Alright, now this is how you portray a cute makeover scene, so take notes.
It’s nothing quite as boring and terribly cliched as “BOOKISH BUT GENERICALLY CUTE GIRL TAKES OFF GLASSES AND LETS HAIR DOWN,” we’ve got the real deal here. (for reference: from left to right, it’s Mayaya, Jiji, Tsukimi, Chieko, and Banba)
First off, note that none of the girls wearing glasses lose them to present themselves as more “conventionally attractive.” They are instead used as a charm point, and Tsukimi’s outfit is even color-coordinated to match her red frames. For that matter, Mayaya even GAINS sunglasses, to keep her eyes covered while her bangs are styled in a trendier manner. A similar tactic is used for Banba, whose unmanageable afro is covered by a wig to give her a cute hairstyle that still frames her face in a way that fits her.
None of the girls’ unique facial features are downplayed in the animation, either. Mayaya is still drawn with her prominent cheekbones, Tsukimi still has her bushy eyebrows and freckles, Banba’s nose is still drawn as simple tiny nostils, and no one’s facial structure or body type suddenly seems to shift to “super generically pretty,” as seen in so many awkward Hollywood makeovers.
Perhaps the best thing about this scene (and something that Kuranosuke explicitly points out as he’s styling the girls) is that Chieko ends up requiring literally no changes. As she already has the habit of wearing formal kimonos as casual wear, she instead ends up benefiting solely from being grouped with the other girls in their trendy attire, and that’s considered her own unique form of beauty.
IT’S A REALLY GREAT SCENE FROM A REALLY GREAT ANIME, BASICALLY.
ah i saw like the first 10 minutes at genkicon it looked nice
(Source: moonlight-dream)
