Because I have lost a lot of inspiration for writing right now, I’d like to procrastinate by sharing a few minor lil’ things I noticed in Coco that I hadn’t noticed before, after rewatching it (don’t ask how many times I’ve seen it, just believe that it is a… normal amount of times)
If anyone has made a post about these, please point me in that direction, I love seeing little details from this movie!!
Young Coco’s pillow is the same pillow on Older Coco’s bed
I’m not entirely certain, but I think that’s a painting of the Virgen de Guadalupe above Young Coco’s bed, and the same painting is above Older Coco’s bed as well. If I’m wrong, please correct me!!
It’s also safe to say that the room from the memory is the same room that Older Coco uses.
ALSO A REPLICA OF THE GUITAR HAS BEEN PLACED NEXT TO IMELDA’S BOOT ON THE OFRENDA AT THE TOP ALKD;FJASDFH I’m probably the only person in the universe that never noticed this until now but now that I have noticed it it makes me very happy
There are drawings on the wall behind Coco’s bed!! I’m not too certain about the first two, but the last one looks like it could possibly be an adult wearing a sombrero, standing next to a kid?? A drawing Coco did of herself with her
Papá?? It is my headcanon now, yes, thank you.
I wrote a lil’ snippet of a thing to go with it because how could I not.
Edit: Fixed a historical inaccuracy, kinda of a huge one XD. Thank you to @galaxymadisonn for pointing it out!
– Praise the living daylights out of a show and shove its greatness in everyone’s face
– 2 years later, pick it apart violently and insult everyone who still enjoys it in as edgy a way as possible because negativity is cool
!!!
uhh maybe marginalized ppl were excited at the possibility of a show (such as su) representing them, only to be rightfully angry when the show ends up racist, homophobic etc. anyway, super bad post all around
I feel like a lot of hardcore accusations of problematic and offensive content that get thrown at media that was previously lauded as progressive come from a few sources; first, the creators are often a lot more accessible than the creators of mainstream media. you can message rebecca sugar on twitter personally to call her a racist bitch, but you can’t do the same to, say, jj abrhams or another large-scale creator. likewise, you can’t stand on a streetcorner and scream at people until they agree to stop watching law and order, but you can certainly bully large groups of people online until they stop supporting an independent creator.
second, the fandoms that tend to form around progressive media tend to be younger, more volatile, looking to media and fandom as forms of activism. mainstream media they can write off as garbage, but progressive niche media that makes a sincere attempt to represent marginalized folks must be Absolutely Perfect. the idea that a piece of media can have good parts and bad parts, that it can try and only partially succeed, but that that partial success is still worth something, is completely lost on many young fans. either its irredeemable garbage or its the literal messiah, there’s no in-between. so if a show falls short of perfect, as is inevitable, then it goes straight into the “total garbage” pile and must be condemned by the masses.
genuinely trying to represent certain groups and making a few missteps is not the same thing as being ignorant or malicious. making a sincere effort to mean something to folks who don’t get a lot of things made for them is something to be proud of. would you rather go back to the times when fucking nothing got made for us? when the only characters we saw that we could relate to were only there to be made fun of? you’re spoiled by a rush of new creators who took “go make your own thing then” to heart and set out to make content for people like them, you have the gall to look at what they’re trying to do and spit on it for not being better. no creator owes you shit, no creator has to bow to a bunch of teenage bullies who do nothing but demand and harass, that’s all there is to it.
Dear lord can everyone please read this post because it’s so relevant
YES. Yes, please read this. This has pissed me off for a while now.
As an independent content creator, you have to be fucking perfect. And if you mess up just a little bit, be sure that hate groups are going to get to you.
The same is not true for big, mainstream media products. They’ll be forgiven, no matter what they do, cause people do not expect them to be progressive anyway.
And YES we have to criticize when people mess up – it makes us better and people can learn from that. But PLEASE stop harassing independent content creators. You’re just making people stop creating the progressive content you consume. It’ll be your loss anyway.
tbt to when the atla comic discussed cultural appropriation and absolutely nailed it
But that wasn’t the final word that the book gave on the
subject.
To present that scene without further commentary goes
against the entire point that Avatar: The Promise was making.
Consider: you’re looking at a comic written
by a Chinese-American author (Gene Luen Yang), drawn by two Japanese women (Studio
Gurihiru) that primarily illustrate American books, based on an American
cartoon that was done in a style reminiscent of Japanese anime (which in turn
can be partly traced back to American cartoons), helmed by two Caucasian Americans (Bryan
Konietzko and Michael Dante DiMartino), who drew heavily from Inuit, Japanese,
Chinese, and Tibetan cultures for inspiration.
