I will TRY to talk about something in this post other than foreign versions of Ugly Betty
"Try" being the operative word here, as if you couldn't tell from my all-caps emphasis. Anyway, just finished watching the Russian version, and luckily it got back to the original script after about 25 or so episodes where it did its own thing (which angered me for one simple reason: they kept Andrey and Katya apart for far too long. I'm pretty sure I've developed carpal tunnel syndrome just from fast forwarding through all those eps).
So, what I loved:
1. Katya and Andrey were so ridiculously tender with each other, which I mentioned before, but seriously, their moments are so, so beautiful.
2. The finale! I was wondering how they'd do that last ep, because a 15 minute wedding scene would seriously drag for this couple. As much as I loved them, I just was not on their journey 100%, mostly because of all those extra eps they added in that kept Katya and Andrey apart, so a real time wedding that makes you feel like you're actually there would just be kind of tedious. Luckily, the show changed the last ep almost entirely, and it was wonderful. Especially the bit where Andrey climbs up the fire escape with the flower in his mouth. So cheesy, but it made me sigh dreamily. Best part, though? At the very end, the entire cast sings the theme song, which plays over them all being happy and in love and it is hilarious how recognizable every single voice is (Alexander's makes me giggle pretty hard. Andrey's just made me go "Awwwwwww!"). Also, I like how the very last scene sort of feels like a tribute to the original. It may have just ended that way because the original did, but the original ended that way because of it's opening titles, so... I don't know, but it made me smile.
3. I loved how this show played with its opening title sequence. The Christmas eps especially delighted me. But even just the original title sequence dazzles me. It's amazing how perfect it seems to summarize the show.
4. THE DRAWINGS! This show made it look like everyone in Russia is a cartoonist, but whatever, I loved it. Mostly because those were the only bits where I knew for certain what they were talking about. But also because there's one bit where Katya is looking at a pic of Andrey and Kiera and she draws herself on a piece of paper and puts it over Kiera's head, and then later Andrey does the same exact thing and it's so damn adorable/heartbreaking (especially since his cartoon of Katya was way more detailed).
5. Andrey got to have a ton of fantasies. This pleased me, because I had always wanted more fantasies from Armando, and it depressed me that the only fantasy he ever had in the entire series was of him stuffing Betty in a trunk. NOT COOL. Of course, he did get to have that hilarious dream where he was chasing Betty around the forest and she had a bird in her hands (which just happened to be the exact scene that he had described when Catalina had told him to relax. Clearly Betty was that beautiful person he was picturing, he just hadn't known it yet). Er... anyway, Andrey got to have full-fledged fantasies, and they were delightful (except for the one where he stuffed Katya into a trunk). Oh man, why do I root for these dudes?
6. I loved getting a serious take on certain moments, which I talked about in my last post, but one I forgot to mention was their first date, where he makes her wait at the club while he goes to that party so that he doesn't make Kiera suspicious. I so, so loved how the Russian version emphasized that Katya was terrified that Andrey had stood her up, that he was playing a cruel joke on her, because that's been her experience in the past, and it kills her that he could do that to her. But then he shows up, and she just clings to him and cries into his shoulder and he has NO IDEA what's going on but he hugs her right back and tries to comfort her. I loved that. Because in the Colombian version, Betty is experiencing the same feelings that Katya was, and she clings to Armando just as Katya did, but it was more of a happy hug than an emotional one, so it ends up getting played for laughs as Armando rolls his eyes. I just like the difference there, and how one emphasizes the trauma while the other emphasizes Betty's hopeful/forgiving spirit.
7. I loved that, pre-seduction, Andrey and Katya were much more equal in their interactions than Betty and Armando were. In fact, they were downright coupley quite a few times. Betty and Armando were coupley too, but in a completely different way, which is basically due to the difference in dynamics. Betty always let Armando put up a fuss about anything and let him feel important even though she was really the one that got things done, while Katya usually raised her voice to Andrey when he did to her. But usually Katya and Andrey just giggled at each other as opposed to yelling or eye-rolling.
