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Disney's 'Encanto'

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Robbery Since: Jul, 2012
#76: Jul 14th 2021 at 1:08:15 PM

I'm fine with her being muscled, but I can kind of see the argument that if her strength is magical, then her muscles really don't have anything to do with it; if she's supernaturally strong, it would actually be really hard for her to build muscle, as it'd be difficult for her to tax her strength. I recall artist Gary Frank once explained his approach to Superman, which is to make him considerably leaner than a lot of other artists, by saying that Superman's strength doesn't have anything to do with his muscles.

Maybe the justification should be, given that she's super-strong, she's given to a lot of physical activity and as such stays pretty toned.

Edited by Robbery on Jul 14th 2021 at 1:11:47 AM

XMenMutant22 The Feline Follies of Felix the Cat Since: Jan, 2012 Relationship Status: Hoping Senpai notices me
#77: Jul 14th 2021 at 1:15:19 PM

Magic users don't inherently have to be skinny. I wished I saved it properly, but that thread pointed a particularly beefy male mage being an example.

I could see the rationale that having a strong body that could handle the magicial output. (Thinking of Deku from My Hero Academia, for example, who needed to work out in order to lessen the bodily damage One for All has on his body.) Having a general fit body is an underrated choice for dealing with exhaustive resources like that.

Furthermore, there could even be a multiplier benefit for having extra muscles *on top* of being magic-based. I'm reminded of how Jennifer Walters worked out in her base form, and once turning into She-Hulk, it actually increased the base strength of her gamma form.


In fact, most people don't really asked why (male) folks like Goku look like brickhouses, but generally have superhuman strength and durability inherent to his species that a toddler could reasonably cause havoc.

Edited by XMenMutant22 on Jul 14th 2021 at 4:57:13 AM

GlitterCat Since: Mar, 2018 Relationship Status: The Skitty to my Wailord
#78: Jul 14th 2021 at 1:51:07 PM

[up]he's a brick houuuse, he's mighty mighty just letting it all hang out.

see my completed Tangled (Varian) fanfic collection! https://archiveofourown.org/works/24467056/chapters/59049532
Diana1969 Since: Apr, 2021 Relationship Status: Non-Canon
#79: Jul 14th 2021 at 3:40:12 PM

Honestly, all this discussion about Spanish-language dubbing has been really insightful and interesting. Bit of an unconventional learning experience here.

Also apparently Disney executives didn't want the lady with super-strength to be muscled, for some reason. Animators had to fight really hard to keep that in.

...what's wrong with girls being swole, Disney, jeez.

XMenMutant22 The Feline Follies of Felix the Cat Since: Jan, 2012 Relationship Status: Hoping Senpai notices me
#80: Jul 14th 2021 at 4:30:09 PM

For additional context:

On the day Encanto's teaser came out, people were quick to highlight Luisa's unconventional (for Disney) thicker build being portrayed in a good light with super strength. Some people even thought that this was Disney Animation's higher-up being bold with the looser design choice.

However, according to character model supervisor Dylan Ekren's tweet on that day, nah, Executive Meddling initially pushed back on the idea.

Robbery Since: Jul, 2012
#81: Jul 14th 2021 at 4:58:16 PM

My guess is that most innovations are more likely to come from the creative folks than the executives.

Synchronicity (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#82: Jul 14th 2021 at 5:00:52 PM

Meaningful Appearance and Distinctive Appearances is...also a super duper important thing. There's a reason Mr. Incredible is built like a tank (for most of the movie) and his wife his not, or (to build on previous comparisons) why All Might's depowered form looks like he's about to keel over while his brickhouse form looks tall and heroic, or why Ezra Miller playing the Flash doesn't bulk up as much as Henry Cavill playing Superman. We're conditioned to think Muscles Are Meaningful, so we mentally associate the buff one with strength, and a Double Standard around that is disappointing, but not surprising.

Robbery Since: Jul, 2012
#83: Jul 14th 2021 at 5:09:33 PM

[up]I agree, but it can also be striking to have a character demonstrate super-human strength who doesn't look especially strong. The subversion of expectation can be a powerful thing; remember that in Avatar: The Last Airbender the team's biggest bruiser was a tiny blind girl.

Of course,Encanto's making the character a large, muscular woman is also a bit of a subversion of expectation, as you don't see many such female characters in any context.

Edited by Robbery on Jul 14th 2021 at 5:10:10 AM

Synchronicity (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#84: Jul 14th 2021 at 5:39:10 PM

Toph is great, but she's also not a Super-Strength character. Much is made of how she's genuinely a squishy, blind 10-year-old when her feet are off the earth. I am thinking more of Glacier Waif / Small Girl, Big Gun etc. characters who are... infantilized isn't the right word for it, but media is fine with women getting things done! As long as they're conventionally cute. It's annoying.

Edited by Synchronicity on Jul 14th 2021 at 7:40:39 AM

GNinja The Element of Hyperbole. from The deepest, darkest corner of his mind. Since: Apr, 2015 Relationship Status: I'd need a PowerPoint presentation
The Element of Hyperbole.
#85: Jul 14th 2021 at 6:11:14 PM

I think I'm too used to Anime, because now, whenever I see a bunch of buff characters and then a single, lean but still confident-looking guy, my mind just goes "Oh, well he's obviously going to be the strongest one."

