to return the ring he leapt up and seemed to be thinking she was going to stay. Then Kanisha took a huge step back and stiffly outstretched her arm and it dawned on him that she wasn’t staying.
He sang “I love you” once, and once she left he said it again but more in a pitiful way to himself. So he wasn’t trying to convince her to stay like he did when I saw him with Emilie.
I don’t get the 100% vibe that Ben’s Phantom goes after Kanisha’s Christine. He seems to have sadly accepted it and I see more of like a 25% he considers trying to find her but doesn’t go through with it
I cried multiple times during the show and when I got home I sobbed at the thought of that being my last time seeing Phantom, so I bought one more ticket for April. My credit card and friends and family are probably unsurprised yet exasperated, but I think need one more time to say goodbye. This show in particular was pretty much perfect vocally, and it was so cool to compare the different acting interpretations and how they changed once Kanisha came onstage.
But it was super chaotic and a roller coaster of emotions from hoping Emilie is OK, wondering what happened, being disappointed Emilie wasn’t on anymore, loving that I got to see Kanisha, and then being disappointed I couldn’t have seen Kanisha at the beginning while still wishing I got to see Emilie all the way through. By the time Ben was singing at the end of the Final Lair, I realized my emotions had been so all over the place and I had so much adrenaline that I didn’t get to use the show the way I originally intended and hadn’t been able to just sit back and appreciate it one last time.
So I guess I’m going back again
#phantom of the opera#poto#phantom broadway#ben crawford#paul a schaefer#emilie kouatchou#kanisha marie feliciano#nehal joshi#phantom bway#poto broadway#phantom#broadway#phantom of the opera broadway#majestic theatre#broadway review#musical theatre#mine
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Thanks for the tacan you give the glimpse to Kanisha Christine and how she did and wonder how she play in the dramatic and comedy
I don't know if I would consider Kanisha's Christine to be a comedic one. The few humorous moments Christine does have, Kanisha didn't go for it. She's definitely a more serious Christine
I've been giving a lot of thought to Kanisha's Christine and I do stand by the Emilie comparison. I'd classify both of them as 'Cinnamon Roll' Christines; they are both so adorable and cute. It really drives home how young this version of Christine is and how traumatizing it must have been to lose her father.
As such, there is an element to Kanisha's portrayal which is about emotional growth. It's not so much that her Christine goes from naive and innocent to mature and world-weary, but more like learning that people contain multitudes and are complicated. I guess what I mean to say, is that Kanisha's Christine developed a more nuanced understanding of the world around her? Her early scenes (Think of Me, Angel of Music), they are uncomplicated. Her Christine is happy to be performing! She earnestly believes that the angel of music is giving her voice lessons, why would her father lie to her? When she learns that the Angel of Music is really nothing but a man, this throws her entire worldview out of balance.
I do think this is why Kanisha's Christine gravitates towards Raoul. He represents an uncomplicated and happy time in her childhood. She's drawn to him because she thinks that he can protect her. But, despite herself, Kanisha's Christine is drawn to the Phantom (it would not surprise me if Kanisha was an E/C shipper. I'm 80% sure Kanisha was looking towards the phantom the entire time as the boat glided away in the final lair).
Wishing is Kanisha's best song (and I would consider that song to be the emotional crux of her portrayal). It emphasizes that this moment is a turning point for Christine.
That being said, this was only Kanisha's second performance as Christine, so she's a lot less comfortable in adding details and expanding upon the standard blocking like say, Elizabeth Welch would. Experience and performance opportunities will only strengthen her portrayal.
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The Dinobots express protective nature around Jazz, Raoul, and Astoria after the came back from the sg world. Claiming to be their protectors which is pretty cute as their friends missed them greatly.
though, doesn’t help when Jazz is in officer meetings with Prowl, Red Alert, Ratchet, Brawn, Kup, Ultra Magnus, Hot Rod, Brawn, Chromia, Elita One, and Optimus, and the dinobots burst in to see him. It happened so many times that every can’t help but smile a little… though, red alert does get most annoyed but even he starts warming up to it.
The Dinobots, while not really caring for humans and thinking they're weak, do appreciate how feisty and strong (for such little fleshy things) these two have been. And Jazz has always been a fun bot.
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Thinking about the forthcoming miniseries adaptation of Gaston Leroux’ The Phantom of the Opera, by far the lines I am most looking forward to hearing/hoping will be included are
“And now, be off, for I must go and do some SHOPPING!”
“You great booby!”
“This is the SECOND time you have listened behind the door, M. de Chagny!”
“My dear fellow, you have fired at a CAT.”
“I warn you: the grasshopper hops JOLLY HIGH!”
“Oh, I don’t know what I am talking about. But you would have LOTS of fun with me. For example, I am a ventriloquist: I am the FIRST VENTRILOQUIST OF THE WORLD!”
“A churchyard? Yes, that’s where ghosts usually hang out.”
“Bring her back to us! Oh, that is a trick worth two of the Angel of Music’s!”
“Baby! We shall never get to the house on the lake by [way of] the lake!”
“OH! A safety pin! To fasten you up with - a SAFETY PIN!”
#Gaston Leroux#The Phantom of the Opera#I can't remember which translation I first read but it was amazing#Erik#Christine#Philippe#Inspector whatshisname#Daroga#MM Andre and Firmin#But how terrible is it that I can't remember any of Raoul's lines that were my favorites#Ouch#I do love book-Raoul#But he mainly gets pushed and pulled around and bossed by the other characters#He is baby#He is adorable#I just can't think of anything very profound or entertaining he says#He is very cute though#He is baby who needs protected
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Hey there was a mobile game I wanted to recommend you check out! It’s called MazM: The Phantom of the Opera. Obviously the phantom himself is a well-known character and prime example of a yandere, and this version’s Raoul also takes on that trait a little (although it’s mostly because Christine is in a life or death situation and this he’s protective over her), he’s very sweet and doesn’t wait a moment to shower her with praise. Anyway it’s a pretty faithful retelling of the original book and was extra fun for me as a yandere-lover as you play as Christine caught in between the yandere and the actual boyfriend. I think it’s coming to the switch soon as well if you want to wait for that.
