pasting in my descr. from insta~ oniisama e is awesome the characters are all so trapped by their institutions and expectations and memories and in the end no one really makes it out. it’s so of its time and forward thinking and the interpersonal relationships are generationally messy.
accidentally retread a lot of ground with this illustration (oops!!!!). references for comp/poses are the included illuminated manuscript and painting, which i was introduced to in person :) historically it hung at a girls’ finishing school for “moralizing purpose” whichhhh lollllll. too perfect a reference for anything tangential to class s!!!!
I’m just curious how many people at some point in their lives have played/learned to play an instrument of any kind.
I included a nuance button bc I know there might be some folks who might be like “well I played the recorder in grade school but idk if that counts” — count it if you want or hit nuance if you’re unsure! 😊
To be clear, if you studied an instrument to any level of proficiency, even if you’re out of practice now, please select yes!
Reblog with your instrument, if you wish 🙏🏼 Or just for more accurate results
Being crazy about a piece of media for any amount of time will leave a weird mark on you forever because years later you’ll see someone posting something about it like “can we talk about this frame” and you’ll be like “ah that frame. i know all about that frame. I was once a scholar of that frame.”
The Color Game. “Humans can’t reliably recall colors. This is a simple game to see how good (or bad) you are at it. We’ll show you five colors, then you’ll try and recreate them.” I scored 39/50 but got a perfect score on one color.
DID YOU KNOW that sometimes characters lie. out loud to others and internally to themselves, and it'll happen right there on the page. other times they are just flat out wrong and don't know it. oftentimes they don't ever find that out. a sizable portion of any story is decidedly not cold hard fact.
The scene where Oscar declares to Girodelle that she would never get married is my favourite from the anime movie. The color palette, the animation, the music, the attention to detail like camera angles and location scouting, the whole symbolism with the flowing water… Everything about it is so great that I thought it merited its own appreciation post.
First off, the location… This is exactly where Oscar and Girodelle are standing. They’re in front of the Pyramid Fountain in the North Parterre, overlooking the Water Walk, right above the Nymph’s Bath. According to the official website of the Palace of Versailles, the water from the Pyramid Fountain is collected in the Nymph’s Bath below.
I dug into the depths of my camera roll and unearthed a couple of photos I had taken at the location back in 2016. At golden hour no less…
It feels so strange to watch another adaptation of The Rose of Versailles featuring the exact same place I had taken photos of while thinking of The Rose of Versailles all those years ago…
Okay, back to the scene...
Oscar explains to Girodelle that she would never marry, because André wouldn't be able to bear it, and that his unhappiness would inevitably become her own. She is so calm as she speaks these words, as though they were the most natural thing in the world. To Girodelle, however, they are anything but. So he asks her to be certain that she is not giving up marriage solely for André’s sake. Oscar simply nods, as if there is no doubt about it in her mind. The manga conveys her peace of mind about her resolve with a gentle breeze carrying a few glittering drops of water.
In the anime movie, Oscar’s calm as she articulates her resolve is conveyed through the stillness of her surroundings. The fountain is silent, and the only sounds that remain are the wind rustling and birds chirping.
But when Girodelle asks her if she loves André...
Suddenly, the water starts flowing loudly from the Pyramid Fountain, pouring out of the conduits in the Nymph’s Bath.
I already mentioned in this analysis that still water was used as a recurrent theme for André, and flowing water for Oscar in the anime movie. The credit for pointing out this imagery goes to @mannatea.
Here, it is as though Girodelle’s question triggers a surge of feeling in Oscar’s heart, symbolized by the fountain bursting to life. Like she's trying to make sense of how she feels about André amid the torrent of emotions that overwhelms her. Her gasp betrays her surprise, but she doesn't attempt to evade the question. Instead, she tries to sort through her emotions—perhaps because she feels she owes the truth to Girodelle. Unable to name her feelings directly, she tries to explain instead what André means to her.
I don’t know.
I never thought of him that way. We were just like brothers.
No, perhaps we shared out tender years, times both good and bad, much more than mere brothers.
And without my ever realizing it, our souls grew closer and closer together.
It is at this point that the background music begins: track 24 from the original soundtrack composed by KOHTA YAMAMOTO. Its waltz-like quality suits Girodelle’s romantic yet somewhat aloof disposition, while also serving as the perfect accompaniment to the images shimmering across the surface of the flowing water—Oscar and André at play as children, transforming into birds and flying away together.
Notice how Oscar cannot bring herself to meet Girodelle’s gaze as she speaks about her feelings for André. Putting those feelings into words doesn't come naturally to her. Yet her honesty seems to convey her emotional unavailability to him far more effectively than her earlier rejection in the General’s study. Only after she finishes speaking does she finally lift her eyes to look at him.
And this time, Girodelle is the first to look away as he says, “His sorrow will bring you sorrow too.” Then he meets her gaze again and adds, “That is all I need to know. Because if you are unhappy, then I, too, would be the unhappiest person in the world.” Oscar is taken aback, as though she hadn't expected him to give up so easily.
It's like their exchange unfolds like a dance, attuned to the background music. Their words and glances alternate—one stepping forward as the other retreats, only for the balance to shift again in the next movement.
At last, they meet in the middle. Against the backdrop of the fountain’s flowing water, Girodelle kisses her hand—and this time, Oscar does not pull away.
Please accept this one and only token of my love. I will withdraw my proposal.
Small, intimate moments where they could share their love. Those days when they were able to love each other, I would love to see more of that. I hope I can draw more moments like these.
dailybridgerton
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