Princess Tutu does A Very Potter Musical

All you who love stories, gather round...

Song: Get Back to Hogwarts (from A Very Potter Musical) by Team Starkid
Lyrics: avpm.wikia
Theme: Princess Tutu characters cast as characters in A Very Potter Musical
Spoilers: No

Review: This makes me grin so much. XD It's totally awesome!
Ok, onwards. First off, the cast is fantastic. My favorites are probably evil!Mytho as Draco (no seriously it makes so much sense) and Femio as Cedric ("kill the spare!"). Just... yes. Brief digression involving that: Malfoy is played by a girl in the musical, and Mytho is frequently seen dancing female parts in the show. Both have that obviously-assertive-snootiness that is really over the top but then just fits. Both try to have friends, but it really doesn't work very well. And, of course, the deeper layer of 'I just want somebody to love me' in both of them. (Mytho's just more successful about it.) And then Femio as Cedric is great! Nobody knows where the heck they came from, but they make prominent entrances and manage to draw all attention towards them. Yet, both are seen as 'extras,' and despite their opinion of themselves, aren't generally desired by many around. (except Lillie/Cho Chang. Yes.They would have the most detrimental relationship but they would stick so hard to it. I enjoy that this ship exists and is pointed at here.) I was intrigued to see Autor and Duck cast as siblings, and Autor as Ron period, but it really worked out very well!
I also enjoy that Fakir was singing about getting back to school while dancing.It really fits with the whole 'I'm cool and this is gonna be totally awesome' idea. I'm not going to dwell too on the character dynamics, though, because this is more a fun-fitting-because-we-can kind of thing than a specific commentary on the characters, I think.
On to video itself. The lip-synching and general emotion alignment is fantastic. It fits so well in tons of places! Just watch it again if you need reminding of that.
I will say that I was disappointed that there were frequent cuts here and there in the song, but it is a long song (like 10 minutes or something.). Most of the cuts were fairly well done though! One that grated on me a bit was at 1:18 between Fakir/Harry and Autor/Ron, switching to Rue/Hermione. Perhaps it was because of the multiple very recent cuts, but it just feels a bit quick. I think I may have liked to see a little bit more after the announcement of Mr. Cat/Dumbledore as well, but it worked out alright.
I was a bit confused when Cho Chang's music first came on, as to who it might be. I understand that there was supposed to be confusion, but with Pike taking first stage among the group shots, I thought she might be it, or the real one since Freya came up later. I was pleasantly surprised to find out it was Lillie, but I think that the group shots mixed with just Freya before would have been better.
The only other thing that bothered me, but I'm not sure how to have edited it much, would be the random bits of Kraehe we get now and again. I understand that the scenes were usually used simply for their facial expressions of the main character, but she's a bit, well, distracting. (wouldn't you say, Autor?) But really, while I do like the fact that Kraehe was referenced as Rue being "actually hot," it kind-of made her random background bits in other parts hard to ignore.
Overall though, a very entertaining video, and fantastically put together! I've watched it so many times... Part of it may be my love so for the musical, though. XD If you've not watched it, I highly recommend it, and there's even info at the end of the video~

Overall Rating: 8/10

Broken Illusion

All you who love stories, gather round...

Song: "Torn" by Natalie Imbruglia
Lyrics: azlyrics
Theme: Mytho/Duck/Fakir
Spoilers: Yes