...Are you sure that Raoul just takes on this trait a bit...?
Joking aside, sorry it took me so long to answer this ask. I was originally going to watch a walkthrough on youtube, but then I realized that you said it would be on switch and since I just got my switch emulator, I ended up playing with a friend. I will say that there is a lot for me to say about this game, so this will be a long read.
First things first, I'll admit that I've never actually read or watched the Phantom of the Opera before, so I genuinely have no idea what happens in the story. This is where my friend who I was streaming for comes in because she has read the story so she helped fill me in on what happens (she's also making a yandere vn in the future which I will be spamming the heck out of because yandere vn). I think from what she told me, most of the story is relatively accurate, though some parts are changed for one reason or another (for instance, The Persian has a name in this game, but in the original, he doesn't), which has some pros and cons for some characters. Overall though, the story was pretty good for a first timer like me since it really let me experience what the Phantom of the Opera is truly about. I think the creator Mazm did a good job for historical detail, which makes sense considering their platform is about creating games that reinterpret famous stories (they've also done one for Wizard of Oz and Jekyll and Hyde which I sort of want to play), and there are a lot of different notes the player can collect in the game that give more historical insight into what is going on.
The story for the most part is pretty linear. There are some choices you can choose, but except for two, they don't really affect the story. For the most part, the game plays as a visual novel, though you do have to walk around to talk or interact with things to proceed the story. There are cats and notes that lie around the game too, with the notes giving more historical insight and the cats being used as hints in case you don't know where to go. The story is about a detective trying to find out the truth of the Phantom of the Opera at a request of a client whos husband was a victim of him, but most of the story is played through a flashback.
There are also small minigames as well that aren't too difficult, though I honestly felt like some of the minigames got to be tedious at times, specifically the one minigame where you have to press the order of the mirror combo which I found really annoying because besides the fact that I'm bad at those games, you had to do it every time you wanted to enter under the Opera house, which was just... ugh. The game itself seems much more optimized for mobile than it was for switch considering how slow the characters move (and its really slow walking to different places sometimes) as well as the fact that it takes forever to load between different scenes and there's no touch screen option for switch (that I know of). Plus the buttons for moving and pressing hints were annoying to deal with (though this could just be because I'm using an emulator). I also kept getting confused when I was playing, since sometimes I would walk around the entire opera house trying to figure out what to do next, only to learn that I was suppose to talk to someone that was literally five steps from where I spawned. The last thing I found annoying was the fact that there's no option to skip dialogue which is really annoying when I wanted to replay a specific part of the story to take some screenshots. If you play this game, it's probably better to play it on mobile than on switch.
In terms of artwork, Mazm's Phantom of the Opera is really gorgeous, from the overworld sprites to the dialogue sprites to the background and CGs. I love how cute the overworld sprites are (I think Jammes and Raoul's are my favorite, they're both so cute) and every background is really nice to walk through and gives a good atmosphere of what it's trying to show. The character sprites for each characters are nice and varied. I can always appreciate characters that have recognizable faces and shapes, since a lot of times I have face blindness when it comes to characters that look way too similar. The CGs of course are super well done and I love all of them. Overall, the artstyle of this game is very solid and I love the way it looks.
The main character of the story was Christine, who looks really good ( I really love her hair), was for the most part alright initially. While I found her to be a bit naive (because she believed that there was an actual Angel of Music when it was just... the Phantom), she was for the most part alright, and even ended up saving another character from the phantom. However, I found her actions annoying after she met the phantom, specifically the part where she agreed to stay underground with the phantom for two days and would be released as long as she didn't touch his mask, and guess what. Right as she was literally about to leave, SHE TAKES OFF HIS MASK, AND FOR WHAT? YOU WERE JUST ABOUT TO LEAVE?? The other thing that bothered me was the after being trapped with the Phantom for about a month, she is given free reign to go back above ground, under the conditions that she only goes to the opera house and at home. During this time, she's expected to break it off with Raoul, so she fakes a honeymoon with him before he leaves for the artic. However, during this time, she doesn't tell anyone, not even Raoul about what the Phantom is up to. She has an entire month, an ENTIRE MONTH to tell someone that the Phantom is likely to hurt people (as previously he had dropped a chandelier on top of the audience) and she just... didn't. Understandably, she might have been afraid that the Phantom might have heard her, but still, what is he going to do to the possible 100 people that Christine could have told about him. She could have saved people from death if something like that were to happen. Near the end, she does get proper character development and learns to choose things for her sake and not others, which was pretty nice and does stand up to the Phantom after all the trauma (and doesn't get stockholm sydrome, thank goodness), but I still think that a lot of her actions could have probably been written better to make her less naive (since apparently in the original she was about 16ish while in this remake she's about 20 so it's less awkward between her and the phantom).
Raoul is the next character I'll be talking about, because even though he is very adorable, he also has one braincell and talks about Christine way too much. My friend and I actually decided to make a counter on how many times Erik and Raoul say "Christine." Erik says Christines name 128 times and Raoul... says it 340 times. This isn't even counting his introduction and only starts up to when Erik is introduced as a formal character and also doesn't count any time he says it in the overworld. 340! My friend kept on joking around that because Raoul says Christine so much, his brother Phillipe became an alcoholic because he's so tired of Raoul talking about Christine. Raoul only really has like three things going for him: the fact that he was in the military, the fact that he's part of the Chagny household and Christine, and that's it. Throughout the story, his goals are pretty much always related to Christine, whether it be to give gifts to Christine, being worried about her or trying to protect Christine from the Phantom. When the chandelier drops on half the crowd during one of the performances, instead of being worried for them or trying to get out of the Opera House, he instead looks for Christine, who is on stage and quite literally in the safest location within the theater. I would consider him a redeemed/protective yandere though, considering his priority is always Christine (he even gives up his own family name to be with her) and he's always trying to protect her. There's a part of the story where Raoul becomes really unhinged when it comes to protecting Christine, lashing out her her friends and other members of the Opera house. He does some really dumb stuff because of the Phantom, specifically throwing away Christine's ring that she got from the Phantom (that she also literally told him before that as long as she's wearing the ring she wouldn't be harmed by the phantom and he just...?? okay??). When he's tortured in the mirror room, he hallucinates Christine blaming him for her capture, and he even cries while hallucinating that Christine friendzones him (which I though was actually really funny, even if it was a tad bit stupid). His redemption comes near the end of the story where he apologizes for being so emotional and realizing that he was a bit of an obsessive beast, and in one ending he lets Christine go to travel the world. To be honest, I don't know if Raoul would continue to be as protective and obsessed with her even after the Phantom's death, but I guess there's not really any way to know.
