Zuka Rant: Part 3 (The Pain Scale + Yukigumi 2015 - Hoshiai)
so, Hoshiai! beautiful, stunning, a piece of art. absolutely adorable - and heartbreaking
this is my second nihonmo iirc. i love seeing more 'traditional' pieces, esp since i've been so invested in looking at chinese hanfu; observing the differences between that and these more trad japanese costumes is really fascinating. (calling them 'costumes' as that is what they are in this particular case.) i also find that nihonmos seem to give me more of a learning opportunity - or maybe that is simply the fact that i've watched them while reading translated scripts, which helps me recognise words. anyways, this is all off-topic
the *point* of this (shorter than before) essay is to rate it on the Pain Scale. i have made the mistake of creating an unofficial competition in the zuka discord server, where the one to show me the zuka show that makes me cry the most before new year wins. thus, i gotta somehow create a scale to rate my experiences, i guess. let's say the Emotional Pain Scale looks roughly like this:
1 - absolutely no issue
2 - this is kinda emotional i guess
3 - awwww this is sad/cute/[insert emotion]
4 - i am officially Moved
5 - there are Tears in my eyes, but i Refuse to let them fall
6 -.... nvm, guess i can let out *some* tears
7 - okay this pains me on a physical level
8 - [hyper empathy enabled] oh,,,, tears,,,,, D:
9 - i can't see properly... i am Uncertain how to cope with this ooooof
10 - dear gods i am sobbing so hard i cannot breathe how will i ever get over this oh *gods*
so, i think i'd place Don Juan (that i've previously ranted about) at a... 8,5? ish ? meanwhile, Nijinsky (which i haven't written about but is also Very Good) falls around a 7.
so, how about Hoshiai? well, while it's emotional, it's not *very* sad. like, chigi def breaks me (again) but it doesn't spark As Much emotion, y'know? i think i'll place it at a 5,5. this is due to how, while i was def moved and a few tears slipped out, it didn't reach That Level (also i am saving my higher ratings in case something reaches 'that one scene in The Untamed' level)
that being said, i would really recommend Hoshiai. chigi, miyu and daimon all do so well and oh is it a coincidence that all 3 shows thus far in the Pain List are yukigumi with chigi and/or daimon? this must be investigated. anyway, i love the costumes, particularly chigi's blue outfit with falling stars/swords - it's so pretty. her hair is also My Aesthetic (until she gets the ugly half bald cap.... i hate it so much....)
i absolutely adore the child scenes, they all did so well, and rkejgkdkfjdk it's so cute aaaaaa!!! you really *feel* that they are children - and then you see them grow and it's.... damn. so good. the acting in this is On Point. i loved it. that's it, that's the end of the post. go watch Hoshiai, and show me the most pain inducing zuka show you can find. thanks