8. Andrey and Roman made up at the end. It always kind of bothered me that Armando and Mario never made up (not counting the sequel), because seriously, they were the real romance for quite awhile there. Even more so with Andrey and Roman. And, yeah, Mario/Roman is total scum, but he shares quite a history with Armando/Andrey, and he basically does anything for him, and Betty/Katya ended up coming between them and that kind of hurt Mario/Roman. So, I like that Andrey and Roman got to make up, even if Roman didn't really deserve forgiveness (especially from Katya). But since the whole show is basically about forgiving those who you truly love, it worked for me.
9. Nikolai. I love that they made him real as opposed to the cartoonish character he was in the Colombian version (mind you, I love cartoony Nicolas, but he wouldn't have worked in the Russian version).
Things I was not so fond of:
1. ANDREY AND KATYA WERE KEPT APART FOR TOO LONG. They even had fairly legit relationships with other people during that time apart, which made it a little hard to keep rooting for Katya/Andrey, especially since Misha was such a sweetheart who was genuinely trying to romance Katya.
2. The fashion show. The fashion show is so beautifully poignant in the Colombian version, but in this one it was just... blah. And played for comedy! It is so freaking weird how this version took so many of the Colombian version's dramatic moments and turned them into comedy while it took the comedic moments and turned them into drama. CRAZINESS.
3. A lot of my favorite moments from the Colombian version were just forgettable on the Russian version, which is depressing, but it makes sense since a lot of these moments were reaction shots from Armando. On the plus side, the Russian version added a lot of little moments elsewhere that aren't in the Colombian version.
4. Julianna (Catalina) was emphasized as the fairy godmother way too much. I sort of like this but I sort of don't. At first I thought she was too... over the top, maybe? But as the show went on, I got used to her. I just couldn't figure out why she always carried an umbrella with her until the very end when she showed up in the very Cinderella-like carriage/limo. DUH, ME. I never even realized that Catalina was Betty's fairy godmother, but I suppose she was. Silly me, I just thought, "Mentor! Who shows up at the most opportune moments!"
I'm sure there's more, but I'll stop there, because this post is already longer than I had intended. And I failed to live up to the title of this post! Bugger. But only because it's late and I need to go to bed. Otherwise I would regale you all with tales of my nephew driving me crazy (I love him, but seriously, he needs to stop clicking his teeth and making that blowing sound with his nose every two seconds. And no, I am not exaggerating when I say every two seconds).
So, what I loved:
1. Katya and Andrey were so ridiculously tender with each other, which I mentioned before, but seriously, their moments are so, so beautiful.
2. The finale! I was wondering how they'd do that last ep, because a 15 minute wedding scene would seriously drag for this couple. As much as I loved them, I just was not on their journey 100%, mostly because of all those extra eps they added in that kept Katya and Andrey apart, so a real time wedding that makes you feel like you're actually there would just be kind of tedious. Luckily, the show changed the last ep almost entirely, and it was wonderful. Especially the bit where Andrey climbs up the fire escape with the flower in his mouth. So cheesy, but it made me sigh dreamily. Best part, though? At the very end, the entire cast sings the theme song, which plays over them all being happy and in love and it is hilarious how recognizable every single voice is (Alexander's makes me giggle pretty hard. Andrey's just made me go "Awwwwwww!"). Also, I like how the very last scene sort of feels like a tribute to the original. It may have just ended that way because the original did, but the original ended that way because of it's opening titles, so... I don't know, but it made me smile.
3. I loved how this show played with its opening title sequence. The Christmas eps especially delighted me. But even just the original title sequence dazzles me. It's amazing how perfect it seems to summarize the show.
4. THE DRAWINGS! This show made it look like everyone in Russia is a cartoonist, but whatever, I loved it. Mostly because those were the only bits where I knew for certain what they were talking about. But also because there's one bit where Katya is looking at a pic of Andrey and Kiera and she draws herself on a piece of paper and puts it over Kiera's head, and then later Andrey does the same exact thing and it's so damn adorable/heartbreaking (especially since his cartoon of Katya was way more detailed).