The Phantom, or Erik (which I know is his cannon name but it makes me laugh because he really doesn't look like an Erik) is the main villain of the story. Unfortunately, in this version, I don't think I can call him a yandere, for one simple character: Melek. Melek, as far as I know isn't in the original story, is a prisoner that Erik has after she refused to marry her. As a character, I do actually like Melek since she's the one of the more sensible characters in the story and she's the more rational one between her and Christine, but her role in the story basically deconfirms Erik as a yandere, at least in this version. For one, Melek is a blind maid of Erik that he did fall in love with and trap, similar to how Christine was, which kind of comes off as Erik being the kind of person who would trap any girl that he likes. Even if this is the case, I don't understand why Erik would keep her alive even after she fell for Christine. Supposedly the reason is that Erik wanted to make Christine feel despair and he did attempt to kill her, but Melek survives and he just... doesn't do anything with her. Honestly, if Melek were straight up not in the story, I would have put him as a yandere because pretty much all of his other actions point to a more possessive/worship type of yandere, but because of Melek it's just not possible in my eyes. Besides that Erik sort of reminds me of a chunni in this version (he's like this absolute darkness is my curse! Like people with 7th grade syndrom seem to have), it was kind of hard for me to take him seriously in certain times. He is very intimidating when he threatens Christine, but his overdramatic nature (which I know is something he's always known for, just this version is uh...) really makes him seem like a child. Erik is for sure suppose to be more antagonistic in this version, considering the addition of Melek and his general actions of possession towards Christine and his disdain for Raoul, but near the end we do see more of his story and we see just how devastating his life is from the moment of birth. I did feel really bad for him when Hatim/The Persian keeps on mentioning the prince he used to work with because its really obvious that he still has trauma from it (and he keeps begging him to not talk about his past and the Persian just... keeps traumatizing him I guess) and the fact that he was treated so badly because of his appearance, but this doesn't excuse his actions in the story. Christine does try to sympathize with him using her own tragic backstory, which Erik kind of pushes away (like bro, we're not trying to see whose parents are worse, she's just trying to sympathize with you, dang) as not being tragic. I think that Mazm did present him pretty well in this story, not showing just his antagonistic side but also his more tragic side. Sadly, like I said, I can't consider him a yandere because of the addition of Melek, at least not in this version.
In terms of other characters, I really like the trio of Meg Giry, Sorelli and Jammes- the friends of Christine. From what I can tell, they're all a bit more aged up in this version, with Sorelli being the oldest and Jammes being the youngest and I feel like they gave more character to them than in the original version. Sorelli is the head of the dancers and the dating partner of Phillip de Chagny, Raoul's older brother and she's the mature and strong willed one of the group, wielding a blade that she uses to protect her friends. I like the fact that they made her a bit more protective and in one of the overworld sprites its mentioned via rumor that Phillip fell in love with her after he saw Sorelli swing her dagger, which I thought was pretty cute. At the end though, after Phillips death, she realizes that she was struggling too hard to climb up the social ladder and decides to forge her own path. In the beginning she attempts to protect her and her friends from the Phantom, declaring that she'll stab him if she sees him. Next is Meg Giry, and from what my friend told me, she was very young in the original books and kind of scardy cat. In this version, she's a bit older but maintains the scardy cat position, and is very terrified of the Phantom. She does gain more character development during the story, standing up to her mother and the managers and overall being a more assertive and confident person, which I thought was a nice touch. Last but certainly not least is my best girl Jammes. In the original story, she barely makes an appearance, but in Mazm they made her quite literally the best character. For one, the canonical reason why there are so many cats hanging out in the opera house is that Jammes keeps on feeding them and letting them in and she has named all of them after the Opera House staff. Jammes loves to spin and has a cute animation and while she can be loud and a bit strange sometimes, she can be smart and assertive when she needs to. Jammes always pushes the other three into being better and protects them when needed (for instance, when Phillip lashes out at Sorelli, she steps in and demands that he apologize for his actions) and can be really smart at times (she's the only character that attempts to at least cover her mouth when the Phantom's fragrance, a hallucinogenic gas, starts to fill up the box seat, despite others who have been in there not even trying) and is the one who stands up for Christine's abuse as well as for the dancers at the opera house being treated unfairly by the manager as she organizes a strike against them. She also becomes part of the women's suffrage after the events of the story. I could go on and on about Jammes, but instead I'll leave a cute picture of her at the end of this entire analysis. Besides those three, I did like Carlotta, the original singing lead of the opera house. Originally, she became an antagonist towards Christine after she became the lead singer, however, she did apologize to her afterwards and befriended her once more before traveling the world. I love her interactions with Raoul because she basically said that Raoul only has Christine and military training and when he gets angry and lashes out, Carlotta glares and him, causing him to cower (this actually does happen multiple times), and I just found that really, really funny. Mifoid, though useless in the story is actually pretty cute as well, I love his bouncing animation. The last character I'll talk about is Phillip because he became meme material for me and my friend considering he probably is so tired of Raoul talking about Christine (we joked that the reason he was sent to military was so that he didn't have to hear her name again) and while he is mostly a decent but strict character in the story, his last appearance really makes him out as a jerk. I did think it was kind of weird that Phillip was so willing to let Raoul go to the Artic mission considering nobody that has gone there has ever returned, and he was rather elitest towards him, not letting him marry Christine because she's of lower
class but during his last chapter before he dies, he goes on a frenzy after he and Raoul have a fight, revealing to Sorelli that he only dated her for fun and not to actually settle down with her, which is just horrible. It's a bit sad though that Raoul only saw him as someone who tried to get rid of him considering that Phillip did raise Raoul and that his last actions were an attempt to save Phillip from the phantom, and yet Raoul barely has a reaction after seeing his body and doesn't even go to his funeral. It's really sad that Raoul didn't even really cry after seeing Phillip's body, considering that he was basically his father figure.
