(attemtping the formatting again, hopefully should work now) Review: Rose of Versailles, Andre Hen

[matataku_hoshi]

Okay, where to start.  It seems silly to try to explain what went wrong in an Ueda Shinji show, but I feel like taking a stab at the obvious -_-;

I’m sure many of you are already familiar with the problems plaguing Rose of Versailles: Andre Version.  Ume-chan is cast not as Oscar, but as Marise, Andre’s childhood friend and a new character created solely for this version.

In short, the show is stuck in the middle.  It can’t focus on Andre’s relationship with Marise too much, for fear of ignoring what Andre’s story is actually supposed to be about (aka Oscar).  And at the same time it can’t focus too much on Andre’s relationship with Oscar, for fear of ignoring Ume-chan completely (not that it would be above Umeda-sensei, but… :P)

The result is that I finished the show feeling pretty much the way I entered it, wondering exactly why this story needed to be told.  It felt more like a series of scenes strung together to fill requirements of BeruBara and soragumi’s current ranking rather than a story.

Other than Tani and Ume-chan, no one got out of this show with a decent role.  (Chigi and Kacha, who shared the role of Oscar, got a fair amount of stage time in the first half, but disappeared completely in the second half and never sang outside the prologue.  Yes, this is ridiculous given that it’s a show about Andre for God’s sake).  Even Micchan and Tomocchin only show up in a few scenes.

BUT…

I feel lucky that Andre Hen was such a mess that it became entertaining in its own way.  About five minutes into the show (aka the prologue), I decided that I was going to have to enjoy the badness if I was going to get my money’s worth for the DVD.  And luckily for me, this was the best kind of bad show.  Tani’s acting + Ueda-sensei’s direction + the fact that BeruBara is over the top to begin with = unintentionally HILARIOUS in many places.  The scene where the other soldiers find out about Tani’s blindness truly needs to be seen to be believed (I may clip it later).

And yet after the show was over, while I was entertained in a fashion, I couldn’t help but feel that my IQ had been lowered T_____T

However, there were a couple of things that I genuinely thought were good.

1. Ume-chan.  I am always impressed with her acting abilities, and this was no exception.  It takes a talented actress to take a character like Marise in a show like BeruBara and actually turn out a moving performance. 

2. Kacha.  I agree with Julie completely, Kacha’s portrayal of Oscar is beautiful.  She’s small, feminine, and sensitive, and yet she’s so tough and determined.  As someone who grew up reading a few too many “girl-dressed-as-a-boy” novels, she perfectly portrayed the kind of heroine I worshipped in my childhood.  She completely stole the scenes she was in.

I can see why they chose her to be Elisabeth, and I’m looking forward to seeing her take on the role.  Although if it were my choice, I’d have her play more girl-dressed-as-boys characters instead XD

3. Micchan.  Yes, yes, I’m biased.  But during the 20 minutes Micchan was actually on stage, she got to sing a short but very beautiful solo about being a soldier.  Micchan usually does either white hat or comedy roles, so I was really, really pleased to see her playing the rough, aggressive character of Alain.  (I just wish that she got to do this for more than oh, three scenes :P)

During the “Tani-admits-she’s-blind-scene” even my poor Micchan couldn’t completely escape the ridiculousness.  But at least she got to punch Tani first…? ^^; 

So in short, I don’t think I’d recommend this for anyone other than hardcore fans of the actresses involved.  That being said, as a hardcore fan of one of the actresses, it at least ended up being entertaining in its own way XD

Whew, okay, I need to run out the door now.  Chunichi Dancing For You review to come later.

Comments

[violet-tango.livejournal.com]

And yet after the show was over, while I was entertained in a fashion, I couldn’t help but feel that my IQ had been lowered T_____T

Probably the best thing ever said about Berubara XD

I get the impression that Yukigumi got after all the best version of this series.
But there, during the first half of the show Oscar/Kimu was more on stage than Mizu.
And as I realize *now* there was no moment in the show I couldn't take serious.
I still think the Marise idea was idiotic. Not her as a character, but that Ueda-sensei would be able to start something with giving a musumeyaku the role of Oscar. And he knows and decides against it. Yahy.

[muffin-song.livejournal.com]

I still think the Marise idea was idiotic. Not her as a character, but that Ueda-sensei would be able to start something with giving a musumeyaku the role of Oscar. And he knows and decides against it. Yahy.

