70s Shoujo - Tumblr Posts

Dorian’s always so vocal with his sadism I fucking love it

eroica and the major, from eroica with love (1976)

"we're intertwined in ways we don't even understand. i find the idea of english roses twirled around a hard german wire to be rather delicious with its' sadistic overtones. don't you?"

From Eroica with Love Musical and why I don't trust adaptations of 1970s shoujo manga

Unlike some of its contemporaries which have reached famed accolades and mainstream commercial success, From Eroica with Love seems to have remained a beloved cult classic. It has evaded anime, live-action, or stage adaptation since its serialization began in 1976. That is until now.

When it was announced that From Eroica with Love will be receiving a musical adaptation, I – and several others – were immediately skeptical. Not only are the characters and comedy of Eroica extremely difficult to adapt with real humans, there is also a very specific aesthetic that the adaptation must abide to. This aesthetic combines the style of 1970s shōjo manga, and the contemporary rock scene, along with classic James Bond films. That alone should prove enough of a challenge, but characters are also extremely vibrant and vivid in personality, which usually demonstrates in subtle and/or comedic moments.

And this was actually not the first time that the thought of a musical of From Eroica with Love has crossed my mind. I had casually talked to a friend or two that if Eroica were to be adapted, I think it could work as a musical, if it could utilize the very theatrical and dramatic language of the stage to portray the characters, the style, and the energy of the original. So, did this production succeed in doing so? Well, I wrote a 10,000-word essay that attempts to dive into the topic, which will be split into parts, just so we could get to the bottom of this. Oh and also, it’s Dorian’s birthday.

Happy birthday Dorian Red Gloria - part-time menace, full-time FASHION ICON!!!

Link to each respective parts of this rant essay:

Part I: I want my chaotic characters back

Dorian Red Gloria, Earl of Gloria, Codename: Eroica

Klaus Heinz von dem Eberbach, Major, Codename: Iron Klaus

The Case of the Missing Caesar Gabriel and the Character Assassination of Tyrian Persimmon

Part II: WTF is with this lack of energy bro?

Section 1: The tank scene was the only one they did right

Section 2: I should not be sleepy or bored watching Eroica

Part III: Wanna talk about media-mix?

[Eroica Musical Rant] Dorian Red Gloria, Earl of Gloria, Codename: Eroica

(Series masterlist)

Somehow I am the least mad at what they did to him ...

Dorian Red Gloria, the Earl of Gloria, otherwise known as Eroica the Phantom Thief, is one of the most vibrant characters ever written in manga, and my personal favorite. A respected English aristocrat, a revered art thief, Dorian’s aspiration is to live a life full of – capital R – Romantic splendor, defined by thrill, desires and adventures, bordering on hedonism.

Agile, dynamic and fun, Dorian steals not for money but for said vision, as he thinks stealing art is the most Romantic profession – to the displeasure of his long-suffering accountant and countless museum curators around the world. Extremely intelligent, spontaneous, and armed with complete fearlessness, he outsmarts and baffles even the most cold-blooded, hard-boiled, thoroughly-trained international superspies. Other than those attributes, Dorian’s power is derived from being a people person. He has a charisma and wit that can persuade, trick, or provoke anybody.

With my love for this character, I went into this musical expecting to be severely disappointed. I thought at best he would be a gay stereotype, and at worst, boring. But to my surprise, Dorian in this musical is actually fairly decently played. Most of his scenes and lines are kept, and the actor himself does bring some life into the role. He sings, he dances, he delivers the sass required. And I think the decision to have him sing enka in the tank scene is still in-character.

Direction

My only criticism would be that, compared to the original manga, Dorian is not depicted and portrayed with nearly enough power. First of all, the actor is frequently seen very relaxed, and unfortunately, it translates to slight slouches in his posture. But more importantly, due to various factors like staging, writing and productions, some scenes, while kept, were changed massively.

Let’s take this scene where Dorian supplies Klaus with a key piece of information. The chapter leading up to this scene in the manga starts out with Dorian throwing a gala for his fellow crime lords, and Klaus being tasked with maintaining security for a peace conference between the USA and the USSR taking place nearby. Upon hearing that there is a gathering of some of the most powerful underground figures in that proximity, Klaus intrudes on Dorian’s soiree to warn them not to do anything that might disrupt the conference. Dorian reassures his alerted guests, and informs Klaus that they have no such intention.

It is then that a KGB and a CIA agent rush in to tell Klaus that they received a lead that could hint at a neo-Nazi plot aiming to bomb the conference. An argument soon breaks out amongst the uninvited guests and Dorian promptly kicks them all out. Afterwards, Dorian’s close friend Volvonte offhandedly muses that he remembers something about a neo-Nazi of some sort having borrowed money from his organization some time not so long ago – a piece of information crucial to Klaus’s investigation is now, accidentally, in Dorian’s hands. But the party resumes, and it is only later, once everything is done and cleared, that Dorian thinks to call Klaus before going to bed. He is in bed, phoning Klaus like it was a booty-call. He flirts, Klaus tries to hang up, Dorian supplies the piece of information, then flirts some more and ends the call with a big, fat, sloppy kiss over the telephone. So what is significant about this set-up?