Overall, it's a good game to play and a good retelling of the Phantom of the Opera. I wouldn't consider the Phantom to be a yandere in this game, but I do think that Raoul is one. Thank you for this recommendation!
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Notes on Gaston Leroux’s “The Phantom of the Opera” - Chapter 12: “Above the Trapdoors”
Dressing room at the Opera, image from “Le Fantôme de l’Opéra” by Gérard Fontaine
<< Previous chapter
This chapter follows the “secret engagement” between Christine and Raoul - or rather, their make-believe engagement (as it was not quite secret either - it is later revealed that Erik knew about it and had even encouraged her to go ahead with it).
The day following the events of the previous chapter, Raoul meets Christine - who is still wearing her ring - at the Opera. He tells her that his departure for the North Pole is imminent and will take place in three or four weeks’ time, and Christine almost happily encourages him to go. While Christine seems quite cheerful at the thought that they will part ways forever in a few weeks, Raoul suggests that he need not go if they got engaged on the spot, but she tells him that this is out of the question. Christine still believes that she will never marry Raoul and I personally believe that, because she would not promise not to leave Mama Valerius, she probably expects either a life with Erik or her own death at this point. Raoul’s departure would also provide a “natural” resolution to the love triangle that they are entangled in, so her happiness might also be due to this resolving her inner conflict. I personally always find the idea of Erik and Christine plotting to send Raoul off to the North Pole quite entertaining!
However, to create a happy memory for them both, she thinks it would be a great idea to play at being secretly engaged like little kids for the next month (they are compared to a brother and sister twice in this chapter). Turns out, it’s not *such* a great idea. Christine thought that it would be “a happiness that will harm no one” - neither Raoul, nor her, nor Erik.
However, Raoul seems to be rather serious in his intentions of asking her to marry him and only takes the “engagement game” as an opportunity of buying time in order to make her forget the “man’s voice” and make her consent to becoming his wife. But after a week of playing at being engaged, Raoul cannot take any more blows to his heart and tells Christine that he won’t go to the North Pole anymore. Christine realizes what a dangerous game they have been playing, and leaves him.
The next day, Raoul tries to seek her out at her home, where Mama Valerius tells him that Christine left at 5 o’clock the preceding evening, and that she would be back in two days. When he demands to know more, she only tells him that it is “Christine’s secret”. It is quite obvious that she has run off to Erik - probably because things have not been going according to the plan which foresaw Raoul’s departure to the North Pole.
Two days later, she reappears on stage in “La Juive”, finally repeating her triumphant performance from the gala night (it seems that Erik and Christine have been working hard for the last two days!). Christine has now been given a temporary contract for replacing Carlotta, who was no longer willing to return to the place that had seen her turned her into a croaking toad. After the performance, Christine leads Raoul to her dressing-room, where he promises that he will leave as agreed. When he leaves, she tries to comfort him, telling him that she sang for him that night.
After that, the carefree make-believe of the engagement game is gone, and Christine realizes how much Raoul is tormented by his jealousy. Now, Christine continually leads him back and forth into every corner of the opera house, even though Raoul would have preferred to go somewhere else, leaving Erik behind. But Christine always stays within the fantasy realm of the opera house, which is brought to life by her vivid imagination. According to her, it is the perfect place for their love because that is also “just an illusion”, which shatters Raoul’s heart into a thousand pieces all over. They balance along the upper flies, revel in the costume rooms, visit elderly couples who have been secretly living inside the opera house for years, and pass through the ballet girls (or “rats”, as they were usually called) in training, where Christine hands out sweets to the young girls.
”Ballet dancers” by Jules René Hervé
Here, we get to see yet more different sides to her. She’s a little wild, kind to others and very popular with everyone at the opera house because she takes an interest in the people around her. In the ALW musical, she often seems to be a bit of a wallflower, but Leroux describes her as a “popular queen”. Between her and Erik, they have apparently divided the opera house into two realms - everything underground belongs to him, and everything above ground belongs to her.
Christine now grows increasingly restless, agitated and tormented. When Raoul asks her if she is afraid of “him” (not saying the name Erik out loud for fear that this will alert him to their presence), she denies it, but her behaviour seems to prove her wrong. He promises to protect her, but even though she looks at him like a cute little brother wanting to defend her, she doesn’t believe that he will be able to do anything.
One day, she appears rather late with eyes red from crying, and Raoul tells her that he will take her far away where Erik will not be able to find them, and that she must stop thinking about him. Her only reply is “Is that possible?” There might indeed never be a day when she won’t think of him… Raoul promises to take her away to somewhere safe, and that he will leave her there since she has promised never to marry. She does not reply and instead leads him higher still towards the rooftop.
Even though she has previously stated that Erik cannot possibly be following them because he is working on “Don Juan Triumphant” and will not care about anything else, not even eating or drinking for days and nights, that is apparently not quite true, as a silent shadow is secretly following them...
Chapters 11, 12 and 13 are prime examples of the mystery of Christine’s character. While she certainly is fond of Raoul and also loves him in a way, she is obviously suffering from internal conflict as well. More than being passionately in love with Raoul, it feels as if she thinks of him more like a dear family member (hence the comparison to a brother/sibling in this chapter). While she seems to be afraid of Erik - or perhaps more precisely, of what Erik might do - she also appears protective of him and unwilling to leave his domain. Part of the enduring appeal of the story, in my view, has to do with Christine forever leaving people to guess what exactly went on in her heart and mind.
Next chapter >>
#phantom of the opera#lerouxreadingguide#leroux phantom#the phantom of the opera#erik the phantom#erik x christine#christine daae#raoul de chagny#opera ghost#poto#the phantom#classic literature#gaston leroux
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POTO Korea Review
August 3, 2023 Seoul
Cast : jeon dong-seok, song eun-hye, hwang gun-ha
It was a pretty special experience for me. This was my first time watching a Korean-licensed version of POTO, seeing the brilliant original staging, and seeing the phantom I'd been waiting to see for seven or eight years. (When I saw him play Der Tod, I knew he had to do The Phantom..)