The Promise was about Aang trying to clean up the mess left
when cultures that had been traditionally separated ended up being mixed (by
force), with a particular emphasis on the colonies that the Fire Nation had
left in the Earth Kingdom. His initial
instinct was to just try to put things back the way they were and make the Fire
Nation citizens leave, but he ultimately he realized that wasn’t possible,
because he was dealing with actual people and not abstract concepts. There were children raised in two cultures,
people from different cultures in love, people who had never set foot in the
nation they were being told they had to return to in order to make everything
neat and tidy. Aang ultimately rejected
the calls to keep every nation/culture separate and instead created Republic
City, where people could share and mix their cultures.
As for the Air Nomad Fan Club?
There are absolutely jackasses out there making a mockery of
other cultures, or who want to just exploit a culture for profit, discarding it like gum that’s lost its flavor when they can’t get any more money out of it. But when you go beyond condemning that and decide that only the
most dominant cultures can be shared, appreciated, reinterpreted, and spread,
then you effectively hand a death sentence to all other cultures.
Cultural exchange and expansion should be made
with respect, empathy, and genuineness, yes, but it cannot be simply shut down point blank. Genuine appreciation and interest needs to be accepted and guided in a positive direction. The point of
The Promise was ultimately that people cannot be neatly put into boxes and told
to stick to their own nation and culture.
They will make friends, they will fall in love, and cultures will mix,
change, and adapt. That’s human nature.
(The OP did touch on some of this in a later post, but it’s worth expanding on)
In Tangled and Tangled: The Series, Rapunzel is the sole heir to the crown as the only child of her father, Kind Frederic. Rapunzel’s position as a future queen seems to have raised many questions in the fandom. Because I’m a history enthusiast, I wanted to make some points clear for all fans and fanfiction writers.
Rapunzel will become a queen of her own right, a queen regnant. This means she will inherit her power and become the sovereign ruler of Corona. This differs greatly from her own mother, Queen Ariana. As king, King Frederic is the sovereign ruler of Corona. As his wife, Ariana is actually a queen consort, being the wife of a king. This means that Queen Ariana shares her husband’s rank and title but not his sovereign power. The series actually confirms this, as about all decisions this far have been made by Frederic alone; King came down hard on crime, King enacts a martial law that forbids Rapunzel from leaving Corona, King will decide what happens to Eugene after his confession to the queen…
But the biggest question in fandom seems to concern Eugene and his status after Rapunzel becomes queen. And no, he will not become a king. This is both a historical fact according to European tradition (while Corona is a fantasy land, it is definitely in Europe) and something Eugene himself points out at the end of Tangled, where he says that Rapunzel ruled her kingdom with wisdom and grace. Not they and their kingdom, Rapunzel and her kingdom.
Eugene becomes prince consort. This means that he will not have sovereign power. Husband of a queen is not called a king unless he has inherited sovereign right to rule himself. Husband of the queen will not share her rank and title. This is because of male primogeniture; male heirs are given privileges before females. King means a male ruler who has inherited his right to rule and so ideally, queen would actually be queen consort. However, Rapunzel is an only child so she will definitely become queen regnant instead. Eugene will not hold any royal power. Instead, he will most likely act as counsel and guide for his wife, Rapunzel.
I know it may seem strange for many fans that Eugene will not become king or hold any actual power. This is because traditionally, Western stories have loved to glorify male heroes by giving them power and titles. I don’t see many people wondering what Cinderella or Tiana will do after their princes become kings and I think that is because it’s just so easy to imagine a heroine as simply a wife but it’s harder to imagine a hero as simply a husband, with position depending completely on his partner. I personally take Tangled as a great opportunity to get used to and celebrate a heroine finally having power in her own right and becoming a great female ruler.
This has been some interesting historical and not so historical trivia for today. Rapunzel will become an amazing queen and Eugene will be there to support her all the way through.
As a sidenote, Rapunzel will never become Rapunzel Fitzherbert. Royalty in Europe do not need last names even today. And even so, Rapunzel is clearly higher in rank. It would be unwise to give up her father’s name after marriage as she will inherit his title and power. Actually, historically in such cases husbands could take their wife’s name instead. I think Eugene was either using his commoner thinking or simply making cute rhymes in Tangled Before Ever After when he sang about her becoming “Mrs Eugene Fitzherbert”. Modern fics are a different matter, of course. But taking your husband’s name is not the only way to be cute and romantic so I’m sure their marriage is just as sweet anyway.
I just love this move of Ernesto’s so much, ok. He doesn’t just let go of Miguel’s hoodie, he shoves it away from himself. He’s going through a moment of pure rage where he also feels threatened and this movement reflects his state of mind just beautifully. I can’t help but marvel at this sort of thing because there were so many possibilities to go with about this simple gesture but like this, it feels just right. The way movements, gestures and expressions have been animated for this film is simply fantastic to me and I love it with all my heart.