Review: The song chosen really fits Duck's POV very well. Mytho is her ideal, her dream; but then as she comes to know him, she learns how empty he is. Of course, she is trying to fix that, but that doesn't change the fact that he can't give her anything more than what she's idolized from afar. Meanwhile, Fakir certainly "couldn't be that man I adored," yet he is there. And willing to help her, despite his own shortcomings. And despite hers.
Right, on to closer analysis! The first lyrics are great for Mytho.  I like the alignment of "brought to life" with the Swan Lake scene, as that truly is when he seems to have been brought back life, or at least as close as he can get at that time. He's kind, he's proper... The first stanza's really put together very nicely. And then we have Rue and Mytho together, with the words, "Nothing's fine, I'm torn." Really a great insight into Duck. I mean, she's not holding it against Mytho or blaming him, but she's still hurt.
The next bit, from about :52-1:08, is a good match at first. And individually, the pieces could go well. But using one long scene consistently throughout the entire 16 seconds feels like too much, especially since the rest of the video. If there were intersperses of other clips, it would be nicer. The only other time a long clip is used is near the end with the dance in the Lake of Despair, but it's interspersed with some effects to make it feel more broken up. Also, it's more dynamic than simply Duck crying into the pond/lake here. The lake scene has no words accompanying either, so the lingering scene is even further justified. At this point, though, it feels like it was just set to the side and never gotten back to.
I do like the usage of Tutu interchangeably with Duck, though, especially with Fakir restraining her a bit. It's a different context with the song, of comfort and worry rather than restraint, but it still fits nicely.
I love the bit around 1:25-29, the exchanging of Rue's and Duck's pictures in her daydream. It really shows how she knows it's futile, but she still believed in it. And how it's still extremely saddening to see it change.
"But you crawled beneath my veins/ And now I don't care" - I really like this, because it's so true. It shows both Duck's quick-to-anger side (although Fakir really doesn't help that in general), and her selflessness. She truly doesn't mind/care that Mytho's moved on from her, that she isn't his choice. But it still affects her, it still hurts her, and she can't ignore that. The bit where she's going to throw the pendant away is really poignant about this. "I'm torn." Got that right.
1:55-58 = Wow. Yes. Illusion of both Mytho and herself as Tutu. The perfect imagery, daydream, illusion. And then herself as Duck. But no... that never happened. And it's hard on her.
Yes, Fakir, you're always late. GEEZ.
Juxtaposition of her dance with Mytho as Princess Tutu, and (in a little bit) her dance with Fakir as herself, as Duck.... gaaahhhh. It's gorgeous~ It focuses on how Mytho was there, but not really, and how she wanted it so bad, but it never worked. AND THEN FAKIR. ;w; (see my notes above for how this long scene actually doesn't get monotonous)(other than, you know, being this scene)
The ending is cute~ :3 Not the perfect ending exactly, it feels a bit abrupt to just switch over to them walking away, but it's still nice.


Overall Rating: 8/10

Fakir - Devastation and Reform

All you who love stories, gather round...

Song: "Devastation and Reform" by Relient K
Lyrics: azlyrics
Theme: Fakir & his struggles
Spoilers: Yes