I think Jeon dong-seok successfully pulled off phantom. I was a bit skeptical of his acting (good expressions, but sometimes too much), but he seems to have learned to moderate it. His voice was strong as always, and mesmerizing.
Yes, He definitely reminded me of the Y&K phantom. He clearly doesn't know what to do with Christine. In MOTN, he hesitates for a long time before touching her face, afraid to even touch her. But at the same time, He was very much a ALW Phantom. his desire for Christine is so great. He's hiding his lust in his affection for her. afraid to reveal all those feelings, so he cloaks them in adoration, but can't hide his obsession. (it's little scary to see him staring at Christine in POTO... I thought it looked like Hugh Panaro and Jonathan Roxmouth, but not sure. Jeon dong-seok phantom is gentler than them.)
His performance is full of energy. At times, like in STYDI and the AIAOY reprise, he lets out screams of sadness and anger, but the resentment seems to be directed more at himself than at the other person.
My favorite part was the final lair. And also the most memorable scene. I think it was a scene that really allowed his full energy to shine. He drove the play as best he could, pulling Christine along, mocking Raoul, and getting angry… I was little shocked when he crumpled up the sheet music and slammed it down on the organ😂
And when Christine approached him, he made a gesture of covering his face, as if ashamed of himself… like this :
I loved this detail. Yes, this detail reminded me of Earl Carpenter and showed how immersed he was in the character.
After shouting ‘make your choice!’, he cried almost constantly, he captures the feeling of not wanting to let her go, but having to. It was sad to watch him as he hugged veil and kept… kept sobbing. (how can he cry that much..?) At the curtain call, I could see his mask glistening with tears.
He's more obsessed with Christine than he was in Busan, which makes him even more reluctant to let her go. Now he doesn't smile anymore when he lets her go. (and I like it)
Song eun-hye has a beautiful voice and her delivery of the lines is natural. But her facial expressions were bit awkward… It’s better when she doesn’t make sad face. She's really cute in AIAOY.
Her best part is TOM. She deserves to be a prima donna. Her cadenza is long and perfect, and with Raoul's enthusiastic cheers, it was like watching a truly successful prima donna debut.
In STYDI, she does not look away from the phantom’s face. The phantom first turns away in shame, then she calmly hands him the mask, and he stares at her for a long moment in disbelief. I felt that in that moment, jeon dong-seok phantom fell in love with her all over again, but missed the opportunity to express it.
I thought she was very 25th Sierra-like. I felt a lot of Sierra's vibe when she was singing and acting, but her image is different from Sierra's, so it's bit hard to recognize it at first glance… She is milder than Sierra, and has a more classic image.
Her serafimo is unique! I had never seen a Serafimo like this. She’s not a naïve, clumsy but a flirtatious, sassy Serafimo. It seems she wooed the countess first! Not what the phantom expected, She really nailed the role. I even thought she looked better in the Serafimo than Christine..
I like hwang gun-ha Raoul! He's stern and always furious with the Phantom, but it's nice to see that he's always there to protect Christine.
In TOM, his reaction to Christine was so loud.. it was hilarious. He's a very cool image overall, but in that scene, it was kind of cute how he was so proud of Christine that he couldn't help himself.
I was worried that he would be too strong, but he was more like a classic, reliable Raoul, plus he was a young nobleman, so more confident.
Of course I like Yoon young-seok André. Couldn't miss him in Notes 1 and 2. His andre is very cute lol.
The ballet girls’ screams are really loud.. really..
Oh, I also liked the pace of the orchestra. SO MUCH. The west end was too fast:( so grateful that they gave the actors enough time to act, especially the silent pause before the final kiss. I see that silence as the most important part. The audience needs time to anticipate how the play will end, and time for Christine's kiss to not seem so forced. It’s nice that the orchestra didn't make me feel like I was running out of time.
This is the first time I've seen the angel statue, and I didn't know it’s coming down from the beginning of the rooftop scene! It was a little unsettling... But I loved seeing the original things, like the PONR choreography… I always think that the brilliant original is the most convincing and beautiful version.
If you sit within 5 rows, it's little hard to see the phantom when it appears from above.
Overall, it was exceeded my expectations and worries. Also, strange. It’s the phantom of the opera, but also Korean musical. The actors are filled with new energy, and it's strange to think that today's performance will be different from tomorrow's.(Of course... every live performances are different everyday, but Korean musicals have adlibs and details that change frequently.)
It felt less standardized than the west end, for better or worse. Personally, I've been so impressed with the west end version (that I can't get over it), but I like both version. If I liked the vibe of the Korean musical more, I would have liked it better.
And it was a novel experience to hear the lyrics in Korean. In fact, I've heard this so much in English so at the time of the performance, I didn't feel that there was much difference between it and English, but It was interesting enough.
Like, they matched some lyrics. In STYDI, 보아줘 너만은 처참한 모습 뒤 아름다운 내 영혼(I only want you to see, my beautiful soul behind the wretchedness) - In final lair, Christine said 서글픈 건 당신 뒤틀린 영혼(what makes me sad is your twisted soul)
In ‘The mirror’, phantom calls Raoul ‘You hypocritical, insolent man!’ - in the final lair, Christine calls the phantom a hypocrite.
Also Some numbers had a slightly different meaning, and some were better understood. I still don’t know why they make Raoul chaGny…
The ticketing process was long and tedious, but the show was worth it. all's well that ends well, right?
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I watched the POTO on youtube and I just... love Raoul so goddamn much. He is good and kind and protective and cute. Everything that Erik isn't and that Christine wants. But as good as Hadley's Raoul is, I wonder what Raoul we would have got if the musical didn't have any LND influences, like if they didn't try to ugly-fy Raoul in some way. That part where Raoul thumps the chair in frustration in that song where the managers etc. talk about the Don Juan play is just quite... ooc to me? 1
I want to start by saying thank you so much for taking the time to send me this very thoughtfully written ask. It means a lot and I really appreciate that you wanted to share your opinion with me.
