The timing wherein Grell performs comical femininity also always happens during moments of importance. The way Uehara brushed the hair almost looks like a monkey picking lice from its fur. When Grell was formally being reintroduced, Uehara stands in the spotlight and is preoccupied with comically brushing the hair, making high and shrill sounds while making very clumsy attempts at performing ‘femininity’.įor this post’s sake, I shall call this display ‘comical femininity’. In the first run, Grell’s femininity is without exception portrayed as the butt of the joke. The portrayal of Grell’s femininity is in stark difference between the first run and the rerun of this musical.
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Accordingly, Sebastian reserves any judgement for later, and instead closes the distance with Grell to assess this person who finally revealed her true colours. Sebastyun’s reaction to Grell’s revelation is impassive as she has not given him any information to form an opinion yet. Sebastian’s arms are relaxed, communicating neutrality.
In line with this stark opposition to the first run, we also see Sebastyun (whose perspective we follow) approach Grell instead of backing away. The lighting is a cool blue from above, a display that is the polar opposite to the 2014 version. This signifies that Grell is indeed the actress like she proclaimed herself to be. It isn’t before she is fully in the spotlights that Grell strikes the bolder pose. It is likewise in this confident posture that Grell comes forward to meet the audience for real this time. The introduction pose she strikes wherein she leans against the wall also communicates that Grell has a type of casual confidence. The attention here is drawn to the contrast between Grell’s previous anxious expression (the guise), and her current confident expression (true face). The threat of Grell’s true form is further emphasised by the red lighting from beneath a convention in theatre to signify hellish danger.Ĭontrast this to the rerun in 2015, wherein Grell simply turns around immediately revealing her face. Sebastian’s alertness here points to his discomfort in the face of Grell’s queerness. We see Matsushita!Sebas (whose perspective we follow) shielding the boy as he backs away into a safe distance, despite the fact that Grell has not yet revealed herself to be a potential danger to the demon. How is this over-the-top performance framed? As a threat. Hereby Uehara effectively draws the attention to Grell’s flamboyant walk rather than her face revelation, giving the audience a first impression of an over-the-top performance iconic for queer-coded men. Grell turns around with her face partially covered and approaches while dramatically shaking her hips. She sheds the demure and nervous posture to reveal a flamboyant T-pose paired with a shrill voice. In the first run of ‘the Lycoris that Blazes the Earth 2014′ when Grell judged she could no longer hide behind her guise, she drops the act altogether. Now, what is the impression that we are given of Grell in the two versions of the musical respectively? “You ask us to discard our prior knowledge, but what is so important we need to make space for then? NOW the truth comes.”
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Introduction, because a deliberate reintroduction usually comes withĬonsequences that affect the plot directly. This was revealed to be a false front however, so the audience is expected to scratch any first impressions they have of the character for the sake of the new.Ī reintroduction of a character carries much more weight than a standard Grell was first introduced as the demure butler to Madam Red. The way in which a character is introduced has the power to dictate how a reader is going to interpret any and all information given later on about said character. The first impression is the most lasting impression, and that is all the more true for fictive characters. This post shall be divided into the following headers: How Uehara Takuya changed his portrayal of Grell from flamboyant gay man to troubled transgender woman.Ī note before we start however: when I use male pronouns in relation to Grell, it is only, solely, exclusively to refer to Uehara Takuya - the male actor. In the post linked above I said that I’d bend over making a comparative analysis of Uehara’s portrayal of Grell if demand was high, and quite some people have consequently showed their interest. 【Related post: What is your opinion on Uehara’s Grell?】