Red, The Color Of Desire

“Give to this dog son of a wolf a human face, and the result will be Javert.”

I think a lot about the folkloric story that Victor Hugo describes (or invents) in Les Mis, that uses dogs/wolves as a metaphor for that way that Inspector Javert betrays his own social class. It feels very fairytale-like, so here’s a Lotte-Reiniger style adaptation. Many thoughts, many emotions. I may animate this eventually. (And thanks to @valvertweek for the motivation!)

Needed to practice backgrounds so I just put him there awsell 🤷‍♀️

Want to watch an Asian Les Misérables, but don't know which to pick?

Here are some options!

Les Misérables Peking Opera | 2 hours 12 minutes

There's action! Parkour! Cosette and Jean Valjean being a sweet family! Marius dressed up as Enjolras! Valvert content!

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1Dhb9x6w3g&t=1081s

Mandarin Les Misérables play soundtrack | 1 hour

It's an original stage adaptation that was made in collaboration with France! Because of this, it's super accurate, and the characters sometimes code switches to French. It's so accurate, in some parts they just quote passages from the book!

Plus the songs and music are so calming!

Unfortunately I don't have the full footage of it, only the soundtrack ⬇️

Link: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_kmdPwVy_md0_liubPYnBKmAp5uZTnT9o4&si=ilXnx-hPVkmcsCr4

Kundan | 2 hours 36 minutes

It's. So. Good!! Do you want to learn more about the Quit India Movement and the political state of India during the British colonial rule?

Do you want to see how other countries in the world incorporated the themes of social injustice and revolution? No one does it better than Kundan! Goated.

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4HQe9vNwA8&t=1837s

Iranian Musical production | 1 hour 32 minutes

Do you want to watch the famous musical of Les Misérables through the eyes of Iranian theatre? You get to see how they portray stage art, costuming, singing, and much more!

It is definitely a very unique adaptation of the famous stage production!

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03tXbvE7HZA

Jean Valjean monogatari | 1 hour 25 minutes

No comment (because I haven't watched it yet sadly!)

But I hear the animation can be unintentionally goofy! And that it's an alright adaptation. That's a good enough sign for me!

Link: https://archive.org/details/lesmis_202102

Japanese Ballet production

You guessed it, it's a ballet adaptation of Les Misérables! What more is there to say about it? Watch it!

Unfortunately, there's not a full production of it uploaded, but there are long clips of them in the latter halves of these rehearsal videos. There are longer clips the further down in the playlist you get ⬇️

Link: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLde0XoLxyblVGUDxdjBgPjFjCMiohKJgJ&si=zQn_BNUmUYRnwZwb

Owarinaki tabiji | 2 hours 23 minutes

Welcome to Les Misérables set in contemporary Japan! The movie begins with Jean Valjean stealing laundry, and an earthquake happening; a trauma which pushes him to become a better man. Also there's Valvert content.

What's more Japanese than laundry theft and earthquakes?

Link: https://www.bilibili.tv/en/video/2047742481

Les Misérables (1992) | 11 hours

Even though this was a French production, the animation was made in North Korea. So if you're interested in how the art may look, you can go and explore! Plus, if you're learning French, perhaps this experience would be a good language practice!

Link: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLBqc73oQ4bMPU1KXsTg3QwzbTidZgjJDh&si=0o8gou_QpXpl4fsL

1996 Korean TV series

Les Misérables set in 70s-80s Korea! I haven't watched the whole way through due to the buffer time, but so far, it follows the story quite closely, all the while finding unique, creative ways in telling the story!

Link: https://programs.sbs.co.kr/drama/thief/vod/74918/22000462834

Korean Original Musical soundtrack | 42 minutes

Javert has an electric guitar accompanying him! I sometimes like to imagine him with a literally electric guitar while he's on the stage.

This musical sounds very modern and is super different from the sounds of Boublil and Schonberg's musical adaptation.

Link: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_lk2Bsybb7A-TjgcbtPX3RBGJd_DJ-jpaE&si=BIoMfMXqwtrw-J6q

Les Misérables (1974) | 12 hours

There's no English subtitles, so I haven't watched it (yet)!

I have seen some translated scenes, and wow, does it look beautiful! If you can understand Arabic, or don't mind watching without understanding the dialogue, then please have a look and tell me about it!

I would LOVE to hear what people have to say about this adaptation!

Link: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFbmr0IDXgqsyfkOOY3eH4YbMVfmcLf0t&si=2ijFa11N3n5Jo9ay

Sefiller | 1 hour 25 minutes

We have seen many AUs being explored, but have we ever thought about MariusIsChampmathieu'sSon!AU and JeanValjeanDoesn'tConfessInTime!AU?

Well, worry not, this most famous retelling of Les Misérables in Türkiye has got you covered! Watch this to find out why this story became so famous in the country!

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bxb-mEt5ZyQ

Ngọn Cỏ Gió Đùa (1989) | 2 hours and 41 minutes

Set in late colonial Vietnam, based from the book of the same name with the author having been born during the colonial period and grew up with Vietnam after the French had left, we can see how Les Misérables looks through the eyes of a country who was a victim of the French Empire.

Link: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOTJoiItzQApxi2IhK64kqYF_6GiyrLy8&si=tb5bzWUaeho7pO2s

Ngọn Cỏ Gió Đùa (2013 TV series) | 30 hours

Because the above movie was a success, they brought the same director in to make a longer, more detailed exploration of this world.

This might be the most famous adaptation of Les Misérables known in Vietnam.

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fj8dhOHha7U&list=PLs7jy9QFiFOK97yJTxti1ozmjBJypfqX3

About 10 years ago I was working for a gaming company doing creature design. After work, I would go home and dissect animals in my garage. I borrowed a tiger carcass from a local taxidermist. I wanted to understand how the jaw muscles worked, so I stop motion animated it.

The muscle on the back of the head (Temporalis) bulges out when the jaw is closed. But when the is jaw is open, it depresses in like the surface of a trampoline. But not uniformly, in a Y shaped pattern.

I ended up getting evicted for stop motion animating tiger parts in my garage…..but it was worth it. I still have hard drives full of animal carcasses reference animations today. Fun Times.

nothing to forgive

today i am thinking about the eight bullets that kill enjolras, and how i always see people saying they represent his eight friends to die at the barricade, but when i first read his death what came to my mind was the eight men to escape the barricade alive: valjean, marius, javert, and the five men who are given the national guard uniforms. i think of those eight bullets being meant for those eight men, and enjolras taking them all. he did not change the world in the way he meant, but he changed the world for eight men, and that has to be enough.

I saw les mis again 🥲

Enjolras sketches.

He watches over me while I do my history revision!!