I’ve heard this idea brought up a few times before - that Raoul’s character in POTO@RAH was influenced by Love Never Dies. While I do recognize that Hadley played a grittier Raoul than what is typically seen, I don't believe that his performance in POTO 25 was influenced by LND. It sounds like speculation to me, based solely on fan comparisons of the corrupted version of Raoul’s character in LND versus Hadley’s very emotional and raw Raoul in POTO 25.
We can't say for sure if Hadley was directed to perform a LND-esq Raoul, because no one from the production has spoken directly to that as far as I am aware. I don’t know much about Cameron Mackintosh, who directed POTO@RAH, but I think he would have tried to stick as close as he could to the original direction for POTO, special circumstances of the RAH performance aside. (EDIT: Mackintosh was the producer, the show was actually directed by Nick Morris and Laurence Connor, who also had no involvement with LND. I brought Mackintosh up because I knew he was involved in the original POTO production, sorry for the confusion and thanks to @enjolraslover for correcting me!) Additionally, what Hadley has said himself about his interpretation of Raoul’s character matches up with how he plays him, and it’s also deeply unlikely that Hadley had even seen LND at that point, let alone taken inspiration from it. (He barely even knew anything about POTO before he played the role, I’m not even convinced he had seen it before he was in POTO 25th!)
Moving on, I do see how you could interpret the chair hit in Notes II / Twisted Every Way as out of character for Raoul. A lot of ALW Raouls are played very sweetly (some ever boringly so, in my opinion...) and Hadley's Raoul has much more of an edge than usual. But again, this is in line with how Hadley understood and played the character, as “a confident aristocrat trying to wrestle back control of a situation that has spiraled away from him” and additionally really is not OOC for Leroux Raoul.
I actually really like that bit when Hadley hits the chair. 👀He just snaps. How you can see him go from pleading to just straight up pissed is a great example of how the whole situation has been chipping away at his patience and sanity. The Phantom has completely gotten under his skin, and I like to imagine Erik has been smugly watching all of it unfold from behind the wall in the managers office, quite pleased with himself.
I know I sound like a broken record at this point, but I believe that Raoul has every right to be mad. He’s been kept in the dark about what has actually been going on for the entire 6 months since he came to the Opera house. He’s asked Christine to explain and she has brushed him off. (Not to minimize what Christine herself was going through, of course. Her emotions and fears are justified too, and explain why she chose to keep things from him.)
Then he has what he thinks is a breakthrough - a chance to finally get out ahead of this threat and end it once and for all, and Christine resists him again. He reaches his tipping point and lashes out, both at the mess they are in and unfortunately also at Christine. The important thing is, however, that we know Raoul did eventually regain some of his sense, at least enough to continue to look after Christine’s safety. He followed her to the graveyard and was able to swoop in just in time to pull her out of the trance the Phantom had her under. Did he continue to make dumb choices after that? Yes, yes he absolutely did. He likely played a big role (’off screen’ so to say) in convincing Christine to take part in his plan and put her back into the path of the Phantom’s fury, and it absolutely was his fault there were guns pointed at the stage where his fiancée was performing. But the choices he made were not unreasonable or illogical, but the poor decisions of an emotional young man caught in a tight spot.
Anyways, you’ve brought your grievances about LND to the right place, as it's no secret that I don't like LND. I've seen a few different productions of it and I've talked about it with friends, and while I can watch it now without rolling my eyes every few minutes it's not something I would ever say I enjoy. All of the characters absolutely deserved better, especially the female characters.(Honestly it could be said that Christine as a character in general should be treated better, especially by the fandom... but that's a whole other can of worms.)
Thanks again for getting in touch with me! 👋😊I do always love talking about Raoul!
#Love Never Dies#LND#Phantom Of The Opera#Poto#Raoul De Chagny#ask fadedflorals#Hadley Fraser#Phantom Of The Opera 25th#long post
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Les Huguenots (Grand Théâtre de Genève, 2020): Reactions, Part I
Given that my current Act of Hubris Involving Video Editing is putting English subtitles on this production, I guess now is a good of a time as ever to finally officially liveblog it.
@monotonous-minutia you have seen this and @sweatershowgirl and @tatyana-dreaming you have not but all three of you are interested in this Act of Hubris, so...here you go! (there are spoilers in this liveblog)
Night of the Living Dead
well now they’re just Dead (except for a couple of principals. also spoiler alert these people keep coming back occasionally. don’t ask me. I was not one of the codirectors so idk)
“this production is sponsored by Adidas”
that one dude in the back obviously did not get the color memo
that or the costume department ran out of white/off-white shirts
JOHN!!!!!!! *heart eyes forever*
FANTASTIC chair setup
Nevers and Raoul are such a BROTP
spotlight’s on you buddy
also this viola d’amore solo is SO PRETTY
how is it that John Osborn is able to turn anything his voice touches into gold
also, UNBELIEVABLY PRECIOUS CHILD
It is a lovely morning in Touraine and you are a Bass Emerging From The Bog (not actually but...yeah) About To Crash A Party
“no, I already told you I needed twenty stuffed-crust pizzas from Medici’s for the Renaissance Faire!”
(I’m only half-kidding, as this is apparently supposed to be Catherine de Medici. yes, this production is weird. yes, it somehow works in the end. also it’s the most musically complete one on film)
you’re going to regret giving Marcel the megaphone
see? Marcel is just Ultimate Chaotic Energy
anyway this aria BOPS and Michele Pertusi is (as always) amazing
the valet (at right): “I do not get paid enough to deal with this shit”
RWS is so pretty *heart eyes*
@rayatii work your meme magic on this I know you can
also I guess this is supposed to be a farewell kiss or something?
