Second Look at Drama and Melodrama
So I found this alternate definition of melodrama.
“A drama involves primarily a conflict of values within a man (as expressed in action); a melodrama involves only conflicts of men with other men.” – Ayn Rand
Now I’m not going to pretend I understand all the nuances of that definition, but it seems to make sense to me, in that it aligns somewhat well with my own list of dramatic vs. melodramatic shows. For example, most people associate love triangles with soap operas – which are known for being melodramatic and superficial. Well, a love triangle typically involves competition between two characters who are vying for the affections of another. But I can think of a few love triangles which go beyond that – for example, Honey and Clover. In that series, Takemoto’s involvement in a love triangle (more like square?) is a prompt for him to examine himself, questioning whether he really is the best choice compared to the other men involved. It also is one of the factors which initiates some great character development (as anyone who has seen the show will recognize). So this satisfies Rand’s definition of drama. That said, I’m sure that this clear-cut definition of melodrama will clash with people’s intuitive definitions (which, like the dictionary definition, probably involves the idea of exaggerated emotions and feelings and all the subjectivity that comes along with such a definition).
It’d be interesting to look at other shows that have this triangle element (Kimi ga Nozome Eien, Touch, True Tears, Kimagure Orange Road) and examine how much of the emotional conflicts occur within characters as a result of the interpersonal conflict. Touch belongs in the Honey and Clover camp, as I said last post, because the conflicts which occur as a result are primarily due to conflicting values and desires within the minds of the characters.
A show like the Kimagure Orange Road TV series might not be as clear-cut. However, this comes together well with my negative response to the Kimagure Orange Road movie which ended the love triangle. My main complaint back then was that there simply wasn’t enough introspection and personal regret happening in these characters minds over their actions. They were just going through the motions of a love triangle dissolution with all the typical resentment and jealousy. According to Rand, I guess the problem was that the film was that there was too much confrontation and interpersonal conflict, which would be more on the melodramatic side.
Author at ani-nouto posed the question of whether a series could be called dramatic and melodramatic at the same time. While I think that either definition (exaggerated emotions or personal vs. interpersonal conflicts) could be applied to different parts of the same story, melodrama tends to severely “override” ones impression of a show, negatively. All I really remember on NANA’s emotional front is the melodrama leaving a sour taste in my mouth.
2 responses so far
Going a off-tangent here. Perhaps at times, the issue isn’t so much about “drama” and “melodrama”, but that of “realism” and “unrealism”? Somehow, the idea of “exaggerated emotions” (or exaggerated portrayal of emotions) in melodrama (or the very concept of ‘melodrama’) is pretty harmless, until the said exaggeration hinders you from sympathizing with the characters and/or relating to them as “real” characters.
Experiences would be another factor affecting our perception of this, as Owen also asked sometime ago in his 5cm/s post, “how much life experience must [we] have to appreciate 5cm/s?”. At one point our impression of a certain anime might be “meh melodramatic” or “too emo”, but experiences would paint a different picture of how we see things, and allow us to empathize with the characters and their situations.When I first read Nana I was like, “ugh too emo”, but I would have to revisit it sometime and see just how much my perception of it has changed over the years.
As to whether or not a series can be both dramatic and melodramatic, I say yes, because in the end, it’s all a matter of perspectives. Some people might see Honey and Clover as melodramatic, others dramatic, depending on how they see it, and which aspects they focus on to arrive at that conclusion.
Well I think the intuitive definition of melodrama naturally involves realism and unrealism, since exaggerated emotions typically means emotions which are too overblown to be realistic. But where that lines is crossed (in the first definition, that is) will certainly differ for different people. Ayn Rand’s definition tries to be more objective, though I find that it lines up pretty well with my own rankings.
That reminds me of this post I made about realism in Honey and Clover. It was as a response to some people who were saying H&C was unrealistic because the guys should have all been more interested in lust and partying than clinging onto unrequited love for years. My response was along the lines of yours, that people’s own attitudes determine what they consider realistic, and there are plenty of people who can understand where the H&C characters were coming from.
And about being both at the same time, I interpreted Author’s question to mean, “Can the same person acknowledge both drama and melodrama within the same series”? Like you mentioned, I think it colours the viewer’s perception and sympathy of the characters too much for anything else to be as effective.