So I was looking for a gif or screenshot that showed the facial markings Héctor gave Miguel–he has the ones around his eyesockets, of course, but he also seems to have some on his forehead. Specifically, three little swipes in the middle.
But as I was looking for gifs, I ran across this one, and…
It’s 7:47 AM on a Saturday and I need to rant about how beautiful this man is and how wonderful his character design is.
By all traditional senses of attractiveness, Héctor doesn’t even come close to fitting the mold. He’s tall, gangly, with ears and a nose so exaggerated in size that it’s comical. And it’s meant to be, but that’s part of his overall attractiveness and design. He’s supposed to be the opposite of Ernesto de la Cruz in every physical aspect so as to both compliment Ernesto, so that by appearance they would work together (in a similar fashion to Buzz and Woody from Toy Story) and to also make himself as unlike the other man as possible.
His thin face, strikingly wide cheekbones, messy, overgrown hair (you can tell it’s grown long because of the way it has 2 length cut along the neck and how his bangs need to be combed out, array of freckles and moles (HE IS COVERED IN FRECKLES how dare you sir), large eyes, bushy eyebrows, crooked teeth, higher forehead— all right down to the differing placements in favored facial hair— it’s all meant to offset him against Ernesto, especially in the shape of his face. If you drew both of their faces together, they would be inverted triangles to each other.
Héctor is often shown exerting feminine qualities throughout the film, from his ease to dressing in drag to his gentleness with children to his care for complete strangers—overall just being a very emotional person in general, with all of his motivation being driven by caring for his family—But here we also see some traditionally feminine aspects to his appearance. Long, fan-like eyelashes, bigger, soulful eyes, longer hair— And. His. Lips. They have a distinct curve and shading to them that makes them look fuller, more feminine. And yet!!! None of it takes away his masculinity!!! It’s so dang attractive and aesthetically appealing!!!! God, designers, just— GOD.
And his charro suit. Dear god, even his charro suit says so much about his character. Look at it in the gifs of Héctor trying to return home vs. the gif of Héctor singing to Coco. Look how faded it is in comparison. His charro suit is losing color the longer he’s away from home, faded, sun bleached, washed too many times, practically pinkish white, and m once again starkly different from Ernesto’s darker, maroon suit. Whereas when he’s with Coco, it’s more saturated, neater, lessfaded and threadbare and held together because he feels more held together when he’s with his family. Excuse me while I weep.
While Héctor’s face is complimentary to Ernesto, his body shape isn’t. They’re both broad in the shoulders, slim, and while Héctor is skinnier and a lighter than Ernesto, their body shapes don’t compliment each other like their faces do. WHEREAS. WITH IMELDA. Hector compliments her in spades. Her wide flowing skirt and slimmer upper body mesh so well with Héctor’s inverted body shape. And if you draw out her overall headshape, including her low braided bun, it meshed with Héctor, just like Ernesto’s.
Héctor and Imelda literally fit together. Both in personality, with all of her fire, tragedy, and authority— against his diffusing gentleness, comedy, and tenderness— AND in APPEARANCE.
This movie gave this man so much care in his character design. They made a tragic, lovable, beautiful goofball. And I will never be over it. Screw you Ernesto, this beautiful man was taken from the world way too soon.
I had to add a few more things that I was thinking about Héctor’s body shape. Because classically, it’s the body of a sidekick. The comic relief. The quickly moving body that’s made for flailing and waving.
Héctor is tall. Like… really tall. He’s built up higher, with long limbs that take more effort to fold and crouch than Ernesto’s shorter, more classical build. And yet, throughout the entire film, Ernesto is never shown kneeling or near the ground. He refuses. When Miguel is with him, he drags Miguel up to his level. But Héctor, who’s made of taller, gangly things, kneels for his daughter. He kneels when his wife is pushed down. He kneels besides Miguel. For people he loves, he folds his tall body to the floor.
Ernesto has every ability to show emotion. But he covers it so quickly with a default. When he’s about to kill Héctor his face shifts to anger, and by the time Héctor turns back, he’s smiling, opening his arms in welcome. But look at Héctor’s face. He doesn’t hide any of it. Every emotion is there. And it’s raw. And it’s real. And he lets it show. But that’s the same with Imelda, isn’t it? She does her best to hide behind anger. He’s her foil. For as angry as she gets, he reveals himself ever the more.
Héctor goes back because he’s homesick. Because he misses his family. His daughter. His wife. And he never stops missing them. And you see, here, that the only time he stands absolutely rod straight is when he’s talking about them. “I’m going home, Ernesto” he says, looking stern and foreboding for the first time. Only matched later in the film when his screams of “you took everything away from me”.
