bread and circuses

A fan blog for Gladiators: The Tournament of the 7 Wonders (2009). Sharing is caring: reblogs are appreciated.

[con-la-forza-del-sole]

Hello, folks!

This is a fan blog dedicated to Gladiatori: Il Torneo Delle 7 Meraviglie (eng. Gladiators: The Tournament of the 7 Wonders), an Italian animated series from the late 2000s. Despite winning several awards, it received very little recognition and remains an obscure piece of media. The goal of this blog is to make it less obscure.

I’ve been in the Gladiatori fandom for over a decade and still hyperfixate on it from time to time. I like sharing my thoughts and theories, making silly text posts, editing the page on TV Tropes, and drawing, but not enough to call myself an artist. I'm also rather talkative.

There is no posting schedule, so updates may be infrequent.

The published content is made by me, unless credited/specified otherwise. The series and everything in it is obviously not mine.

The name con la forza del sole (“with the strength/might of the sun”) was borrowed from the opening theme’s lyrics. Non parlo italiano ma spero di continuare a impararlo un giorno.

The English dub is overwhelming and inaccurate.

The Italian dub is superior.

That’s it.

Peace!

[con-la-forza-del-sole]

More posts about Domitia! <3333

Will do!

I like Domitia as a character. I always have. She is one of those few characters that no one seems to dislike, and for a good reason.

Besides being the emperor's daughter, Domitia is shown to be a strong woman striving for justice. She is kind-hearted and welcoming, but observant, strict, and courageous when needed. In the times when women, even royal, are treated as men's property, Domitia has her own agency and refuses to be a smiling decoration by a man's side. The grand tournament is her idea, after all. Look how much it has given to the plot.

I also appreciate how deep Domitia's love towards her family is. She faced the death of her husband, Canidia's gaslighting and the "little cave of horrors", the disappearance of her only child, and the grave illness of her father alone. She had to sacrifice her love for the life of her son, the scene which breaks my heart every time. Yet, even when all hope was lost, she kept fighting.

Despite all that, I rarely see people talk about her. Do you think she's underappreciated, anon?

Here, have a smiley princess face.

[con-la-forza-del-sole]

Ah, there she is!

[noirchotic]

My first fan-art of one of my favourite characters from Gladiators.

I like this series a lot, I find it so easy to watch ✨

[con-la-forza-del-sole]

Shout-out to the series for the accurate visual representation of people and animals with albinism

(Picture 1 – a dove sent by Mitra, picture 2 – Gutta.)

[con-la-forza-del-sole]

Only now have I noticed his shoulder guard is drawn on the wrong side.

They must've flipped the whole scene because Catilius' cape is also supposed to cover his right side, unlike in the screenshot.

[con-la-forza-del-sole]

I find it interesting how Gutta's albinism is never commented upon. Ever. Perhaps the main characters are variable enough that they just don't care when someone is too pale.

It's common for people with albinism to be portrayed as villains in media. Think of Da Vinci Code, Princess Bride... Either that or they're ostracised for their looks (Maya and the Three), shunned, or treated like ghosts (The Invisible Man, the novel), which often turns them into antagonists as well. The trope Albinos Are Freaks exists for a reason, but I still don't know if it applies to Gutta.

Possible spoilers below!

Catilius dislikes him because Gutta appeared out of nowhere, killed several praetorians and one member of Catilius' new team, taking his place.

He's a bastard, yup, but is it because of his condition? Or is it because he was created to be a servant of evil and programmed to behave accordingly?

Catilius' horses dislike him because he smells of death.

Gutta's teammates dislike him because he avoids interacting with them and doesn't need what other humans need.

The Warriors of the Sun dislike him for trying to openly kill Ali at least twice, targeting Mirina and the twins, who are unable to fight back, and seeking fights with Drudo because a slave must be inferior to a demigod.

Only Canidia treats him well. For obvious reasons.

In my opinion, and you may disagree, Gutta is a monster not because he has albinism. He is a monster who happens to have it.

Without it he'd still be tall, strong, and inhuman, only less visually striking.

[con-la-forza-del-sole]

Having the time of my life rn

I've last watched it a couple of years ago while preparing for my Latin exam (passed it with flying colours, the series was for the vibes).

[con-la-forza-del-sole]

Today marks the 17th anniversary of an animated series that remains largely unknown.

Gladiators: The Tournament of the 7 Wonders feels like a cross between Avatar: The Last Airbender, W.I.T.C.H., and Netflix's Blood of Zeus. It is a darker and edgier gem of the same studio that made Angel's Friends.

No, it's not just about fighting.

This is a tale of force and courage, of moral complexity and inner growth, of survival and sacrifice, and of loyal friends united by the light. Beautifully animated, with an array of diverse characters and locations, this series deserves to finally be recognised.

Check out the opening theme and see for yourself ⚔

[con-la-forza-del-sole]

Shout-out to the series for the accurate visual representation of people and animals with albinism

(Picture 1 – a dove sent by Mitra, picture 2 – Gutta.)

[con-la-forza-del-sole]

Gladiatori text posts, part III

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Check this out!

This could pass for a fan artwork, but it's a frame from episode 22 (timecode).

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sigh

Original meme by pom

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I've just learnt that 4Kids Entertainment was the company behind the English dub of Gladiatori. A company notorious for rewriting dialogues (and more) while trying to adapt a piece of media to the American audience. That explains a lot.

[con-la-forza-del-sole]

Apparently, Gladiatori first aired on July 10, 2009, which is exactly in a week. Should I make a big post about it? I want to raise the awareness.

Besides, I low-key want to celebrate it somehow...

[con-la-forza-del-sole]

Added the Drinking Game page to the (updated) main Gladiatori page on TV Tropes.

Enjoy :)

[con-la-forza-del-sole]

Italian vs English version: the visual difference

Picture 1 – the original, picture 2 – the English version. (YouTube, 1080p, timecodes linked; aspect ratio 16:9)

The Italian version has a black border around the frame, is warmer/more saturated and less sharp.

The English version is cropped, which takes away some horizontal space, is less saturated but sharper (newly reuploaded, possibly AI-enhanced?).

Image-wise, I use the English version for taking screenshots but prefer watching the Italian version because the black border and warm tones give it a nostalgic feeling reminiscent of tapes.

[belovedgamers]

The BEST trope is when a character tells another “let’s run away together, we can leave all of this behind and start a new life somewhere” and gets rejected. And then the rest of the tragedy unfolds