Upcoming series, Les Misérables: Shoujo Cossette

[GuessingWrong]

I'm pretty sure the story was so long that it was originally split into 3 volumes.

Yes. Even then, I've read some parts of the original, original version were cut short in most recent editions.

The real Misérables novel is one Hell of a long book.

Can'tbelievesomepeopledon'tknowthat

[sprueill]

3 volumes?...thats why the ending was so stupid....


jkjkjkjkjkjkjkjkjkkjkk!. normaly Im a lit buff but I seem off today...but still..unless they made them into 15 minute shorts (like rec) a 52 ep season wouldn't make sense...but then if it was 15 minute shorts wouldn't that be horrible?

[Heero_Yuy84]

Hehe, when I said "It'll only be cool if they sing like the musical adaptation by Cameron Macintosh", I meant the musical adaptation from the original French musical, not adaptation from the book.

Just to clarify on this point: The French Musical is not a different show. The original concept was in French, yes, but otherwise it was basically the same show. To that end, Boubil and Schonberg reportedly do that with most of their shows (they start writing in French for the first phase and then translate into English.)

As for this show itself...
I'm skeptical, if only cause it kind of got that 'anime cleanup' effect going for it from what we're seeing here (if the designs in this main are to be taken as the 'standard' forms of the characters.)
In particular in the cases of Cosette and Fantine (presumably the woman in the back...doesn't look like they're aiming to use her as grown-up Cosette, I could be wrong (...my computer's being a whore with font packages right now so the website only got me just so far))
Never theless, if that's Fantine...well...let's just say for an ailing woman who, from what I can remember, had to turn to prostitution for money, she certainly doesn't seem to be suffering from anything worse than depression (...I keep getting the bad feeling their vision of 'sick' is just gonna be her coughing up a little bit of blood)

To that end, from what other details can remember, Victor Hugo was pretty clear that Cosette was definitely NOT a terribly good looking girl as a youngun...meanwhile, it appears here they just decided to go with the more clean cut look (...hopefully this was just a combination of easier for the animators and just hoping to make her more sympathetic and not hoping to get a grab on the moe train while it's still running.)

...then again, I could be wrong given this is still in early phases, just saying, a little skeptical that the way it's setting up...well...cheezy as this will sound, they don't really seem that miserable...

[SporkGoddess]

I usually don't post here (heck, I hadn't even activated my account) but I had to comment on this news.

First off, Les Misérables was indeed released in three volumes: the novel unabridged is about 1500 pages. You should note though that most Les Mis fans skip over certain parts, like the infamous sewers chapter and the Napleonic Wars section.

As Heero_Yuy84, Boubil and Schonberg pretty much always wrote shows in French first and then had them translated into English. Miss Saigon is another show where the concept album was in French; by then Boubil knew English well enough that he could write the lyrics himself, but he enlisted the help of Richard Maltby, Jr. because he needed the characters to sound American. The Les Mis concept album (which is possible to find, though difficult) is pretty similar to the show: there are very few differences. One difference that I can think of offhand is "L'Air de Miserie" (sp?) which Fantine sings before "I Dreamed a Dream" (I know, two solos in a row? The heck?) and sounds pretty much exactly like "On My Own." But it should be noted that, no matter the language, concept albums often are always incredibly different from what the show eventually became (Frank Wildhorn's shows come to mind.)

As for the anime, I am incredibly wary because, well, Les Mis is a masterpiece and it seems that the anime is really going to sanitize it. People are probably going to say "At least watch it first!" but I think that the art alone says a lot. If you read Cosette's description in the original novel (which is absolutely wonderful and probably one of the best descriptions in literary history IMO) she does not look like lolicon bait; she is supposed to be ugly until she turns 15. Also note that while her dress is torn, her hair is PERFECT. Valjean IMO looks like your average generic anime older guy, not at all interesting (also too old--he's in his 40's when he's released from the chain gang.) Javert doesn't look at all intimidating. The Thénardiers look like comedic relief, which I suppose should be expected, but if there are ANY chibis or sweat drops I will not be happy.

On the plus side, Gavroche looks absolutely adorable.

[sprueill]

I know exactly what you mean. I loved count of monte' cristo, still do. and when I heard they were going to make an anime based off it I felt like slaping someones hands. they too changed the character that we so loved into a blue skinned demon whith pointy ears. and they sett the whole thing in space (well most of it) so beleive me when I say I sympathise. I also loved dog of flanders but I couldn't do athing about that...too long ago. and after watching the anime rendition I decided to watch this "gankutso" series based off count of monte cristo...It was amazing. you must be phycic having predicted this but..."just watch it first".

[Otohiko]

As much as I'd like to - I don't think drawing comparisons to Gankutsuou as people are doing is really fair at this point. Gankutsuou thrived on its re-interpretation, over-dramatization (even compared to the source novel) - and sheer graphical originality. The website I'm seeing for this one so far doesn't suggest any of that. It also doesn't suggest that it's going to be a production mainly for an adult audience - which Gankutsuou definitely was.

That said, is it bad for kids to have at least some exposure to the classic? If anything, might get them to read the original source somewhere down the road.

[sprueill]

just for the sake of argument, how many people have read the wizard of oz books? its considered a classic but almost everyone I know has not read the books and knows the story only from the movie, while the movie is pretty true to the book, it still is a shame though. what if that same thing happened to this book?

I mean why do we not want to see things like the american eva or speed racer movies? as fans shouldn't we be supporting those things? answer...no. simply because we don't want it ruined, and that ruined version to be what people remember it by. (eva was awesome but all most normal people remember is the end) now I know they did not ruin gankutso or dog of flanders which is why I pointed reference to them.

[chosef]

They had to make an anime on a novel I HATE so much, didn't they

Although the case with Gankutsuou, which was awesome, was similar(not to such extent though), I REALLY doubt I'm going to like this one, because of what Otohiko pointed out.

[SporkGoddess]

Otohiko: Also the Les Mis anime won't have any Donizetti. Come on, Lucia's Mad Scene makes everything cooler.

Chosef: I'm going to pretend that you didn't say that you hate Les Mis.

sprueill: Exactly. Les Mis honestly will never have a perfect adaptation; it's too long and too complicated. I however would prefer it, if it had to have an anime adaptation, one that didn't look so halfhearted.

[sprueill]

sporkgoddess bless you.