Today bulb televisa presenta
And why it's not exactly "a costume"
sponsored by: funamusea is exceptional at character driven story structure
For everyone who hasn't watched Phantom of the Opera yet, you just have to; and a spoiler warning
To summarize the novel and musical plot, here's quick recap
The Palais Garnier Opera House is believed to be haunted by an entity known as the 'Phantom of the Opera', where our protagonist, Chistine preforms at. Her late father seemingly worked there as well, as he told her about mysterious "Angel of Music", a voice whom also tutored her in singing.
On one occasion, lead singer got sick and Christine was invited to take her place. Her performance was absolute success, and one of the guests, Raoul, recognizes her as his childhood friend. He demands to meet her in her backstage room, but he hears man's voice already praising her, inside. Upon entering, no one is there.
She explains it's the Angel of Music and he warns her about being victim of a prank.
Strange things keep occurring once she visits her father's grave, as a mysterious figure plays violin for her. Raoul attempts to confront the figure, but fails.
Next thing she knows, Phantom rigged for her to be lead in the next play, with threats of causing harm if management doesn't comply.
After the play, he abducts her from backstage room, to his lair. He plans to keep her there for several days. However, once she unmasks him, revealing his true face that is deformed, in fear of being left, he changes plans to keep her there permanently. In the end, he agrees to let her go outside if she wears his ring and swears loyalty
However, she reveals what happened, to Raoul, and he vows to keep her safe and to keep her hidden from him, somewhere far away.
Unbeknown to them, Phantom was watching.
During the performance, enraged and jealous Phantom disguises himself as a lead actor, abducts her once more and coerces her to marry him. Raoul manages to find the lair with the help of third party, However, he falls into his trap.
Phantom demands Christine chose to marry him in order to save Raoul from death
She chooses to show compassion for his fate, as her own option, and he reveals to her how he never kissed anyone, and even his mother was afraid of him. They both cry and he lets both go, allowing himself to be killed by prosecutors Raoul rallied.
The epilogue has Christine visit his body to bury him and as per promise, return the ring, before disappearing far away with Raoul
That's right, you have just read WatGBS plot, with a twist.
We see Christine blindly trust Angel of Music, who helped her so much by tutoring her voice. This is our Wadanohara.
Her late father unknowingly helped bring them close.
This is our Meikai
She loves her childhood friend, Raoul and he loves her as much back, to the point he'd sacrifice his life in the end, for her freedom. Raoul, as a child, also heard from her father about the Angel.
This is our Samekichi
The Angel of Music, once mask is off, is Phantom of the Opera, malicious entity ready to kill for his goals of pursuing her, a figure who's every action is motivated by his traumatic past as disfigured and abandoned individual. His mother hated him and his father never saw him. He refers to himself in third person.
This is our Sal
Lastly, mentioned third party is Phantom's old friend, a Persian, who saved him once.
Slightly different in the play, the person is Madame Giry, an older woman, who looks after the patrons of the Opera. She is tasked to make sure Opera is safe from Phantom by doing what he tells her such as collecting "monthly fee" for him. She has much more prominent role in regards to Christine. Either way, his person can be our Tatsumiya or Shisatsu.
The third option and the twist
"What's the '..........'.? Sounds lazy to me...she just doesn't know what to put there"
Time to dissect the twist in the Phantom of the Opera but under the Sea.
The novel had so many adaptations, all wildly different, it's no wonder we also have Sea one. But in all fairness, it's the Lloyd Webber's musical that's the most well known one. And probably the one referenced in making of the WatGBS.
I will post final song after Christine is captured and color code characters once more.
[PHANTOM]
Down once more to the dungeon of my black despair!
Down we plunge to the prison of my mind!
Down that path into darkness,deep as hell!
[He rounds on her, bitterly]
Why, you ask, was I bound and chained
In this cold and dismal place?
Not for any mortal sin
But the wickedness of my abhorrent face!
[MOB (offstage)]
Track down this murderer!
He must be found!
[PHANTOM]
Hounded out by everyone!
Met with hatred everywhere!
No kind word from anyone!
No compassion anywhere!
Christine, Christine ...
Why, why...?
[CHRISTINE]
Have you gorged yourself, at last, in your lust for blood?
Am I now to be prey to your lust for flesh?
[PHANTOM (coldly)]
That fate which condemns me to wallow in blood
Has also denied me the joys of the flesh
This face—the infection which poisons our love
This face, which earned a mother's fear and loathing
A mask, my first unfeeling scrap of clothing
Pity comes too late—
Turn around and face your fate:
An eternity of this before your eyes!
[CHRISTINE]
This haunted face holds no horror for me now
It's in your soul that the true distortion lies
[The PHANTOM suddenly senses RAOUL's presence. Behind the portcullis, RAOUL comes out of the water]
[PHANTOM]
Wait! I think, my dear, we have a guest!
Sir, this is indeed an unparalleled delight!
I had rather hoped that you would come
And now my wish comes true—
You have truly made my night!
[RAOUL (pleading, grasping the bars of the gate)]
Free her!