For one, Dorian has no obligation to tell Klaus this information that would not only save a peace conference, but many lives, including Klaus’s. The casual manner with which he treats this key piece of information is also important. He doesn’t urge Volvonte to tell him more, he doesn’t rush to tell Klaus, and he doesn’t communicate with Klaus in the manner of subordination, taking the time for pleasantry and flirtation. A casual bedtime conversation for Dorian, in this case, is a matter of life and death for Klaus. Dorian holds the power.

In the stage show, while the context is the same, details are removed, while other unnecessary ones are added. Due to the rushed pace that the show is written with, Dorian’s feelings for Klaus in this arc is intensified, giving him a motivation to tell Klaus the vital piece of information, as he is now deeply worried about Klaus. This level of care at this point in the story is not seen in the manga. Because of this newly-slotted motivation, his nonchalance is diminished, resulting in a serious exchange where it appears as though Dorian also has stakes in the matter, almost like he is working for Klaus. And because he is not in bed, his “advice” to Klaus comes off less as banter and more like sincere advice, and it presents him as naggy, as opposed to flirtatious and funny. That kiss is also waaaayyy too timid.

Costume

When it comes to costume, Dorian in this musical still exceeds everyone else by a mile. I was concerned when promotional materials only show him in one outfit, but thankfully, they had others made as well. Most of them look glamorous enough to look like they could maybe be part of Dorian’s wardrobe (and he might have worn a few of them while extremely intoxicated because this is the 70s).

However, that is not to say they were perfect. Knowing that this is a small production with limited budget, I will look past the fact that even Dorian’s costumes look pretty cheap in terms of material and tailoring. Especially if you compare them to the Takarazuka Revue’s adaptation of Eroica’s spin-off, El Halcon. But what will always be a sore thumb in my eyes is his rubber-looking rubber-sole jagged platform boots.

Why couldn’t we have given him well-fitted heel leather boots? Manga Dorian is on heels even while scaling walls. And heels would certainly look better when he dances. My problem with the ill-fitted rubber sole boots is that they throw the outfit’s proportion and silhouette totally off balance, shortening his legs, the opposite of what you want for a 1970s look. Considering the actor himself is tall enough to pull off a 1970s shōjo manga type look with loooong legs, these boots definitely did him quite dirty.

Speaking of which, Dorian’s inspiration is Robert Plant. Therefore, I definitely would have loved to see the outfits taking more inspiration from the decade, the rock scene, and Robert Plant himself. Manga Dorian’s fashion is a showcase of Aoike’s love for rock’n’roll, European classic arts, and fantastical shōjo manga aesthetics.

It expresses Dorian’s character as someone who romanticizes the fictionalized past and at the same time, poses as a contradiction to convention and norm.

The outfits given to Dorian in this production don’t exactly hold such punch, some of them seem repetitive, while others pale in comparison to his manga counterpart. And that is without mentioning that godawful wig that's somehow both too flat and too frizzy (in a nylon way).

Overall, Dorian in this production worked and I am not mad about him. I would say that most of the criticisms I have for Dorian is the result of staging, writing, and costuming, and none for the casting itself. I do think Nakayama Yuki did, honestly, a good job.

[Eroica Musical Rant] Klaus Heinz von dem Eberbach, Major, Codename: Iron Klaus

(Series masterlist)

Onto the deuteragonist and the most popular character in this series, Major Klaus Heinz von dem Eberbach. I have a slightly more complicated relationship with this character than I do with Dorian which can only be described as “problematic fave.” A complete opposite to his pursuer on the surface, he is stoic, strict and severe. A man who finds purpose in work, and beauty in technology.

Klaus is NOT charming. He is crude, and prone to throwing insults. He is quick to anger and instills fear in his subordinates, which, while makes him look dominant and powerful, results in cases where his agents are too afraid of him to actually do the right thing. Klaus is FLAWED. Yet despite all of his shortcomings, he is also extremely capable, highly dedicated, and honestly, pretty fucking cool. And sometimes, his humanity bleeds through the cracks and it makes him all the more endearing.

Klaus considers Dorian to be the very antithesis of his life philosophy, but he can’t refute they share similar values and characteristics. Both are “professionals” who uphold their own kind of self-respect and pursuit of excellence, even if their goals differ. And slowly but surely, Klaus harbors begrudging respect for Dorian.

