If you were a fan of the Trese graphic novels prior to their animated adaptation airing on Netflix, you’ve definitely noticed the differences between Alexandra Trese's character design in the OG comic and in the 2021 anime. For casual viewers of the groundbreaking show who are unaware of the story's years-long history, the comic actually came out back in 2005 and featured a more androgynous-looking and less glamorous iteration of the character. In a roundtable video interview with Summit Media, Trese illustrator Kajo Baldisimo admitted that his art style for Alexandra would change over time to keep her looking fresh and interesting for every print run.
The Inspiration Behind the Alexandra Trese Character Design
Discrepancies in character design are common when comparing the printed material to its animated counterpart. The studio and creators may want to explore other designs that could enhance the characters further. Series like Attack on Titan and the Fruits Basket 2020 remake are perfect examples of this, where the anime made way for more detailed renditions of the cast.
That said, Trese director Jay Oliva spoke with Baldisimo and the rest of the creative team regarding the tweaks to Alexandra’s appearance for the anime, and they revealed that her design was heavily inspired by Ghost in the Shell’s Major Motoko Kusanagi. ICYDK, Ghost in the Shell is a critically acclaimed Japanese cyberpunk franchise that encompasses the cult-classic 1995 film, the original manga, and multiple animated series and movie spin-offs (both 2D and 3D). They also axed Trese’s "horn-like" hairline seen in the comics and gave her a simpler bob (although still reminiscent of the original drawing) for animation purposes—which actually made her look a lot more similar to the Major.
"For me, I wanted to make sure Filipinos look very pretty 'cause we are very pretty people," says Oliva of the changes to the character designs. "But what we were really trying to do is translate the 2005 version of Alex that Kajo had done and kind of updating it in a way. I just wanted a good-looking cast, but I didn’t realize how good-looking until the audience reacted [to the show.]"
Baldisimo also revealed in a separate Netflix interview that Alexandra’s signature trench coat was based on an outfit worn by none other than our National Hero Jose Rizal. The double-breasted buttons design seen in one of Rizal’s photographs inspired the artist to create a similar version for Trese.
Trese is currently streaming on Netflix.
Hey, Spotters! Check us out on Viber to join our Community and subscribe to our Chatbot.
Source: Spot PH
No comments:
Post a Comment