Teeks Blogs

As East Asian, I cried like a bitch in this scene. This three images were the perfect representation of how Asian family deals with trauma. If you don’t know, seeking counseling/therapy is basically frown upon in Asian culture. It doesn’t matter what it is, ppl will think you are a looney.

(Btw, in Korea when you go to a therapist THIS SHIT IS NOT PRIVATE. this will be on you PERMANENT RECORD as if you are some kind of fucking criminal. If you seek out therapy, EVEN A BLOODY SCHOOL COUNSELOR DURING MIDDLE SCHOOL, this will jeopardize you getting a jJOB/CAREER. Because no company will hire you!!!). I suffer from Long term stress disorder and my doctors recommended that i see a therapist. on my first therapy session, during ride back home, my mother flat out told me that she didn’t believe in therapy. and told me that EVERYONE HAS A BURDEN TO CARRY AND WE DO IT IN SILENCE AND STEADFASTNESS.

Sounds harsh right? But to the older generation, this is honorable act. to bare, and suffer for the family is something to be honored.

No matter how destructive it can be……

Many older generation Asian/parents carry this. they bare all the weight and don’t tell a soul the suffering they had to endure. 

So what happens WHEN they can’t bare it longer?

chances are, the oldest child of the family plays therapist. 

because the parents (ESPECIALLY THE MOTHER) has no one to lean on regarding such matter. They rather take their trauma to their graves then tell non-family members or a worst a STRANGER (therapist)

I am the oldest child of my family, I was my mother’s supporter, helper, her confidant and listener. I comforted her and listened to all the horrid, heart breaking trauma she suffered. She was also the oldest child of her family and she bared all the weight of the family. the difference between my mother and i, is that i grew up in west. i was told that speaking out my feeling/mental health is critical and important. and i seek out help when i wasn’t okay. meanwhile generations had taught my mother that seeking therapy is shameful.

so, us, the kids, who learned of emotional support and health, leads our parents out from the trauma.

just like how Mei is doing in this scene.

so yeah, this movie doesn’t tell trauma like Encanto. but that’s the point, every nation/generation have different way to deal with trauma. and turning red perfectly represented how west born/raised Asian kids deals with family trauma. 

Y’all released a 1 hr and 9 minute cutesy collection of Pooh Bear short stories about trying to find Eeyore’s lost tail on the SAME DAY AS THE FINAL HARRY POTTER FILM, of course it didn’t do well

AND y’all went up against YOURSELVES because Cars 2 had just opened like three weeks before and was very much still in theaters

You remember what came out literally one week after it?

And if you think 2D animation can’t look as good as 3D animation, there are 2D animated TV SHOWS that are on a lower budget than 3D animated movies that look fucking STUNNING. Let me list a few. 

Even if the story isn’t the best, Steven Universe’s animation is really beautiful and has such a nice style to it. The gems, the weapons, all of it just looks gorgeous. And have you SEEN the Other Friends animation?

Gravity Falls’s episode “Not What He Seems” aired five years ago, but it looks like it could have been animated today. The animation is absolutely stunning in every way. The lighting, the colors, everything. It’s just beautiful.

And have you SEEN The Owl House’s fight scenes? Those are entirely animated in 2D, but they’re so smooth and gorgeous! They look ten times better than the fight scenes in a lot of 3D animated movies!

And don’t get me STARTED on the Tangled The Series animation. It’s done entirely lineless, which is not easy, and it looks so good that there could be an actual camera recording it in real-time. I can’t describe how amazing it is in words.

Basically, I think it’s a bit unfair to try and completely disregard 3D animation as a tool and medium. I ABSOLUTELY agree that 2D animation deserves recognition and it’s deliberate exclusion in mainstream movies by Disney is a MASSIVE disappointment and is REALLY shitty. AND I agree that 2D animation has a MUCH easier time holding up than 3D animation.

HOWEVER, when 3D animation works to its strengths, there are plenty of examples of 3D graphics that do still hold up.

In video games, for example: Super Mario Galaxy released in 2007, but still holds up, as does Jet Set Radio and Catherine (though still a little rough around the edges). There are also plenty of YouTube videos and articles you can find that give other examples as well

For movies, I can see films like Spiderverse, Trolls, and Captain Underpants having a good chance at holding up in the future. They focus more on creating a unique visual style that fits their movie and are very stylized!

And even older 3D movies like Shrek and some of the Barbie movies look pretty good still, despite being almost or over a decade old at this point

Additionally—there’s recent examples of 3D and 2D animation being used TOGETHER for absolutely fantastic results, like in Land of the Lustrous or Promare

The main issue with 3D animated movies (+ video games) now is that plenty of companies care more about making a product that will work IN THE MOMENT, instead of trying to create something that will last. So hyper-realism, new technological marvels, and established tropes (like Disney’s sameface in its 3D movies) will be used in a shallow and easy to consume manner. It’s about the spectacle, instead of using these things as tools, carefully and sparingly.

It’s the same issue with CGI in many modern movies all but replacing practical effects. Plenty of these movies age like milk because they’re trying so hard to look realistic, but their CGI is basically left to do all of the work itself, which isn’t what it can really do. It should be used in tandem with other effects or stylized to mask the uncanniness (leaning into how not real it is instead of trying to trick the brain into thinking it is)

Jurassic Park is a well-used example of this. The film used a thoughtful combination of practical effects and CGI, working to the strengths of both to create a stronger whole.