Aoike Yasuko describes their relationship in an interview as “having faith in each other, but can’t trust each other.” Their interactions are tense and potentially explosive, with each taking turn poking the bear, each word spoken is ammunition. Whether it’s flirtation or argument, they have a matched energy that just keeps them at each other’s throats. Yet, when they get to actually talking, everyone can see that they’re very intellectually compatible. It’s not really enemies-to-lovers, but rather enemies-AND-lovers, and I’m living for it.

Compared to Dorian, Klaus in this stage show was not translated to a … satisfying degree.

Casting

I am usually not one to notice the age of actors who portray adapted characters. But without sounding mean, I think the decision to cast a 45-year-old actor to play Klaus is a bit off. Murata Mitsu is a good fit. He has very sharp, striking features and there is an air of intimidation about him.

However, Klaus in the first run of the series is young. The official data describes him as being in his late twenties to, at most, 30 years old. In one of the final arcs of the original run, it is remarked that he appears around 30, contrary to what James says. Do I think makeup and costume succeeded in making him look late-20s, at most 30? Not at all. The direction he’s given too, makes him much more suited to post-hiatus Klaus, rather than volume 1 to 3, young Klaus.

What is the impact of this? As mentioned, Klaus at this point in the story is supposed to be a young man. He’s dynamic and energetic, like Dorian, but also much more openly expressive than later on. He doesn’t hide his emotions, his stoicism tends to be a result of things not fazing him, rather than suppressed and controlled feelings. So having someone who’s both notably older and directed to act older is jarring in a story written with a younger character in mind.

Even more than that, it has detrimental effects on the relationship between stage!Dorian and stage!Klaus. Manga!Dorian is in his mid-20s, and Nakayama Yuki (32) looks young, and is made up well enough to look like he’s in his 20s. So we have one side of the duo appearing and acting 20s, and another side appearing and acting 30s or 40s. Making the relationship between Dorian and Klaus restrained and almost like a tired parent-rebellious child dynamic. One of the things people have noted about Eroica’s long run is that it feels like Klaus and Dorian are growing up together. So having this disconnect where you have Dorian from the beginning of the original series and Klaus from the post-hiatus series is just WRONG.

Direction

The direction given to Murata Mitsu makes the character very, very, very stiff. Like they were trying to CARICATURE the character. Most of Klaus’s feelings and reactions are removed, and we never get to see the humanity under the tough guy. Which is a shame because without that, Klaus is just a boring shell of an archetype.

The first example is right in his introduction. Klaus has a habit of yelling whenever something annoys him, even if it’s minuscule, even if his agents aren't responsible for it. While it inspires fear , it’s actually quite humorous because it’s about the only time that he gets very emotional and this sassy side comes out. So while Klaus does have authority, the point of those yelling monologues, in my opinion, is to humanize him and use him as comedy. Like don’t you know someone who always takes things so seriously, they’re so exacerbated at minor inconveniences, it’s hilarious? Schadenfreude.

Unfortunately, it’s not done that way in the musical. Instead, his “BAKAMONO” is echoed across the theatre, as he steps forward, like it was some kind of superpower, some magical command, some hypnotizing trick. And not an outburst of frustration. Of course, just by giving him a superpower doesn’t mean taking away his humanity, and manga Klaus himself often does the unthinkable, like firing a magnum with only one hand.

However, like I’ve said before, when Klaus yells, it is a hint of emotions. By altering the scream into some kind of cool magical command, it removes whatever humanity he’s depicted with. In the manga, at times, that kind of anger-first reaction is actually what makes the situation harder for him, literally and emotionally. Because sometimes Klaus’s worst enemy is himself. The point is, Klaus is already capable of so many super-human feats. To be able to keep his emotions completely neutral in the face of adversity would make him perfect. And perfection has no place in Eroica. He is also nowhere as sassy, which sucks because he is probably one of the funniest characters, unintentionally so. It’s a shame that none of that quips were really delivered with that signature sadistic snark.

But it’s not just the direction given to Murata Mitsu that makes Klaus boring, it’s how characters react to Klaus that also paints this picture of a “perfect man” who can do no wrong and just takes a special someone to soften his heart. Which I don’t think Dorian is, they were made to provoke each other and that’s funny. And the best example of this is the most iconic automobile chase in history.

The set-up of this scene is simple. Dorian successfully rescues Caesar Gabriel – the second time that he has outdone Klaus – and is speeding off on his red Lamborghini with his boy-toy for 2 chapters. Whether he anticipates Klaus’s pursuit or not, he seems to be confident that Klaus won’t be able to catch up to him. Bang! There goes an explosion just missing the car by an inch. Scared absolutely shitless, Dorian and Caesar look behind to find Klaus who has whipped out a fucking TANK to chase after them on the Autobahn.