also also I love how all the chorus people just start clapping
also also also I am the newspaper dude that is Such A Mood
Raoul please stop jumping to conclusions so quickly (although I will acknowledge that the kiss doesn’t really stem from canon)
tfw your fiancée breaks up with you the day before your wedding
Alexandre Duhamel is me jamming out to this chorus
*dies of Adorable Mezzo*
also: I don’t care that (according to behind-the-scenes video) Urbain is technically played as a woman in this production; I will proudly continue to say that this Urbain is wonderfully genderfluid because that was the Vibe I got
SASS HIM
ABSOLUTELY GLORIOUS
tfw you’re asked to go blindfolded to a Secret Rendezvous
he’s so freaking adorable I can’t
their energy
when you’re the new royal protégé but have no idea
magic movie makeover
off into the Great Unknown (better known as Act II)
we love the Old Hollywood Vibe
CAN I HAVE THIS OUTFIT IMMEDIATELY PLEASE AND THANK YOU
we stan both onstage instrumentalists and dancing sopranos
there’s just something about her and her voice that makes her one of my top 3 people I’ve ever seen or heard in this role
(her name is Ana Durlovski; the 2 others are singers you’ve likely heard of-- Lisette Oropesa and Joan Sutherland, with Erin Morley and Marlis Petersen not far behind)
I aspire to have her confidence and flair
everyone is Bopping feat. Costume Porn
also: sometimes the ideal Friend Group/Professional Network is a bunch of strong, confident, talented women, a strong, confident, talented, genderfluid director’s assistant, and one (1) Kindly Elderly Gay flutist (not pictured)
Léa Desandre and Anyone brings out wonderful energy
Urbain: “ma’am you are great at what you do but we are on a schedule and that schedule does not include you coloratura-ing”
we have no choice but to stan a QUEEN
Urbain: “really? the PUMPKIN PANTS?”
VALENTINE!!!!!!!!! *heart eyes forever for my favorite character in this opera*
stop being so perfect please I am begging you
Marguérite just checking in to make sure Valentine is okay is like *heart eyes forever for my SISTP. also I kinda ship them*
picture-perfect
WHAT DID I TELL YOU ABOUT BEING SO PERFECT
“now we are going to call your douchebag of a father whom I have to act like I don’t despise so I can persuade him by hook or by crook to let you marry your dream guy”
aka Girls Supporting Girls
this aria should be done every time and LÉA YOU ARE KILLING ME HERE
ooh... (the ladies are INVESTED)
I would like to thank the directors for making this happen
poor Valentine :(
Protect The Clueless Baby
Blinded By Spotlight, Round 2
iconic duo
twice the cadenza, twice the awesome
Raoul: I gotta admit that I’m a bit horny
Marguérite: okay maybe I am a little too BUT I am a good best friend so I’m not gonna do anything with you
Directors: *decide to end this duet with them making out*
Me: >:(
(John Osborn and Ana Durlovski though? LOVE THEM together)
Marguérite: oh shit I am officially regretting the last thirty seconds
also, tfw you walk in on your boss/crush/girl you just kissed making out with someone else you’ve barely met #awkward
CHILD
Urbain: well, you’re a person who...exists
“are you gonna get that?”
“no, are you?”
aka, the Nevers and Urbain Beef continues
someone’s on the phone please be quiet
also, something that happened a bit later but I couldn’t get into a screencap: Nevers has a very firm handshake while Saint-Bris has one like a limp fish
“yes we are all swearing eternal peace yes we are all friends no this will not implode within the next five minutes :)”
this moment is just SO CUTE
Raoul/Nevers BROTP (spoiler: that does not last long)
“here she comes...MISS AMEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEERICA”
RAOUL NO DON’T PUBLICLY HUMILIATE HER
the SLAP
this ensemble SLAPS
meanwhile, Marcel is just vibing and living his best life
Urbain: okay NO I NEED TO DO DAMAGE CONTROL HERE BECAUSE EVERYTHING IS FUCKED UP AND IF SOMEONE’S GONNA FIX IT IT’S ME
Marcel: but I wanna make Chaotic Energyyyyyyyyyyyy
“well that went well” said no one ever
#opera#opera tag#Act of Hubris Involving Video Editing#Les Huguenots#opera liveblog#Meyerbeer#Giacomo Meyerbeer#*Albert Finney voice* LET'S!!! GO TO!!! THE MOOOOOOOVIIIIIIIIIIIIIES!!!
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Send in the Clowns analysis (eh?) pt2
@midsomer4life, you wanted this, get redy for more of this maddness
After this scene, I am convinved Jamie was a Scout:
(We’ve used paraffin lamps in Scouts while I’ve been there, so if Jamie was a Scout he would undoubtedly have used paraffin lamps, or paraffin to light the Trangas). Basically, if I asked my non-Scout friends to idenity what smelled of paraffin, I doubt they could do it as it’s not common anymore, seeing as we have electricity and none of them were Scouts.
Jamie was a Scout or has a DofE under his belt, or both.
Jamie wearing wellies to the Gun Club:
I mean that’s just cute. John or Sarah probably bought them for him.
Jamie’s facial expressions in the abattoir:
I mean, same, mate.
John doesn’t look that uncomfortable, more focused on Mostyn, but Jamie looks like he wants to puke.
This could just be down to age and experience- John has had more experience with going to weird places like abattoirs, and he’s seen a lot of gore in Midsomer, while Jamie is still relatively new to it.
Mostyn picking on Jamie, and asking John “You sure he can handle it”, and John looking at Jamie before going in (some of which I haven’t screencapped, but if you’ve seen the episode you’ll know the part I’m on about, if you haven’t seen it, it should still be on the ITV Hub):
And I just love this low-angle shot. Let me geek out about media for a moment, but this shot is amazing and I love it:
Notice how the audience are looking up at the characters, as if we’re the pigs almost? The camera was probably on some sort of ledge or dolley, but we are effectively the pigs in this scenario.
The shot also makes Jamie look shorter, pushing our focus on the two important figures in the scene: Mostyn and John. Jamie is being pushed back and down so the audience’s attention is on the action in the scene.
Mostyn’s ‘red room’ is understandably and disgustingly creepy:
Ugh, that is so gross, it makes me wanna vomit just looking at it.
And this red herring:
Making the audience think it’s the rifle when it isn’t, well done, screenwriters.
Father and son sitting down at the same time:
(Not that good of a screencap, but oh well)
I just found it cute.
This line perfecly capuates every kid’s feelings to their parents not listening to them:
(Just to be clear, this line is being said by Harry, not Joe)
This should not happen:
That clown should not be able to outrun Jamie. We’ve seen Jamie sprint after suspects before- the first ones that pop into my head are Crime and Punishment (S19, E2) and The Lions of Causton (S20, E4)
TLOC was literally two episodes before this, Jamie could not have slowed in a few in-canon months, if anything he should be quicker.
