This could also be called "Julie shares clips from AmeUta *without* Alice-chan, Part 1"
This post has been building in my head for... *counts* six months, and I'm only going to write out a fraction of it now because I have no idea how long it might end up. It's probably best to do this in pieces anyway.
And so, without further ado...
Julie's Massive Three-Way Analysis of 'Singin' in the Rain's
Part I: Cosmo
The reason I'm FINALLY starting to write this is because I put in my Hoshi AmeUta DVD to check on something that I'd suddenly remembered. In the '03 version, Tani messes up one of her lines and Touko calls her on it. X3 I recall trying to figure out Tani's mistake back in my early days in the fandom, so the word in question got lodged in my brain, and when I was listening to the "new" AmeUta soundtrack yesterday for the billionth time, I heard Tomu say the line correctly and that old memory came back to me.
Now, of course, I finally understand it all. Some lines are based on the original movie; some not.
Don: "Now for my new movie, a new character -- Count Pierre de Bataille... Yes... The Duelling Cavalier!"
Cosmo: "What's the story?"
Don: "The French Revolution..."
Cosmo: "Got it. You're a French aristocrat, she's a simple girl of the people, and she doesn't want to put you on the wagon to the execution block!"
Don: "Well, it's a living."
The word Tani flubbed was "wagon". :P
ANYWAY, WHAT THIS POST IS ACTUALLY ABOUT is comparing Cosmo...s. Cosmo Browns, there we go. ^^;; Donald O'Connor, Yamato Yuuga and Ranju Tomu.
Basically in my mind, Gene Kelly and Donald O'Connor were the ultimate Don and Cosmo. Touko and Tani were then the next best Don and Cosmo, and I think most people agree that in an Alternate Universe Soragumi, Tomu!Don and Tani!Cosmo would have been the most fitting for the new production.
See, Tani's Cosmo is kind of Tani playing herself. There she is, impish otokoyaku, having just skyrocketed out of shinkos, landed the nibante role in Guys and Dolls, about to move to the sanbante spot in Soragumi... But she's taking a detour through Hoshigumi for another nibante role first. She's charmed her way this far, and what she needs for Cosmo is to be a goofy charmer... And that's basically exactly what she does. Did. Tani!Cosmo is really just Tani, completely herself and different from the original.
Tomu, on the other hand, really wanted to be Donald O'Connor, I think. In the Now On Stage she marvels at how he molded his face into such wacky expressions; it seems like she really admires him. But in the end, Tomu probably just isn't as good at physical humor as Tani, much less O'Connor, so her Cosmo came off more like a guy on a sugar high (or drugs XD) than the calculated comical genius of the original Cosmo. There is some goofy charmer in there, in her own way (clearly quite different from Tani's) but mostly... yeah, too many pixie sticks, Tomu. ;P
In this scene, anyway. And that's not to say I don't love Tomu!Cosmo, because I do. Wholeheartedly. It's just that I'll never be able to let go of that vague dream of Tomu!Don and Tani!Cosmo, a dream that just wouldn't do now that we have Top Star Tani... But the Top Star Tani analysis goes into a different post. :P
For now, clips!
Make 'Em Laugh - 1952 original, baby. (It's a YouTube link; I didn't bring my DVD with me to Japan.) WATCH. AND BE AMAZED. Seriously, it's awesome some of the stunts O'Connor pulls, and a shame they couldn't be translated to the stage. Plus it will give you the English context if you don't understand Japanese!
Make 'Em Laugh - 2003 Hoshigumi version. When I was re-watching this, the first thing I did was grin at Gingami and that one in the glasses... X3 (The Sora babies put their "action!" sneezes in a much better place than Gingami did, btw ;P) And then Touko came out... and I cried a little. ;______; (Nope, still not over it, not at all.) Then I, you know, watched Tani and reaffirmed the thoughts that have led to this post. Oh, but also random shout-out to Asazono Miki (Rod)! I hearts her. :3 And did I see a StageHand!Doi-chan back there...? :D
Make 'Em Laugh - 2008 Soragumi version. Not that I don't like Hoshi babies, but I think it goes without saying that I love the antics of the Sora baby stage hands ten zillion times more. Particularly because I got to watch them live when my eyes strayed away from Tomu (okay, I admit, after the first viewing I was always watching the background babies ^^;; And maybe the reason I love them so much more because they're doing less actual work XDDD)... And Gay!Tomoe using the fanclub wear as a neckerchief <333 And note how on the '03 DVD they wisely edited it so you CAN'T see the stage hand setting off the arrow... But in this version you can totally see BonBon stand there and do it. XDDD Also also, ending that is a billion times more hilarious than Hoshigumi's (Riku <333 Ai-ai <333 I love you <33333)
...Oh, were you expecting more analysis after the clips? Sorry, I guess you'll have to write it yourselves. ;)
As an unrelated side note, I'm seriously thinking of finally making a filter for sharing clips and things. The only reason I haven't made one is because I'm lazy and don't like to categorize my friends... But I'm just feeling less and less motivation to share with people who never express their appreciation.