This is the scene where the audience – and Dorian – get to see a side of Klaus that is wholly unrestrained and completely driven by the frustration upon realizing he’s been bested the second time in a matter of days by the man he claims to despise. It’s significant because Dorian has been pretty open and freely expressive since his introduction. While Klaus is the opposite, reserved and closed off. But this is the first time that Klaus expresses himself in his own logic that does not, in any way, obey common sense (or even military protocol). And he is just as batshit insane as Dorian. Sure, the Lamborghini is gaudy and you can say Dorian is unusually flamboyant, but what does a tank racing down the Autobahn say about Klaus?

In the musical, this scene doesn’t hold as much impact because it tries to present Klaus as “cool” for bringing a tank into a personal chase, instead of the absolute absurdity that it is. You have his 3 agents singing about how cool he is, his military might and cheering for him. It's a huge missed opportunity because musical Klaus has been trying so hard to stay so stiff for the first part of the show.

This is when the hinge is supposed to come off. This is when the crazy starts to come out. With the screws already coming loose, it makes more sense that when he ends up trapped on a cliff with Dorian – [because running a tank over a raggedy bridge is a bad idea who knew] – he’s able to let himself go a little further and open up.

Dorian already provoked his crazy to a point where he's already exposed so much of himself, now sharing his own sense of beauty and value isn't such a big leap. Making him “just cool” during the Autobahn race skips a step in the leading up to the revelation that Klaus has a soul, and is unproductive in terms of characterization. The actual conversation in the tank though, was surprisingly well-done, but we will talk more about that in a later section.

Costume

Klaus’s style is not nearly as elaborate and niche as Dorian’s. In essence, he dresses professionally in suits and military jackets, but still with hints of the decade’s influence. In the early volumes – which both arcs are taken from – he is often seen in cuffed, slightly flared trousers; sometimes, he might don a waistcoat; and on occasions, a trench-coat. Because Klaus’s wardrobe is sartorial, the tailoring is absolutely crucial. These fits have to fit right. They must be able to give the actor the silhouette of the character. And for Klaus, that means emphasis on his height and his build.

Klaus is the tallest character in the series, and – like all characters in the 1970s – are drawn with mile-long legs. While not disproportional, his legs definitely should appear as though they’re longer than his torso, as it was the look du jour, and the look Aoike Yasuko gave him.

You would think that tailoring a pair of slightly flared cuffed trousers that would make someone who already stands at 186cm look tall wouldn’t be such a high ordeal. But alas, they didn’t even try. Instead, they gave him ugly, untailored, slightly baggy pants. Where are the flare pants? Where are they? It wasn’t considered too gaudy for your hems to flap just a little when you walk, so why couldn’t Klaus have gotten the flare pants that would’ve made his legs a mile long?

Then there’s build. Unlike Dorian who’s toned but slender with a slight dip around the waistline, Klaus is rectangular, and Aoike Yasuko often puts emphasis on his shoulders, chest and arms, as those are features that perform masculine energy. So how does one emphasize those features? GOOD. TAILORING. Which, by the way, is also a crucial point in any military-esque, military-inspired design. What is disappointing about this military and suit jackets is that they seem way oversized for Murata Mitsu. Who, again, is 186cm tall. And thus, it swallows him up instead of adorning his physiques.

Overall, it's honestly quite a shame ...

[Eroica Musical Rant] The Case of the Missing Caesar Gabriel and the Character Assassination of Tyrian Persimmon

(Series masterlist)

When the Eroica Stage Show Twitter began announcing their casting choices, there was one in particular that shook an entire fandom: Tyrian Persimmon.

Or rather, it wasn’t so much about who played him, and more about the fact that he is played. Although Tyrian is the protagonist of El Halcon and Nanatsu no Umi, Nanatsu no Sora, by the time of Eroica, Tyrian is long dead and almost entirely forgotten, save for a very flattering portrait.

And that’s all Tyrian ever is in Eroica: a gorgeous painting, a MacGuffin. He, as a character, plays no role at all in this story. So why, for the love of Aoike, is there an actor playing Tyrian? For about a month leading up to the performance, my Eroica discord was confused and concerned as to wth they would use Tyrian for. Like is he going to pop out of the painting and sing? Are they trying to ride off the success of the Takarazuka Revue’s El Halcon?

After having watched the full show and spent sleepless nights contemplating, turns out the answer has to do with a character we’ve all sorta forgotten about as a fandom: Caesar Gabriel.

Caesar Gabriel

If you remember reading Eroica for the first time, you might remember that the first chapters were told from the perspective of and in relation to Caesar Gabriel – super-genius university professor at age 18, Art History expert, who's extremely frail, innocent and naïve. It was through Caesar that we as the audience were introduced to the fascinating specimen that is Dorian Red Gloria AKA Eroica. Who takes an interest in him, and whisks him away in a dramatic – illegal – fashion before letting him go, already hopelessly in love.

