“Madama Butterfly”

            First, I just want to say I am a huge fan of Claymation. More in my childhood than adulthood. In fact, one of my favorite shows early on was Gumby, and one of my favorite movies was “James And the Giant Peach.” Both of these are Claymation. So Madama butterfly was more visually appealing than the music itself. I actually had to watch this twice to truly grasp the concept as it was a little confusing the first run. I also happen to have a deep passion for Asian/orient culture. Not because my ethnic background is Asian (Korean) but more so the way of life they endure. As said before in my first “about me” blog post, I studied abroad in Shanghai, China and traveled through 6 countries during my 8 –month span from China, Philippines, Japan, India, Singapore, and South Korea. In short, this movie hit the tail on the donkey!

            Diving right into the performance itself beyond my personal connection to Madama Butterfly, I do think the opera helped embrace the moments from an emotional standpoint. Dramatic ensembles heightened when crucial turning points took place. Like the sex scene, the birth, the return of sailor, and the tearing a part of her own body in lieu of her situation- losing her child. The opera also did a great job at toning down the instruments in between all the moments I mentioned earlier. These moments were just as crucial because it gave myself time to really soak in what was going on and more importantly, less distractions so I can focus on the story line more than the tunes.

            Overall, this short film was brilliantly pieced together and thoroughly enjoyed watching this- twice! And in theory, maybe even a third is down the line. This video has a personal connection to millions around the world serving government in militia at-home and over-seas.