Review: This is an excellent choice of song for Fakir, not only for its lyrics but for its energy. It's bursting at the seams, but yet still stays within rhythm, even when it shifts tone. It's a beautiful fit.
I'm also really impressed with the introduction. While the opening music to the song is immediately high energy, and maintains it fairly readily, it's difficult to get video to do the same. It's possible to not do so and still have it fit well, but this creator managed to get consistent cuts in a timely manner for nearly the entire intro, which is a crazy accomplishment! Not only because of the timing involved, but the fact that pretty much all the clips are different yet all very pertinent. The one drawback is that with such speed involved, it's kind-of hard to be able to recognize all of the clips, even after numerous watchings, but that doesn't really diminish the effect of it.
As it gets to the first chorus, I realize that yeah, Fakir does create a lot of problems. He's not the only one that's causing problems, and he does have plenty of other problems besetting him, but his anger and 'protection' do more damage than help as Mytho's getting his heart back. So yeah, destroying everything I love is a pretty apt description for Fakir in the first season. And then he gives himself that label/mantra in the second season, so again, it fits really well~ (Ok so he gives himself that label from the very beginning [aka his parents/Mytho] but it's less subverted in the second season.)
From 1:04-1:14 ish though, I'm a bit confused. It looks good, but I'm not seeing the correlation between lyrics and video that the rest of the video maintains. I can make a slight connection at how he's trying to restart/'reconstruct' his thoughts about Tutu, but... that's all I can gather. :/
The following epicness with the Ghost Knight is great, though. It really captures the essence of the song and Fakir's fears all together very nicely!
The following bit regards Fakir realizing that it's probably not the safest plan for him to go after this 'story,' but he will anyway, with zeal. Which he entirely does. And the usage of Fakir and Kraehe's first fight with the sword is a pretty good choice. It's arranged well, and is a good story reference point because this is where Fakir decides that the story's moving and he's going to do something about it. I personally think that it would have been good to use the ice lake swordfight bits here too, as that's when Fakir decides to go suicidal with his intensity, even against the story. But the clips chosen also go well with the next bit with windows and Kraehe.
Speaking of which, that was very well chosen! Kraehe and Duck are both problems for Fakir, annoyances that he can't be bothered to deal with but he has to. Even though both of them are kind-of essential to everything happening.
Also, I love the phrase "I feel like I was born/ for devastaion and reform/" paired with Fakir's fight with evil!Mytho. That has got to eat at Fakir afterwards. He's been spending his whole life doing what exactly? Protecting the Prince. And what's happened now? The Prince is evil. Crap. Can't protect him from himself.
And then... Duck... no comment needed. ;w;
*sigh* I love the interlude bit. Paired with Fakir's journey with the tree is perfect. Gives me chills and a slightly constricted throat every time~ (especially at the "failure is a blessing in disguise" part, as he falls to his possible death. And so many other failures, like being unable to protect the Prince, or defeat the Crow, or simply survive, or.... Gaaahhh.) And then, finally, the 'reconstruction' of his heart is fulfilled as he comes back to Tutu's voice, to Duck. He's finally been able to recognize that yes, he's had problems, but that doesn't mean he can't go through more and succeed.
The following build-up with being forced to write by Drosselmeyer is great. It's appropriately tense, because both the audience and Fakir are all "NOOOOOOOO" but there's nothing to be done, and then BAM! With the musical halt, comes a stop to the tragedy. (or at least realization thereof and then implementation)
The following craziness about near the end is beautifully put. Fakir's realized his complex about himself, and that he needs to move past it, but that doesn't make it any easier to deal with. He still has problems protecting, implementing, ensuring safety. But he keeps trying.
And the rewind is a great way to end it. Reminding him that he has so much more than "what I had when I first started."
The very end, though, with the flashes between their dances (with both Duck and Tutu), I'm left a little confused. It looks great, and the timing is wonderful. But... what's the connection? If it's still the flashback, then when he was talking to her as Tutu it was still a strong emotion, and it wasn't the same as the acceptance when they were dancing in the Lake of Despair. But I don't think that it's a big enough disparity to make the appropriate sentiment that the rest of the flashbacks have been. It would have been better to use the Sleeping Beauty scene, I think, or something else showing how much things have changed.

Overall Rating: 9/10

Fakir's Hand of Sorrow

All you who love stories, gather round...

Song: "Hand of Sorrow" by Within Temptation
Lyrics: azlyrics (also at the end of the Youtube description)
Theme: AU-ish: Fakir & the Ghost Knight; Retelling the Ghost Knight story with Fakir in the Ghost Knight's role, and Tutu/Duck as his lover
Spoilers: Yes