In the second chapter, Iron Klaus, it was due to Dorian’s effort to bargain and rescue Caesar from Klaus that they end up with a tank on their tail. Thus, beginning Dorian and Klaus' enemies-and-lovers relationship. Afterwards, Caesar is never seen or mentioned again.

So, although Caesar Gabriel might have been written purely as a functional character, his role is important in those chapters.

Caesar fills the role of the proxy through which Dorian is introduced in all of his … Gloria? By using a second-person point-of-view, Dorian first comes off as mysterious, unpredictable, and almost other-worldly. Audiences get to see Dorian’s IMPACT first, and it draws them in to this wildly charismatic character before diving into him in later chapters and arcs.

By removing a functional character, the musical has to compensate the plot-holes that the character filled. And they did that, by reviving Tyrian Persimmon from the painting. But hey before any Tyrian stan gets too excited, they gave him the personality of Caesar Gabriel. Let me tell you why this is bad.

First of all, because Caesar is the POV for the 1st chapter of the manga, it’s almost impossible to reconcile his absence. So, they skipped it. Which … fine, whatever. The big issue, though, comes up in Dorian’s plan to get the 2-in-1 painting.

In the second chapter, Iron Klaus, Dorian and Klaus meet for the first time and decide that they despise each other. Klaus refuses to sell Dorian The Man in Purple. So Dorian, being Dorian, decides that if he can’t obtain it the legal way, he has no qualm with obtaining it the illegal way. Sensing that Dorian might try something, Klaus orders tight-knit security to protect his family’s cultural treasure. Which Dorian and his gang manage to by-pass by mingling into the security unit and filling every room with sleeping gas. Eroica’s first heist is resounding a success.

However, Klaus still has “custody” of Caesar, and he calls Dorian to demand an exchange of “hostages,” to which Dorian gives his verbal agreement. On the day, though, tension is high, and Klaus begins suspecting the unknown guard stationed around the premise. Another guard rushes over and yells that the first one is Eroica, and in the commotion that ensues, the actual Eroica – revealed to have disguised as the second guard – grabs Caesar and speeds off in his red Lamborghini. Eroica’s second heist is a success – for now.

With the removal of Caesar, the plan becomes convoluted. In the musical, Dorian - using the strategy from the first heist - disguises himself as an art appraiser. With every agent out of sight, he fills the room with sleeping gas, which knocks Klaus out. Dorian, James and Bonham take the painting and drive away, feeling victorious.However, he quickly discovers that the painting is a fraud intended to trick him. Hence, Eroica’s first attempt is a failure.

He makes a U-turn - using the strategy from the second heist - disguises himself as a security guard, frames another as fake and steals the real painting right in front of Klaus and his agents. An extremely flimsy patchwork of the second heist, that also makes Klaus’s unit and instincts look slow and weak.

While in the manga, the structure of Iron Klaus is as follows:

Attack (1st heist) => bargain => attack (2nd heist) => to retaliation (tank)

In the musical, it goes like this:

Failed attack (1st attempt) => fix (2nd attempt) => lukewarm retaliation (tank)

There is no tension, no excitement, where it’s supposed to be a confrontation, where 2 characters are one-upping, mind-gaming, out-maneuvering each other. Now, it’s just a single over-complicated mess, because the 2 MacGuffins – Caesar and painting – have been reduced down to 1.

Towards the end of the manga chapter, Dorian willingly gives Klaus back the painting in exchange for Caesar’s well-being. But he steals the tank. The symbolic meaning of his actions can be read as Dorian being satisfied with Klaus’s self-expression. And to show his respect for one with a different viewpoint, he keeps the symbol of Klaus’s ideal beauty, while leaving Klaus his own.

Klaus certainly doesn’t view it as such, but like I said, different viewpoints. It’s a great note for 2 characters who have recently gotten tangled up into each other to part, promising much more to come. But in the musical, Dorian’s heist of the painting is, ultimately, a sadly failed plan, as Dorian is forced to give up on The Man in Purple. And although he does steal the tank, it seems less like a conscious action, and more like an attempt to provoke Klaus.

Tyrian Persimmon

So, in the Aoike Cinematic Universe, Tyrian Persimmon – or The Man in Purple – is Klaus’s ancestor who lived in the Elizabethan period. In Eroica though, he’s been loooooong dead, and it seems that not a lot is known about him. Although his painting is a MacGuffin, Tyrian himself doesn’t play any role, and if one only reads Eroica, it’s just a really nice painting, and that’s all it has to be. The interesting bit comes from a meta viewpoint.

If you have read El Halcon and Nanatsu no Umi Nanatsu no Sora, you would know, that Tyrian was a vile motherfucker. Murderer, rapist, traitor, and so ambitious he cares about nobody’s life but his own. Almost every character who crossed path with him died some kind of gruesome, unjust way. He’s irredeemably terrible even if entertaining. So, what’s the significance of this in the context of Eroica?