Yeah...his "ideas" about the role of musumeyaku basically killed the entire show :/

[shirabyoshi.livejournal.com]

That's about what I expected to find beneath the cut.

... And now it's my problem. God.

[muffin-song.livejournal.com]

Have I expressed my condolences to you? It's awful enough that so many fans had to go through it once, but no one should have to go through it twice in the space of a year!!!

[shirabyoshi.livejournal.com]

I am so, so glad now that I didn't go to Nagoya. >shudder< Once will be plenty for me. It'll still be a turkey, but at least it'll seem less like a secondhand turkey.

Loved the Masako clip, by the way. ... Were there other people in it? ;)

[dinhu-4ever.livejournal.com]

I'm alwayas amazed (and amused) with BeruBara. The source material is great, but when you look at the zuka adaptations it's just...hum, I don't think there is a word to describe what I'm trying to say ^^'

[muffin-song.livejournal.com]

I don't think there is a word to describe what I'm trying to say ^^'

Is the word "Ueda Shinji"? -_-;

[dinhu-4ever.livejournal.com]

Hum...probably. But I don't really like to generalize. I've read somewhere awhile ago that one of his shows was rather interesting. I don't recal the name, but I remember that Asaji Saki was supposed to be kissing a nun. (was that too vague? XD)

[dybji.livejournal.com]

Thank you for the review! (I like the giant "BUT..." letting us know in advance there is hope. :) )
Huzzah for Ume-chan managing to make a silk purse out of a sow's ear with her role. Huzzah for Micchan singing beautiful solos as Alain! And huzzah for Kacha in general. <3

For BeruBara, though ... basically, I think I'm one of those people who is simply never going to understand it. Somehow I'm not surprised this one didn't turn out so great scriptwise. T_T

[muffin-song.livejournal.com]

For BeruBara, though ... basically, I think I'm one of those people who is simply never going to understand it.

It's...very pink ^^;

The sad thing is that I really like the concept behind it (really, how cool is a girl raised as a boy???). I just hate the execution, and the fact that it gets repeated so often.

[dybji.livejournal.com]

It's...very pink ^^;
A very good way to put it, I think. :)

I really like the concept behind it (really, how cool is a girl raised as a boy???). I just hate the execution
Ditto, actually. I had really loved what little I'd read of the manga -- Oscar was this strong, sensible, funny individual, Antoinette was silly and well-meaning, the historical details were cute. So I went into my first BeruBara totally not regarding the suspiciously-polite way everyone was referring to it ... and then I was in shock for days. XD The mind boggles, Ueda-san. It boggles, and then it gives up.

[ginapagott.livejournal.com]

Awesome. I really wanna see that clip. Onegai shimasu~

I love the BeruBara manga and TV show, but the Takarazuka versions (car CM aside) always seem off to me. :(

[muffin-song.livejournal.com]

Awesome. I really wanna see that clip. Onegai shimasu~

*laughs* I'm considering posting it, if just because it needs to be seen to be believed. I'm just a little hesitant about posting anything that shows my One True Sienne in such a negative light (even thought I still maintain that Micchan was nowhere near as er, over the top as Tani ^^;)

(car CM aside)

The car CM is amazing, isn't it? <3

[demoneyeskyo87.livejournal.com]

I have a love/hate situation with "Berubara". To me, in order to appreciate the show, one must have a love for the actresses playing the roles. To me, its between the 1989 Yuki, 1991 Tsuki and 2001 Hoshi that were good though has the usual flaws here in there(but this is "Berubara" so one might expect melodramatic silent movie situations). This particular Andre-hen sounds like a train wreck compared to the 1989 Andre hen(in which at least focused on Oscar/Andre), but at least Ume is a strong actress to play a role that is only invented for this version. Maybe the recently announced Hanagumi version will fix some of the flaws though.

Kacha’s portrayal of Oscar is beautiful. She’s small, feminine, and sensitive, and yet she’s so tough and determined.

Hmmm I want to know more about this Kacha, :). Maybe when "Elisabeth" starts rolling around then I'll know more about her.

That being said, as a hardcore fan of one of the actresses, it at least ended up being entertaining in its own way XD

May I say that this is very well said, ;)

[muffin-song.livejournal.com]

Yeah...it's good to try new things, but these new ones just didn't turn out very well :/