Héctor’s appearance is offset by that of his wife’s – who looks put together and elegant in life as in death. She’s stonier and colder. But he doesn’t ask her to be anything else- just as she doesn’t ask him to be another other than present. He foils her. When she calls him the love of her life, he melts, and she stiffens. But he doesn’t look disappointed. He looks happier. He knows that look. He knows her expressions. He’s taken the time to learn her. Not change her. Just as, after the movie ends, she doesn’t try to change him.
Héctor’s young. Really young. 21 years old. And yet, look at him. He’s about to give up his dream in that last panel. Look at how he stares at the music book. He’s holding his dream in his hands. And he frowns. And he thinks. You can tell his thoughts are spinning. And he closes it. He closes his dream. And he turns around, and looks at the door. Turns away. This isn’t his dream. It’s a love. But it’s not as important. It’s not his dream. His daughter is. He closes the book.
Sharp faces are usually reserved for women and villains. But look at the way Coco cups her fathers face. It’s the idea of foils. Of opposites. That something so sharp can become so soft. Can be held so carefully.
MY FAVORITE THING is that the classic Disney character built like him -skinny legs, skinny arms, long torso, long face- are made to move quickly. They’re the comic relief. The side kick. And Héctor does fall into that role. Because it’s something that holds him together mentally. Be happy. Be happy. Be happy. Saying it over and over in the way his body moves and twists around. But look how he moves when he’s with children. With is daughter. He slows. He moves gently. Carefully. He’s no longer a comic relief because his daughter needs a father. Not a character.
And that’s what kills me the most.
That all characters who are built like him are comic relief. Did you know, by the way, that people in broadway musicals hired to be that part are called character actors. Because those are such characters, they need to be played by only the quickest, most animated people.
But Coco doesn’t need a character. She needs her father. And its in those scenes that we see Héctor going against every bit of his composition to be that.
Today’s the day! 82 years ago Oswald and Mickey met for the first time in Walt Disney’s letter to Carl Laemmle. So far this is the only known picture of Oswald with Mickey drawn by Walt Disney himself. Truly a rare sight!
And it was this image that also was the spark in finding out what the relationship would be between Oswald and Mickey when Junction Point were developing Epic Mickey. It’s amazing to think that if it weren’t for this image Oswald probably wouldn’t have had such an in depth and emotional character arc that he did in the game. It’s amazing what a few simple poses and facial expressions can inspire.
So we know that Héctor’s songs are often about people he cares about. The most notable examples being ‘Remember Me’ (about Coco) and ‘Poco Loco’ (about Imelda).
So just saying, what if ‘The World Es Ma Familia’ was actually written for Ernesto?
For one thing, it’s the opposite of ‘Remember Me’, which was written to be sung to only one specific person, in that the song only really works when it’s being sung to an audience. Because unlike Héctor, Ernesto would never sing just for himself or a loved one. From his perspective, music is just a means to an end.
And, though obviously this wouldn’t affect how Héctor would have written it (although the film does seem to have quite a rich lore, so it wouldn’t surprise me if the filmmakers hadn’t come up with this themselves) it’s the only song Miguel ever sings for Ernesto.
Also, there’s the significance of the line, “the world es mi familia"— the world is my family. It’s kind of similar to Ernesto’s own “seize your moment” catchphrase in that it can sound pretty inspirational when you first hear it but actually has the potential to be quite disturbing in the right context. Unlike Héctor, Ernesto doesn’t feel tied to his family (though we know he must have had one, because he doesn’t deny it when Miguel asks him if it was hard to leave them— probably he had parents or siblings or something), or to his friends.
Look at how easily he turns from loving Miguel to trying to kill him— despite the fact that he never actually finds out that Miguel isn’t related to him (his response to finding out that Imelda is Miguel’s grandmother isn’t “I’m not your great-great grandfather after all?!” it’s “you’re related to Héctor?!”, which to me suggests that he’s wondering if he somehow hooked up with Héctor’s daughter or cousin or something).
Why wouldn’t he? Ernesto doesn’t need a family. The world is his family. He is on so many strangers’ offrendas that he doesn’t know what to do with all the offerings he gets— what does it matter if he has to bump off one friend to get to the top?
Apart from that, however, there’s very little meaning to the song. Admittedly it’s cut off halfway through, but the lyrics seem to just be the singer greeting the audience for an evening performance, telling them what a pleasure it is to play for them and then repeatedly telling them how much he enjoys music in general (because it allows him to communicate with people and bring them closer to him).
Even ‘Juanita’ which, since Héctor didn’t expect Miguel to have heard it, we can assume was written post mortem (head canon that it was written specifically to entertain Chicharrón— possibly as an apology for the whole femur incident) and just for fun, has more detailed lyrics than this. But it fits Ernesto, who doesn’t seem to care what he’s singing as long as the audience enjoys it.
Stop talking and start doing: My Fallout Shelter for my Tumblr blog 