In Eroica, everyone fawns over Tyrian’s portrait like he was a god-sent beauty. It is even said that on first glance, Klaus might look like The Man in Purple but he lacks a certain “grace and charm,” attributes that could be considered heroic, or even angelic. The magnetic power of the portrait drew many of the conflicts in Eroica as characters seek to possess his image. But those who worship his beauty knows not the monster beneath the canvas. For an audience looking for meta-reading though, the fact that the portrait is still eliciting so much trouble is a reflection of Tyrian’s own life as the bane of existence. Even Klaus once wonders if they were being played like puppets in the sadistic theatre of The Man in Purple. This combined dramatic irony is severely damaged when the portrait is suddenly personified like a character.

And what’s worse is that, not only did they reanimate the portrait for the musical, they tried to give him a caricature Caesar Gabriel’s personality. This … vile, manipulative, murderous narcissist is now a bubbling, naïve and confused 18-year-old coddled child. It’s comical in the worst moments.

Like in the tense scene of the Autobahn chase, all my attention was directed to Tyrian trying to chase his hat which had flown off the vehicle, while trying to hold the portrait frame around his face. Or during, what I still maintain as the best scene in the entire musical, the cuddling in the tank scene, the budding bond between the two main characters are constantly distracted by Tyrian’s antics.

And to top it all off, they didn’t even give him his PUMPKIN PANTS!!

[Eroica Musical Rant] The tank scene was the only one they did right

(Series masterlist)

Firstly, to discuss the energy and pacing, I have to talk about the story and how it was written.

The entirety of the musical covers 2 arcs in the manga. The first being Iron Klaus, combining character intro, minus the Caesar fiasco, up to Klaus and Dorian’s vow of eternal hostility to each other in form of Morse code. The second arc they adapted is Dramatic Spring, which follows Klaus’s efforts to foil a Neo-Nazi plot and Dorian, through a series of strange coincidence, becomes entangled in it.

Out of the 2 parts, I would say that the first arc was a little better-adapted, not that it had no flaw. In general, what was disappointing has been touched upon in the previous sections about characters and characterization. But to summarize, a lot of plot points were pulled apart and stitched together (clumsily), resulting in inconsistency and inefficient pacing. There's no sense of competition, tension, or bargain between Klaus and Dorian. Even the Autobahn chase becomes quite boring. In essence, it feels like a Wikipedia listing out the plot in bullet-points .

However, I do have to say that if this production did ANYTHING right, it would have to be the tank scene. This scene immediately follows the Autobahn chase and the 2 main characters find themselves stranded on a cliff near the North Sea. Cold, they go inside the tank and huddle for warmth, which forces them to begin conversing and sharing viewpoints and opinions, eventually both of them harbor a budding respect for each other.

Now, what is it that makes this scene better than all the other scenes in this musical?

While it doesn’t follow the manga exactly, in spirit and in energy, that was the first time (and turns out the only time) it felt like From Eroica with Love. And I think the reason is because this is the first scene that the actors are allowed to basically carry the scene without any “crucial plot point” chasing them from behind or tasteless directions dictating their performance. The actors were allowed to BE their interpretation of their characters, and both show that they understand the assignment. They've got energy, they exchange chemistry, they're dry and snarky which is amazing.

Like Dorian sings ENKA in this! I highly doubt manga Dorian has any remote interest in contemporary Japanese popular culture, but if he did – or say if he was played by a Japanese actor – in a strange way, it makes sense because that’s the kind of energy he evokes. Or say when Klaus sings the tank song, he appears very calm and serene in the manga. But in this scene, he is proud and passionate. And that also makes sense. It’s different, BUT IT’S GOOD. IT’S GOOD WHY CAN’T THE WHOLE 2 HOURS JUST BE LIKE THIS?

(As a side note, Nakayama Yuki needs to drop an enka album right now, I will religiously listen to it, his low range is SO GOOD MY RIBCAGE TREMBLED)

And THAT is the core appeal of From Eroica with Love: the characters. They are so full of personality that the story is driven by them, not the other way around. Things don’t HAPPEN TO them. They cause it, they make it happen. They make each other’s lives chaotic. And that’s why it was crucial for this production to not feel like somebody is backstage holding a script following each line and blocking. I know that’s what’s happening behind the scenes BUT IT SHOULDN’T LOOK LIKE IT. Because when characters feel directed and forced, they lack energy. And when the characters of a character-driven story lack energy, the story lacks energy.

If they had just cut the musical right there at the tank scene, curtain, bow, I would have been like “ok it wasn’t perfect but I was wrong, that was a good attempt at adapting From Eroica with Love." Because if it had ended there, the boring hour that preceded could have been setting up for one crucial climatic emotional scene.

Uhm, but then they went and did the second half.