I know it’s to build tension and conflict so we don’t find out the original issue of this episode before the plot is ready to advance in such a way, but Mostyn cannot outrun Jamie. It’s impossible, espically when Mostyn is wearing that stupid outfit and the oversized shoes.
Raoul outing every magician to have ever magicked:
Jamie once again proving the wonders of modern technology:
No, this is literally what my classes do when we haven’t got time to make notes in class.
Jamie is Gen Z confirmed.
The infamous oil scene:
Now, there’s a bit to unpack in this, so let’s try to break it down.
In my opinion, Jamie is focuing on his phone in order to impress John with what he found out. Me and @midsomer4life have a theory where Jamie was ignored by his parents, so he’s reaching out to the first parental figure who has shown impression with what he’s done.
I feel like that’s what Jamie’s trying to communicate in the last photo. A sort of “don’t bring up my parents” kind of look.
But it does also fit into what we’ve seen of his personality- a little absent-minded and determined to please. In CaP, Kam describes him as “cocky” and “arrogant”, but aside from that episode and maybe a little bit in Curse of the Ninth (S19, E6), there’s not really any evidence for that.
To me, Jamie is just trying to impress John, and as the seasons go on, it seems less of a ‘trying to impress the boss to keep a job’ and more of a ‘trying to impress a parental figure’.
But that’s just my take.
Also, big steppy:
Fleur making John say “please” in front of his son:
She’s just trying to make sure John is raising his son to be polite.
John and Jamie finding Mostyn’s ‘red room’:
The only appropriate reaction.
This interaction:
Bommy Vommy Jamie.
Also, I love this running joke that John loves old movies- we had to look at a Hammer horror film poster for media, and I think it was from the 60s. If we’re using the actor’s ages for the characters, then Jamie, at this point, is roughly 33-ish (annoyingly, the UK airing date is almost two years after the US one, so I’m using 2018 as a benchmark). Hammer horror films reached their peak around the 1970s. Once again, if we use Neil’s age for John, then John would have been 20 around 1981. It’s likely he saw some Hammer films before he went to uni, which could be the reason why he likes old movies so much- they bring back good memories with his parents/ family.
I just love that it references a niche love of John’s and it gives John the chance to poke fun at Jamie for his younger age, like how Jamie did to John in TLOC.
This throw-away line that’s actually quite funny and incredibly British:
Priorities
This line:
Once again, this is showing Jamie’s younger age- he’s referencing a children’n storybook.
As much as I would love to think John has read this to Jamie as a bedtime story, it’s more likely Jamie’s read it to Betty if he’s ever babysat her (which would be amazing, ITV make it happen!)
The way Jamie moves in front of John when Mostyn points the rifle at them:
Let me protect you, father
The this shot which I just love:
Despite Jamie being in the foreground, he is in blurred-focus while John is in-focus. This once again allows the audience to focus on John as he is talking while keeping Jamie in their view. It’s not a POV shot from Mostyn, the positioning’s all wrong for that, so it’s obviously a narrative shot.
John refering to Mostyn’s ‘red room’ as his “chamber of horrors”:
Personally, I think this is referring to The Village That Rose from the Dead (S19, E1), where Jamie refers to the snake room as “the deadly room of serpents”, which John instantly shut down. A canonical year later, John is using similar wording to refer to Mostyn’s ‘red room’, suggesting that Jamie’s playfulness has rubbed off on him and he’s taken to using it in a similar way certain social groups use the same words of phrases to create or strengthen a bond.
Using these kinds of words in that order that directly references something Jamie said could be John’s way of trying to strengthen the bond between him and Jamie, in a similar way to how parents will try to understand the language and slang their kids use, in order to appeal to them so they can strengthen that bond.
This episode focuses heavily on families and familial bonds. It’s probably unintentional, and I’ve just picked up on it due to my English Language course, but if it was intentional, we could be looking at a much stronger familial bond being formed between John and Jamie in S22 and onwards.
Right, I’m gonna end this part here, the next one should be the last one since I’m running out of screencaps and they’re all from the end of the episode.
Once that part’s done, you won’t have to endure any more of this
#Midsomer Murders#Neptunium over-analysing everything as usual#John Barnaby#Jamie Winter#Fleur Perkins#Send in the Clowns analysis#Part 2
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Secret Santa here! Today’s question: we see a lot of people talk about Christines and Phantoms with good chemistry, but which Christine/Raoul pairing(s) do you think have the best chemistry together?
Since you’re asking the RC fangirl... More under the cut!
Sarah Brightman and Steve Barton: Besides being the OG R/C pairing, Steve’s Raoul is just the sweetest and a gentleman of a Raoul! Strong, noble, sweet, and protective, he’s what I look for in a Raoul.
Julie Hanson and John Cudia: Julie’s a rather child-like, innocent (and traumatized) Christine while John plays Raoul as a protective, noble Raoul, willing to put himself in harm’s way for Christine’s sake.
Ana Marina and Alexander Lewis: Ana’s a Christine who portrays her as a daydreamer and head-in-the-clouds while Alexander’s Raoul is more grounded and realistic. Definition of tol and smol too.
Tamara Kotova and Evgeny Zaycev: These two play Raoul and Christine as cute sunshine babies. But they especially shine in Final Lair. Where Evgeny hugs and kisses Tamara before disaster strikes(TM) and Tamara trying to rescue Evgeny from the noose and crying on him.
Emmi Christensson and Anton Zetterholm: What ALW pair comes to mind when I read Leroux. Anton being a gentle, lovely Raoul with Emmi being a withdrawn, sweet, nervous Christine.
Anna O’Byrne and Simon Gleeson: Ok, I might get flames for this but actually I prefer how R/C was presented in LND Melbourne than E/C (I’ll explain more once I liveblog it). With Simon portraying Raoul as someone who’s sober and trying to change his ways for the better and Anna somewhat showing feelings for Raoul. And it really makes me wish LND ended differently.
Ali Ewoldt and Jordan Donica: Another example of tol and smol
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