Do what you like, only free her!
Have you no pity?
[PHANTOM]
Your lover makes a passionate plea!
[CHRISTINE]
Please Raoul, it's useless!
[RAOUL]
I love her!
Does that mean nothing?
I love her!
Show some compassion...
[PHANTOM]
The world showed no compassion to me!
[RAOUL]
Christine, Christine
Let me see her...
[PHANTOM]
Be my guest, sir...
[He gestures, and the gate rises. RAOUL enters]
Monsieur, I bid you welcome!
Did you think that I would harm her?
Why should I make her pay, for the sins which are yours?
[So saying, he takes the Punjab lasso and, before RAOUL has a chance to move, catches him by the neck. The end of the rope, of which the PHANTOM has let go, remains magically suspended in mid-air]
Order your fine horses now!
Raise up your hand to the level of your eyes!
Nothing can save you now—except perhaps Christine...
Start a new life with me—
Buy his freedom with your love!
Refuse me, and you send your lover to his death!
This is the choice—
This is the point of no return!
[CHRISTINE]
The tears I might have shed for your dark fate
Grow cold, and turn to tears of hate!
[RAOUL]
Christine, forgive me, please forgive me
I did it all for you, and all for nothing
[CHRISTINE]
Farewell my fallen idol and false friend
One by one, all my delusions shattered!
Say you love him
And my life is
over
Either way you choose
He has to win
[PHANTOM]
Too late for turning back, too late for prayers and useless pity!
All hope of cries for help
No point in fighting!
For either way you choose
You cannot win!
So, do you end your days with me
Or do you send him to his grave?
Why make her lie to you, to save me?
As you can see, we are almost re-playing 1:1 final confrontation before Gate. The couple's demise is not trusting each other enough and not considering Phantom dangerous enough. The antagonist still desperately need's protagonist's love, especially to prove self-worth in sea of loneliness. (yes, pun)
Key differences: Wadanohara's immense love for the Sea and Samekichi's "good fortune half" status, two original concepts for WatGBS.
[PHANTOM]
You try my patience—make your choice!
[She reflects for a moment, then with resolution moves slowly towards the PHANTOM]
[CHRISTINE]
Pitiful creature of darkness
What kind of life have you known?
God give me courage to show you
You are not alone
[Instrumental interlude: CHRISTINE kisses him long and full on the lips. The embrace lasts a long time. RAOUL watches in horror and wonder. The PHANTOM takes a lighted candle and holds it above RAOUL's head. A tense moment. But the suspended rope suddenly falls harmlessly—the PHANTOM has burnt the thread by which the noose was held. Resigned, he addresses RAOUL, as we hear the offstage voices of the approaching MOB]
[PHANTOM]
Take her, forget me, forget all of this...
And this is where our story somewhat diverges. But there are similarities still.
Sal still frees both of them and forfeits his life, in away. In a twisted turn, by letting her blood, he allows Samekichi to gain power to follow him into hell, and take the sword. Narratively, there is no struggle for the sword and the couple is able to reunite.
If we are generous enough, just like in Phantom of the Opera, "......." could imply Sal found grain of compassion. Very small grain.
Unlike Phantom, he did not find love in his heart, only hate and he learned almost nothing.
Through this text i considered "deformation" and a "curse" interchangeable, as cave scene matching that of Christine abduction is "unmasking" scene. And we "unmask" that "Angel" was "Ambassador" and that the "face" was "curse".
But this isn't so entirely.
The plea Wada makes in True end is undermined on several levels to begin with, compared to Christine's:
-While Phantom's terrible life is marked by his deformation, part of him he didn't chose, while his actions are painted with it, it's he himself who ultimately chose to hurt Christine.
We can assume that is not how curse works.
-Raoul was simply unknown rival and Phantom could easily see him in positive light once he saw Christine in a positive light, after the kiss.
Samekichi's presence played major role. He fuels Sal's every action, tapping in on his original jealousy act of wanting to be "as lucky as him", after Namikaze's death. As long as Samekichi was there, it couldn't end any other way
-Wada showed her unending love and devotion to the sea. There wasn't just one rival-entire Sea was a rival. As long as she did everything she could for the Sea, it couldn't end any other way
In conclusion: "....." option is Wada's replay of Christine's compassion, resulting in something entirely different in this entirely different adaptation of the Phantom of the Opera. The game and the manga don't really tap into it in full extend, making it somewhat confusing, but it was probably to save on time. After all, what comes out of it is unique to this Phantom.
Samekichi would play great Raoul and Christine, being abducted himself, but this is just personal mental note.
Sal would go as Phantom of the Opera because he is the Phantom of the Sea Opera. He'd just go as - himself- but not Shiranami! Shiranami isn't real. Very cheeky, but on brand with his other cheeky moves.
I can't explain why would Samekichi go as Pumpkinhead, like Sal, i just can't wrap my head around Samekichi's choices.
footnote: im sorry if color text breaks somewhere, it's just tumblr's flawed coding and can't be helped.