So comment! Discuss with me! :P
And so, without further ado...
Julie's Massive Three-Way Analysis of 'Singin' in the Rain's
Part I: Cosmo
The reason I'm FINALLY starting to write this is because I put in my Hoshi AmeUta DVD to check on something that I'd suddenly remembered. In the '03 version, Tani messes up one of her lines and Touko calls her on it. X3 I recall trying to figure out Tani's mistake back in my early days in the fandom, so the word in question got lodged in my brain, and when I was listening to the "new" AmeUta soundtrack yesterday for the billionth time, I heard Tomu say the line correctly and that old memory came back to me.
Now, of course, I finally understand it all. Some lines are based on the original movie; some not.
Don: "Now for my new movie, a new character -- Count Pierre de Bataille... Yes... The Duelling Cavalier!"
Cosmo: "What's the story?"
Don: "The French Revolution..."
Cosmo: "Got it. You're a French aristocrat, she's a simple girl of the people, and she doesn't want to put you on the wagon to the execution block!"
Don: "Well, it's a living."
The word Tani flubbed was "wagon". :P
ANYWAY, WHAT THIS POST IS ACTUALLY ABOUT is comparing Cosmo...s. Cosmo Browns, there we go. ^^;; Donald O'Connor, Yamato Yuuga and Ranju Tomu.
Basically in my mind, Gene Kelly and Donald O'Connor were the ultimate Don and Cosmo. Touko and Tani were then the next best Don and Cosmo, and I think most people agree that in an Alternate Universe Soragumi, Tomu!Don and Tani!Cosmo would have been the most fitting for the new production.
See, Tani's Cosmo is kind of Tani playing herself. There she is, impish otokoyaku, having just skyrocketed out of shinkos, landed the nibante role in Guys and Dolls, about to move to the sanbante spot in Soragumi... But she's taking a detour through Hoshigumi for another nibante role first. She's charmed her way this far, and what she needs for Cosmo is to be a goofy charmer... And that's basically exactly what she does. Did. Tani!Cosmo is really just Tani, completely herself and different from the original.
Tomu, on the other hand, really wanted to be Donald O'Connor, I think. In the Now On Stage she marvels at how he molded his face into such wacky expressions; it seems like she really admires him. But in the end, Tomu probably just isn't as good at physical humor as Tani, much less O'Connor, so her Cosmo came off more like a guy on a sugar high (or drugs XD) than the calculated comical genius of the original Cosmo. There is some goofy charmer in there, in her own way (clearly quite different from Tani's) but mostly... yeah, too many pixie sticks, Tomu. ;P
In this scene, anyway. And that's not to say I don't love Tomu!Cosmo, because I do. Wholeheartedly. It's just that I'll never be able to let go of that vague dream of Tomu!Don and Tani!Cosmo, a dream that just wouldn't do now that we have Top Star Tani... But the Top Star Tani analysis goes into a different post. :P
For now, clips!
Make 'Em Laugh - 1952 original, baby. (It's a YouTube link; I didn't bring my DVD with me to Japan.) WATCH. AND BE AMAZED. Seriously, it's awesome some of the stunts O'Connor pulls, and a shame they couldn't be translated to the stage. Plus it will give you the English context if you don't understand Japanese!
Make 'Em Laugh - 2003 Hoshigumi version. When I was re-watching this, the first thing I did was grin at Gingami and that one in the glasses... X3 (The Sora babies put their "action!" sneezes in a much better place than Gingami did, btw ;P) And then Touko came out... and I cried a little. ;______; (Nope, still not over it, not at all.) Then I, you know, watched Tani and reaffirmed the thoughts that have led to this post. Oh, but also random shout-out to Asazono Miki (Rod)! I hearts her. :3 And did I see a StageHand!Doi-chan back there...? :D
Make 'Em Laugh - 2008 Soragumi version. Not that I don't like Hoshi babies, but I think it goes without saying that I love the antics of the Sora baby stage hands ten zillion times more. Particularly because I got to watch them live when my eyes strayed away from Tomu (okay, I admit, after the first viewing I was always watching the background babies ^^;; And maybe the reason I love them so much more because they're doing less actual work XDDD)... And Gay!Tomoe using the fanclub wear as a neckerchief <333 And note how on the '03 DVD they wisely edited it so you CAN'T see the stage hand setting off the arrow... But in this version you can totally see BonBon stand there and do it. XDDD Also also, ending that is a billion times more hilarious than Hoshigumi's (Riku <333 Ai-ai <333 I love you <33333)
...Oh, were you expecting more analysis after the clips? Sorry, I guess you'll have to write it yourselves. ;)
As an unrelated side note, I'm seriously thinking of finally making a filter for sharing clips and things. The only reason I haven't made one is because I'm lazy and don't like to categorize my friends... But I'm just feeling less and less motivation to share with people who never express their appreciation.
So comment! Discuss with me! :P