Edited by GNinja on Jul 14th 2021 at 1:12:17 PM

Kaze ni Nare!
DeathsApprentice The Ultimate Lifeform from The Ark Since: Aug, 2011 Relationship Status: Is that a kind of food?
The Ultimate Lifeform
#86: Jul 14th 2021 at 9:44:58 PM

I do think it makes more sense for Super-Strength characters to not be very buff but the blatant double standard where guys with super strength are almost always buff as hell while girls with super strength remain thin as a rail makes me really enjoy subversions where girls with Super-Strength also get to be buff. So I'm very happy that the character designers were able to fight the Mouse enough to get Luisa to be muscular.

When we're done, there won't be anything left.
jessicadicicco610 Since: Oct, 2018 Relationship Status: [TOP SECRET]
#87: Jul 14th 2021 at 11:25:34 PM

I can think of two examples of girls who are strong yet also have a big build, Lotta and Sweetie .

Snicka Since: Jun, 2011
#88: Jul 15th 2021 at 1:37:52 AM

[up]There's also Grenda and Bertie. In general, girls with a large build also tend to be strong, though it's not always true the other way around.

Edited by Snicka on Jul 15th 2021 at 10:40:33 AM

Synchronicity (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#89: Sep 10th 2021 at 2:41:07 PM

Disney announced today that Encanto will play in theaters exclusively for 30 days before coming to Disney+.

Calling 'Shang-Chi' an experiment was unfortunate phrasing but it looks like they're happy with the result.

theLibrarian Since: Jul, 2009
#90: Sep 10th 2021 at 3:49:22 PM

Definitely helps with the problem of premium access, too. Gives the movie plenty of time to go into and out of theaters before they put it on Disney+ so they get more money the conventional way.

jessicadicicco610 Since: Oct, 2018 Relationship Status: [TOP SECRET]
#91: Sep 29th 2021 at 6:05:23 AM

Here's the trailer for Encanto.

Demetrios Lucky Seven from Des Plaines, Illinois (unfortunately) Since: Oct, 2009 Relationship Status: And they all lived happily ever after <3
slimcoder The Head of the Hydra Since: May, 2013
The Head of the Hydra
#93: Sep 29th 2021 at 7:41:34 AM

Not really. That comparison was used only to gauge the propensity of stories in recent memory using the setting of powerless person in some kind of world where everyone around them has a superpower.

There's not really any similarities to those series besides the basic plot hook.

Edited by slimcoder on Sep 29th 2021 at 7:45:01 AM

"I am Alpharius. This is a lie."
Synchronicity (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#94: Sep 29th 2021 at 9:36:04 AM

I liked that the extended family averts Latino Is Brown, with there being visibly black members (including the little boy who's prominent in the trailer) and one whiter-looking aunt/cousin/in-law.

Edited by Synchronicity on Sep 29th 2021 at 11:36:25 AM

ElSquibbonator Since: Oct, 2014
#95: Sep 29th 2021 at 9:36:25 AM

I'm kind of split on this movie. On the plus side, I think the setting is cool, and I also really dig the idea of a Disney heroine who wears glasses and isn't conventionally sexy.

On the negative side, I'm kind of afraid this movie is going to follow the formula that Moana and Raya and the Last Dragon set up, with the heroine having to save her home, and an antagonist who gets redeemed at the end. The animal sidekicks (apparently a toucan and a jaguar this time) don't do much for me either.

Taken as a whole, it really seems like it will be repeating the issues Moana and Raya had, namely that it has an interesting setting and premise but is held back from fully embracing them by its adherence to Disney's formulas.

Synchronicity (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#96: Sep 29th 2021 at 9:38:11 AM

As every "is Marvel cinema?" debate will tell you, formula isn't inherently negative, and it entirely depends on how the films use it. Of the two films you cited, I thought Moana was fantastic, while Raya is meh.

Farerb Since: Sep, 2021
#97: Sep 29th 2021 at 9:52:02 AM

I agree. Formula is something basic while its the execution that really matters (the Renaissance films also had a formula), and I agree that Moana was really great with two greatly defined three dimensional characters and excellent music (imo it has the best Disney soundtrack since the 90's). On the other hand, Raya didn't do anything for, mainly because what they had for character development was to constantly remind Raya (and the audience) she has trust issues, the side characters weren't interesting either and I thought that the baby with the three monkies was stupid and was something out of a Dream Works/illumination movie, not a Disney one.

slimcoder The Head of the Hydra Since: May, 2013
The Head of the Hydra
#98: Sep 29th 2021 at 10:07:53 AM

I would say Moana really got helped by being more direct and straightforward. There's less stuff sure but it manages to do all it has very well. Contrast to Raya which had too much stuff going on and wound up fumbling it because it couldn't handle it.

Hopefully Encanto is more of the former than the latter.

"I am Alpharius. This is a lie."
ElSquibbonator Since: Oct, 2014
#99: Sep 29th 2021 at 11:39:21 AM

Formula itself isn't the issue. The issue— at least from my perspective— is that Disney has this irritating habit of making movies that sort of flirt with new genres but don't really commit to them.

eagleoftheninth Shop all day, greed is free from a dreamed portrait, imperfect Since: May, 2013 Relationship Status: With my statistically significant other
Shop all day, greed is free
#100: Sep 29th 2021 at 8:09:31 PM

Can't wait for the soundtrack to be released. And honestly, the semi-Magic Realism aesthetic fits so well with the abundance of Disney forest detritus this time around.

One day, we will read his name in the news and cheer.

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