Reflection

All you who love stories, gather round...

Song: "Reflection" (from Mulan) sung by Lea Salonga
Lyrics: metrolyrics
Theme: Rue/Kraehe Tribute
Spoilers: Yes

Review:  First of all, props for song choice. I've loved this song since... well, I can't really remember when exactly, but in all its forms this song has resonated with me, and it is a perfect song choice for Rue. It really is a wonderful look into herself, her thoughts, her fears. And it fits with her.
That we begin with a view of Rue as Kraehe, reflected in Mytho's eyes, is great, and very telling. Not only is this a time when she is not who she thought she always was, in front of her beloved Prince, but she is realizing it. She realizes that her own self is not who she expected, who she wanted. She is forced to look, though, despite her hesitancy and worries.
I thought it was clever to use the 'wedding' scene with the lyrics about a bride, with her forcing Mytho back to her. The following scene with her as a child similarly fits nicely. The next few bits are done well, too; there's plenty of fearful moments for her later in the series to pull from, and the chosen pieces are good. (the little ballerina bit from 0:19-21 did kind-of feel like filler though)
I will say that the brief flash of 'recognition/sight' from 0:31-34, doesn't quite fit. The next line talks about her being herself, but the flash is of Mytho's hand/arm. Given the ample video to pull from if lyric matching was as important as the rest of the video seems to suggest, then this was not the best choice. It's slightly distracting.
I really like the interlude of Rue and Mytho dancing after the festival, though, especially with the lyrics about her being herself.
However, there are times when it would be good to not follow the lyrics so closely. 0:39-42 is a good example. It fits the lyrics, in a way, but so literally and ironically, I actually find it rather humorous. XD And that would be fine! If this were that type of video. But the rest of it is so serious and sincere, that this brief burst of humor makes me unsure if I should be laughing at it, even though I can't see it any other way. So that kind-of breaks the mood a bit.
Although, the immediately following bit with Kraehe is good - a question of Rue's identity faced with the overbearing presence of Kraehe. The next while does a very nice job showing the uncertainty of Rue/Kraehe, her frustration, her fear. It's interesting that Kraehe is who is defined as her true self, although really from Rue's view that is true. I love the bit at 1:15-18. Juxtaposition of cool and composed Kraehe against a wavering and wobbly Rue, in the Giselle episode. One, the allusion to the episode at that time, "though I've tried" [to hide who I am] is fantastic, because that's really when Rue starts to realize that maybe she isn't all she thought she was. She's starting seeing through her own self-deception, at least a little. And also the fact that the hiding is a futile effort. She's wobbling on her certainty of self, and she is going to fall, no matter how hard she tries not to. It's rather heartbreaking, actually. ;w;
And then we have adorable little Rue, crying out to be accepted... And possibly her visions for what she wants for her future, who she believes she really and truly is! A princess for her Prince!
And then, the Depths of Despair as she concedes to herself that it will never be..... ;_;
But then we get an awesome look at what she truly becomes, her true self inside, a ballerina princess with her prince! <3 ... Although with the ending feeling, it's more like another hopeless dream that won't come to be... ;w;
That is one thing. That ending clarity is rather rough, so I'm not sure exactly what the ending feeling was supposed to be - heartrendingly hopeless, or beautifully fulfilling? Still not entirely sure. :/
Quality-wise, the video was very nicely done. Most of the clips chosen were done quite well, and they flowed fairly well throughout the video. There were no effects really, that I could see, and while that didn't take away from the video, I do feel like at least a few smoother transitions would have added something more.
Overall, I really like this video. However, I don't feel like it's anything crazy-specialtacular. With a little bit more refining, perhaps, and getting rid of that ambiguity regarding atmosphere, I think it could be a better video. Mostly that scene with the Raven exploding. Because as humorous as I still find it, it doesn't fit the video's tone.

Overall Rating: 7.5/10

Danse de Raven

All you who love stories, gather round...