[Eroica Musical Rant] I should not be sleepy or bored watching Eroica

(Series masterlist)

I would say the second half of the show, adapted from the chapter Dramatic Spring, is every flaw of the first half magnified by 11.

I remember upon my first reading of this in the manga, it felt so thrilling. Like it felt like there’s a knot in my chest that was increasingly tightened panel-by-panel, plot-by-plot, and at one point it was so tight that it looks like it was gonna snap but then it's undone in the most satisfying way. And until now it’s still one of the most suspenseful arcs from the original run.

When I watched Dramatic Spring in musical form, I almost fell asleep.

Let's talk about the manga first.

Up until this point, a lot of their adventures have centered around theft or extracting information, so the ultimate plots have been relatively lighthearted. But the core plot of this centers around stopping a Neo-Nazi terrorist plot at a peace conference between the USA and the USSR. This isn’t some sticking your hand under Achilles’ chiton shit, PEOPLE COULD DIE, detrimentally bulldozing over any political progress, resulting in more armed conflicts and more people dying.

And the characters treat it with as much severity as the situation calls for. From the moment the mission was briefed, everyone is immediately plunged into a somber mood. Even Iron Klaus appears visibly disturbed, upset and horrified when shown the catastrophes that have preceded and may very well happen if they don’t successfully foil the plot.

Right off the bat, Klaus is heavily weighed by this possible outcome. The next time he is shown, he is already hard at work, smoking bowls of cigarettes while trying to crack open a lead. Even with Dorian’s tip, he is increasingly agitated, impatient and visibly exhausted as he continuously goes after leads after leads. It shows in his sleep-deprivation, his neglect to eat, the way he was absolutely willing to shoot a bitch dead if he doesn’t spill. His rising anxiety heightens the tension in the story. Here is a very human person trying his best to prevent a disastrous outcome, unintentionally letting his emotions and human conditions bleed more through the cracked mask of stoicism. And it feels real, it feels intense.

Musical Klaus is so dull in this arc it’s kind of embarrassing, coming off of such a strong tank scene. He doesn’t lead the arc, he isn’t shown to process information (no internal monologue? what is this Death Note pt2 anime?), direct his team, nor personally chase after leads quite as much. Rather, he just appears and does his blocking then is pulled into another scene, where he says his lines and done. Overall, much less dynamic. Granted, it's probably due to staging and directing rather than performance but we’ll talk about that later.

However, because of this blocky, disjointed and distant depiction of Klaus, the progression of his emotions are also not shown at all. Which completely deflates the tension. Some character will verbally remark that this is a terrible situation but without Klaus' increasingly agitated behavior, there's nothing to testify to its weight. It doesn’t feel like there’s any danger, and might I remind you that PEOPLE COULD DIE, DIRECTLY AND INDIRECTLY, BECAUSE OF THIS.

And the most disappointing part yet of this second half has got to be the ending scene.

But first, we have to talk a little bit about Aoike Yasuko’s art style.

Unlike her contemporaries who favored the panel-less atmospheric style, for Eroica, Aoike went CINEMATIC. You see this being brought up a lot when scholars talk about the styles of mangaka such as Tezuka Osamu. It is when each manga panel depicts a physical moment, and put together, they create a cohesive progression of actions, much like frames and scenes in films. Now, while the atmospheric style is very dramatic and expressive, what the cinematic style can do really well – at least in the case of Eroica – is TENSION. Let’s take a closer look at this sequence of panel in which Klaus snipes a bomb off a bridge from a moving train.

There is real-time involved in this sequence with each second countdown directly linked to a specific panel showing a very small, very short moment in this continuity of events. That emphasizes the intensity of the situation at hand and forces the readers to count along as they watch the event go on, and on, and on, in very specific snippets, preparing themselves for what’s to come.

Dramatic Spring has a similar climax, albeit, with more actions as Dorian tries to remove a bomb from the peace conference, pass it to Klaus, who throws it as far as possible to prevent the summit from ending in bloodshed.

Even without a timer involved, this entire sequence takes place within only 5 minutes, and it follows the step-by-step movements of its 2 main characters, constantly cutting back and forth between them. There is not a single moment of break, the action and reaction just keep going like snap, snap, snap. And that continuity creates a long, drawn-out, tensed, thrilling scene that eventually results in catharsis.

But, whoever staged the musical didn’t understand that because they CUT TO BLACK FOR SO LONG RIGHT AT THE MOST CLIMATIC SCENE BEFORE LIGHTING UP AGAIN.

I know, that the stage isn’t big. But when you cut the scene like that, the audience’s attention is temporarily suspended. Because a black-out signifies the end of a scene. In fact, many productions use black-outs very sparingly, even as a scene-change device because the moment the stage goes almost completely dark, the assumption would be “oh it’s intermission” or even “oh that’s the end.”

You probably don't want your audience to snooze or look for the bathroom when your characters are actively trying to neutralize a bomb threat.