Review: ... That intro. Gives. Me. Chills. The narrator usage is glorious, the layering with the song's intro is fantastic, and the clip usage is perfect! I don't know what more you could want from an intro, other than the fact that the narration's background music bleeds through the tiniest bit in places, but that is negligible. You don't even notice it until you've seen it at least 3-4 times or more. (at least that's how it was with me... XD' )
First off, this song in and of itself is perfect for this idea, for Fakir. I mean, he never questions 'why am I the Knight?' or 'should I even protect this Prince?' - he just does it, instinctively, resolutely. To the exclusion of pretty much all else, at least at first. It's not hard to see him sticking to that, either. But neither does he entirely understand what all he can do, what is within his powers, even once understanding that he is a story-spinner. He is still a protector of Mytho, and that dictates his life. And the fact that he loves Tutu/Duck is very controversial to his protector role of the Prince.
Getting back to specific video content, the first round of the chorus is wonderfully chosen, with Fakir reading 'The Prince & The Raven' and the sacrifices involved there. Quite portending. And then Rue as a possible "noble" and Ms. Edel as "wise" augments the confusion that grows with Mytho's stay in this world. I really love the usage of the book/play during "but the oath made him stay", along with Fakir's fears being manifest. It's a very powerful usage of the clip, and symoblistic of the horrors Fakir is afraid to commit under the Prince, but must do (in this universe; and hey, maybe raven!Mytho is the Prince he's serving).
And.... and the second intro to the chorus... "He prayed for both but was denied." That. That. *serious face* I audibly gasp each time I watch it. Ok, maybe not every single time, but it's happened repeatedly. Even when I know it's coming. But it's just so... so powerful! The set up of the clips is fantastic, and it truly seems as though he's had to do something so horrible... And it's gorgeous symbolism how when the 'act' is committed, Fakir isn't himself anymore but simply 'the Knight'. That is all he is, all he can be in that moment. Because if he were anything else he would die.
And then! Following that tragedy, he does realize what the heck he's done! And is (rightfully) devastated! I love the usage of raven!Mytho and Uzura as the "noble" & "wise" here, it's wonderfully crafted. The dark Prince is crazed, angry, totally in the wrong, but still technically "noble;" meanwhile Uzura is a small child, and doesn't understand everything, but her tears at what's happened show her to truly be "wise."
"Will all our sins be justified?"
I don't know, Fakir, will they??
Man, this repetition is poignant, and so relevant... and beautiful. And... anxiety-inducing. XD'
And then, we have Fakir apologizing to both the Prince and Duck/Tutu (mostly her)... in a heartrendingly sad showing of his devotion to both. The transition to mostly addressing Duck/Tutu is great, and the Ghost Knight with Tutu with the words "though you'll not see that it is me" is just... gaaaahh my hearstriiiiingss.....
And chaos. And the attack again. Despite its absolutely horrible meaning, I love the sequences where Fakir is attacking Tutu, because they are arranged so gosh-darn well!! It looks totally believable. They're amazing.
The later portions are just as great. I haven't had time to make as much meaning out of all the word/clip symbolism, but it seems important that the bookkeper and Drosselmeyer are seen as "noble" and "wise" here, because both of them are quite adamant that death be an overarching theme in things... And then Fakir takes the dagger/letter opener... In the description, it's to be seen as a suicide, which although he stabs his hand, it could've been poisoned or something... And it's not hard to accept in lieu of all the crazy happenings.
The last bit I do really like the arrangement of - Tutu/Duck and Fakir finding one another past death. My only quibble is that the video quality seems to diminish at the end here for some reason, not the clips' usage but the actual video footage. It's a bit dimmer... and sometimes over-glare-y. It's not long enough to detract from the overall awesome of the video, but it's a bit of a distraction.
My only main quibble with this, other than that ending bit, is the quality of the video overall, but I don't know if that's because of my internet service or not. Whenever I start it anew, sometimes I have to make it large and then smaller to readjust the focus, and it is a bit choppy/lagging at times. Double-clicking it a few times usually fixes it, or refreshing the page, but it makes me sad that there's not a higher-quality version of this epicness.
But yes. I love this video, and it's really well done. I'm very happy that I found this video, and get to watch it again and again~

Overall Review: FF 10/10

Note: Changes

Alright, first I want to apologize for being gone for so long. At first it was just life, and then my computer decided to not work with an external hard drive, and then there were days of trying to figure out why... *sigh*

So sorry about that. But I think that I am going to change the time frame of this blog, from attempting a daily post to simply doing at least weekly posts. I forget how busy I actually am when I set the daily goal, and as proven by the numerous times I've missed days, it'd probably be better if I just expected a weekly output instead of daily.

Now if I have some extra time, and happen to put more than one up per week, I shall! But I can't guarantee that happening. So, just a bit of an update and not wanting to disappoint people who actually notice~