Song: "Le Bien Qui Fait Mal" by Mozart L'Opera Rock
Lyrics: lyrictranslate
Theme: Characters and their struggles; mainly Mytho and Kraehe/Rue
Spoilers: Yes

Review: First off, amazing song choice. This is a captivating, no,  gripping song that takes you by the hand and twirls you headfirst into the introduction. The video plays very well with this, the slightly vague yet consistently in motion references to how everything started keeping pace with the song. There's 'The Prince & The Raven,' Drosselmeyer, and Princess Tutu from the opening sequence. Very aptly used, and the sequences themselves flow beautifully! Then throw in Kraehe and Fakir, and as you see Drosselmeyer grinning, you know everything is in place for his main production.
Looking at the lyrics (in translation, or just feeling the inherent off-kilter energy), you know first off that this has incredible connections with Mytho, especially as the series progresses. "Now where does this strange feeling/ come from/ that fascinates me/ just as much as it disturbs me?" And then some close ups of Mytho as he's getting more mixed up with the Raven's blood: "And I feel joy in the pain/ I intoxicate myself with this poison/ until it makes me lose my mind." The last bit as we see Rue confront a full Raven!Mytho. Wow.
And the chorus repeat is a great theme: "It's the good that causes the pain..." This can be applied to so many characters: Mytho notably, with regaining his heart shards/emotions but also increasing with the Raven's blood's influence; Rue in wanting so desperately to keep Mytho for love but her efforts are only making matters worse; Fakir trying to protect Mytho but finding his efforts thwarted at every turn; Duck just trying to help... I admit I'm happy the focus was more on Mytho and Rue/Kraehe, as they fit this song so barking perfectly, but the fact that the others were also involved but only minimally, Duck hardly at all, made me a bit disappointed. I feel like it would have been nice to see some references to Duck's problems. We only see very brief glimpses of Fakir's. If the focus had only been on Mytho and Rue, then I wouldn't feel like I missed out on some possible awesomeness. While a general video about them all is nice, I don't feel like the clips were distributed evenly enough to give them all justice. But that said, what was done was done really quite epically.
I will say at 1:16-19, the clip with Fakir and Duck as Tutu, is pretty, but... a bit out of place. While watching it the first few times, I was too awed to really notice, because the flow is still beautiful. But analyzing more, this clip just seems put in there as cool-looking filler. Which it succeeds at. But it's still filler.
And then we get to Kraehe's solo. Gah. I love this. The voice really fits her quite well, and the clips used are great. Then the words... "I can feel/ a violent urge/ ...I adore/ having it under my skin."
Unfortunately, I'm running short on time, so I shall have to summarize some of the rest. I love the bit near the end, starting at 2:29. There's intermittent clips of Rue in the Depths of Despair and Fakir's tragic past. Gah. I just... *hand motions* And then it goes into the craziness of the Finale... Aaaggghhh. 'Love' does not express my feelings enough! <3
(and of course, Drosselmeyer at the end being him... all "Yeeesss the good does come from the bad, and where would you be without the bad? Aren't you glad I gave you all I did?" *glare*)
On to the video in general, this is fantastically created. The tune of the song gives the impression of a manic obsession that isn't the healthiest to be pursuing, and that image is conveyed through the video usage very well. The pieces of the show used get across the whole 'this is supposed to be good for me' or 'I want and need this' while still conveying this may not be the best idea. Mytho, Rue/Kraehe, Fakir... I would have liked to see a bit more usage of the idea with Duck, like when she sees Mytho after he regains Fear, but it's a minor quibble. The quality of the video is wonderful as well, as all pieces are timed perfectly. The inherent movement of the series, the dance everywhere, goes beautifully with the ever-shifting beat of the song, as it's a song that demands movement at all times. When calmer scenes are used, then the video editing/transitions make up the difference.

Overall Rating: 9.5/10