If I were to offer a very amateurish suggestion, as I am no expert in the matter, I would let the actors take advantage of the fact that this is a stage show with live audience, hence they can run into the audience and around the theater. Just anything to keep the lights on, the action going, and the scene continuous. Because what this black-out did was splitting this long, tensed scene, into 2 short, normal scenes. And we never received that catharsis because the black-out robbed it from us.

[Eroica Musical Rant] Wanna talk about media-mix?

(Series masterlist)

So, now the question I want to attempt to ask is: why? Why is this a thing? Why did somebody decide to produce, write and direct this musical even though they lack the textual understanding needed to know how?

And perhaps the answer lies in a phenomenon that’s been under fire in the recent years called: media-mix. Which, instead of consuming one piece of media contained in its medium, i.e. manga, we now live in a world where industries are creating an ecology of media with the same piece appearing in different mediums. In describing media-mix in the context of cinema, Andrew Zahlten wrote:

“[I]magine that in 1958 one entered a theater to encounter a double or triple bill that might include a comedy from the Company President series or a special-effects film such as The H Man, then returned home or continued on to food and drink. This was cinema proper, defined by a specific mode of production and, importantly, a specific space and practice of spectatorship. By the 2010s, audiences might watch the ninja character Naruto in the anime series on tv while drinking Naruto soda and browsing the Naruto website or playing the online game on their phones. In the morning they could read the manga on the train and receive tweets generated by a Naruto kyara-bot while chatting with other fans online. […] What was once cinema now entered into a less localizable space of media woven into the fabric of everyday life. […] On top of a bounded media text for consumption we find constellations of characters and worlds that are accessible via multiple, multidirectional engagements. […] Such a relation is not entirely new—just as film has always entailed connections to other media—but increasingly obvious and consequential.” [1]

The manga and anime industry has an extensive history of media-mixing their properties. From Tezuka Osamu’s Tetsuwan Atom (Astro Boy) appearing on chocolate and children's goods [2], to Kadokawa Haruki’s “dilution” of pure cinema through adaptations. Kadokawa, if you’re familiar, is one of the leading publishing houses in Japan, owning LOTS and LOTS of manga and anime properties.

And while Zahlten did not mention them, some of the most common products of media-mix are live action film adaptations and theatrical musicals. Zahlten seems to argue that the purpose of media-mix’s is to weave media into every corner of everyday life, creating more media exposures to the images of the text being promoted, letting it diffuse into the public conscious.

Hence, if someone isn’t a reader, they can always watch the anime adaptation. And if they don’t want to watch 54 episodes, then there’s always a 1.5-2-hour-long film adaptation where your favorite fictional characters are usually played by new upcoming actor or famed idol. And if you’re a fan of the stage? We got you covered too. You are sure to receive the whole experience just by sitting through this one production hahahahahahahahahaha …

On another hand, I would argue that these adaptations target the already existing community of fans in a similar way that merchandizes do. It promotes consumerism relating to a property they are familiar with, and perhaps may feel obligated to participate in this aspect of fan culture. A great example of an intellectual property being heavily media-mixed into many aspects of everyday life, if you recall in my short video a while ago, is The Rose of Versailles, created by Ikeda Riyoko – Aoike’s contemporary.

It is likely that during the past year as Aoike Yasuko celebrates her 60th anniversary as a mangaka – an amazing feat – her team might have decided to use the opportunity to boost exposure to her works. And I stand by that, more Aoike Yasuko exhibitions, books, prints, merch, GIMME ALL OF IT. But in this age of media-mix, and an adaptation of some sort is sure to garner some kind of attention – positive AND negative – and since the anime industry is kind of difficult to barge into with a 50-year-old work right now, a musical seems to be their next choice. (I would not have mind if they gave it to Guy Ritchie and so we can have another Man From UNCLE type film, but that’s just me.)

So, after everything, what have we learned from the lukewarm adaptation of From Eroica with Love?

Is it that perhaps each medium has a specific language, and when one seeks to adapt them into another, one has to translate the tone from the original to the target medium, and not just copy down every line and call that a script? Yes.

Is it that perhaps decently good actors does not necessarily a good production make? Yes.

Or is it that perhaps certain properties don’t need to be media-mixed … at all?

References

[1] Andrew Zahlten, “Introduction,” in The End of Japanese Cinema: Industrial Genres, National Times, and Media Ecologies (USA: Duke University Press, 2017), 1–2.

[2] Marc Steinberg, “Candies, Premiums, and Character Merchandising: The Meiji–Atomu Marketing Campaign,” in Anime’s Media Mix: Franchising Toys and Characters in Japan (Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2012), 40, 45, 59–63.

Candice "Candy" Andrew White Ardlay from the manga "Candy Candy" (1975-1979) by Yumiko Igarashi