5. Andrey got to have a ton of fantasies. This pleased me, because I had always wanted more fantasies from Armando, and it depressed me that the only fantasy he ever had in the entire series was of him stuffing Betty in a trunk. NOT COOL. Of course, he did get to have that hilarious dream where he was chasing Betty around the forest and she had a bird in her hands (which just happened to be the exact scene that he had described when Catalina had told him to relax. Clearly Betty was that beautiful person he was picturing, he just hadn't known it yet). Er... anyway, Andrey got to have full-fledged fantasies, and they were delightful (except for the one where he stuffed Katya into a trunk). Oh man, why do I root for these dudes?
6. I loved getting a serious take on certain moments, which I talked about in my last post, but one I forgot to mention was their first date, where he makes her wait at the club while he goes to that party so that he doesn't make Kiera suspicious. I so, so loved how the Russian version emphasized that Katya was terrified that Andrey had stood her up, that he was playing a cruel joke on her, because that's been her experience in the past, and it kills her that he could do that to her. But then he shows up, and she just clings to him and cries into his shoulder and he has NO IDEA what's going on but he hugs her right back and tries to comfort her. I loved that. Because in the Colombian version, Betty is experiencing the same feelings that Katya was, and she clings to Armando just as Katya did, but it was more of a happy hug than an emotional one, so it ends up getting played for laughs as Armando rolls his eyes. I just like the difference there, and how one emphasizes the trauma while the other emphasizes Betty's hopeful/forgiving spirit.
7. I loved that, pre-seduction, Andrey and Katya were much more equal in their interactions than Betty and Armando were. In fact, they were downright coupley quite a few times. Betty and Armando were coupley too, but in a completely different way, which is basically due to the difference in dynamics. Betty always let Armando put up a fuss about anything and let him feel important even though she was really the one that got things done, while Katya usually raised her voice to Andrey when he did to her. But usually Katya and Andrey just giggled at each other as opposed to yelling or eye-rolling.
8. Andrey and Roman made up at the end. It always kind of bothered me that Armando and Mario never made up (not counting the sequel), because seriously, they were the real romance for quite awhile there. Even more so with Andrey and Roman. And, yeah, Mario/Roman is total scum, but he shares quite a history with Armando/Andrey, and he basically does anything for him, and Betty/Katya ended up coming between them and that kind of hurt Mario/Roman. So, I like that Andrey and Roman got to make up, even if Roman didn't really deserve forgiveness (especially from Katya). But since the whole show is basically about forgiving those who you truly love, it worked for me.
9. Nikolai. I love that they made him real as opposed to the cartoonish character he was in the Colombian version (mind you, I love cartoony Nicolas, but he wouldn't have worked in the Russian version).
Things I was not so fond of:
1. ANDREY AND KATYA WERE KEPT APART FOR TOO LONG. They even had fairly legit relationships with other people during that time apart, which made it a little hard to keep rooting for Katya/Andrey, especially since Misha was such a sweetheart who was genuinely trying to romance Katya.
2. The fashion show. The fashion show is so beautifully poignant in the Colombian version, but in this one it was just... blah. And played for comedy! It is so freaking weird how this version took so many of the Colombian version's dramatic moments and turned them into comedy while it took the comedic moments and turned them into drama. CRAZINESS.
3. A lot of my favorite moments from the Colombian version were just forgettable on the Russian version, which is depressing, but it makes sense since a lot of these moments were reaction shots from Armando. On the plus side, the Russian version added a lot of little moments elsewhere that aren't in the Colombian version.
4. Julianna (Catalina) was emphasized as the fairy godmother way too much. I sort of like this but I sort of don't. At first I thought she was too... over the top, maybe? But as the show went on, I got used to her. I just couldn't figure out why she always carried an umbrella with her until the very end when she showed up in the very Cinderella-like carriage/limo. DUH, ME. I never even realized that Catalina was Betty's fairy godmother, but I suppose she was. Silly me, I just thought, "Mentor! Who shows up at the most opportune moments!"
I'm sure there's more, but I'll stop there, because this post is already longer than I had intended. And I failed to live up to the title of this post! Bugger. But only because it's late and I need to go to bed. Otherwise I would regale you all with tales of my nephew driving me crazy (I love him, but seriously, he needs to stop clicking his teeth and making that blowing sound with his nose every two seconds. And no, I am not exaggerating when I say every two seconds).