A Deep Dive into the Transformation Trope
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 14 พ.ค. 2024
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Video Credits
►Sabie Voice by Elsie Lovelock
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first
Woah! I love plushie torture!
Can it fit in a jar?
New punchbag real
@@just_a_wallydarling_simp🤨📸
Everyone knows exactly why we gather here today.
Yessir
SABBBBIIIIEEEE
I know right?
Yes sir!
Yes
Saber, you can’t just put your Gender Swapped Avatar with cat ears and tail without expecting Consequences.
My farts are better than Saberspark and Saberfart’s farts 💨
@@p-__bot Activity
Consequences are fully anticipated.
Put the maid outfit on saber
@@Kirbultrathis
Fun Fact: Elsie who plays Sabie is actually British and does a very convincing American accent when playing Sabie.
Very impressive of her!
WHAT
@@k.umquat8604SIMP
And Uzi from Murder Drones
@@yellowsegundoINCEL
The voice acting of Sadie is INSANE, she totally has your intonation down!
Haha e l s i e l o v e l o c k
It never ceases to amaze me how well Elsie is able to match Saber's tone and cadence. She really does sound like a female Saberspark.
It’s a talent and I don’t know how tf we got here for THAT to be a talent but I respect it.
Especially when she's a Brit. She's a damn good va
My farts are better than Saberspark and Saberfart’s farts 💨
You stole this comment th-cam.com/video/yaK_-pjhkKI/w-d-xo.html&lc=UgzdvC8TZ67w3YD7uqN4AaABAg
You stole this from hubertblack1485 &lc=UgzdvC8TZ67w3YD7uqN4AaABAg
It won't be long until someone does a 1 hour loop of Sabie dancing
My farts are better than Saberspark and Saberfart’s farts 💨
@@p-__ You should bottle them and sell them then
Yes please.
The meme is 10 hours, but yes.
@@sirflimflamlmao
I'm glad Sabie isn't like most genderbends (clingy to the original, for example), and the two counterparts clash and work together more fluently, gives them more distinct personalities rather than being carbon copies. God knows I wouldn't get along with myself! 😂
As a serial hypocrite I would absolutely hate myself
I thought gender swapped characters were just supposed to be the original character but gender swapped…. And nothing else
Jesus, it’s like I can hear Uzi, Meggy, and mommy long legs all in one character. I cannot stress how much I love Elsie and her work.
Ey dont talk about muder drones! (did i spell it wrong?)
@@Buur_is_betterwhy
Sable's realization of how she came to be is quite the haunting experience for her
My farts are better than Saberspark and Saberfart’s farts 💨
@@p-__The fuck is a Saberfart
Sabie
Once again they know their audience lmao
@@p-__what
It's a rather nice touch how Sabie manages to capture the same inflections in Sabersparks speech but still sounding like her own voice. It's a tricky balancing act for sure.
My farts farts are better than Saberspark and Saberfart’s farts
sabiefart
she is waaaaay more ideological
totes!!
@@peteynutt4104
I can't get over how much Sabie sounds like Saber. That takes skill as a voice actor.
Props to elsie for getting sabers voice mannerisms almost perfect! She sounds exactly how a genderbent saber would speak
Its actually pretty impressive how Sabie's voice actor captures Saber's vocal cadences really well.
My farts farts are better than Saberspark and Saberfart’s farts
It’s probably a voice changer?
@@ciderodd4278 no, don't think so. There's no artifacting whatsoever and a voice changer wouldn't make the inflections sound the way they do either. Or change the way she enunciates certain words.
Just good voice acting!
I'm pretty sure that's bc that's his sister XD
@@ciderodd4278it's not a filter. The VA is credited on the video description: Elsie Lovelock.
I love it whenever Sabie narrates. She never fails to match Saber's exact way of speaking, yet her personalityis completely different. It's familiar but also refreshing. And the level of absolute disgust she has for him is hilarious. You can bet one of those marketable plushie will be mine.
Very much agreed.
You couldn't find better if you tried.
She's an amazing character with a personality all her own, and I can't wait for her next appearance.
The ultimate transformation.
I see you everywhere
Howl’s Moving Castle is a great example of physical transformation reflecting states of true self-confidence. Across the film when Sophie is assertive and more self-assured she regains her youthful form, going back to her older curse form when she is more passive and doubting. She also reverts when sleeping, it’s her own perception of herself that’s keeping her old. Howl’s character development shows when he stops dying his hair, being more confident as he is.
On the subject of Studio Ghibli, their adaptation of the Earthsea series is a lesser example of transformation because it’s more spectacle than serving the story. Therru being a dragon seems more to be for the visual hook on the poster and DVD cover, and the adaptation doesn’t explore some of the more interesting transformation themes the books had. Animal transformation was dangerous because you could succumb to the instincts of the creature you had changed into, one cautionary tale being of a wizard who lost himself completely to his bear form. Sparrowhawk himself nearly falls to this in bird form while fleeing a threat, taking days to recover his human mind. On a character development level the first book is about him going from a recklessly ambitious and proud young man to one who is humbled and understands himself and his limitations. The world itself undergoes a transformation as magic is sapped away, Sparrowhawk sacrificing his ability to use it in order to seal the gate between the living and the dead and spending the next book rediscovering who he is in light of this.
The cat returns is another great one, the subtle change as she adapts to the cat world and the horror as she tries to escape
@@CuppaLLX No Face from Spirited Away. He changes to reflect his surroundings, becoming a greedy entity when faced with a greedy person. Chihiro doesn’t have this character flaw and transforms him back because she shows him humanity. The film is about Chihiro transforming into someone ready to reclaim her identity, and helping those around her transform for the better as well. The River Spirit has become clogged with the detritus of humanity’s waste quite literally, but it’s Chihiro who cleanses him of it.
The Earthsea Ghibli film should have really focused on Ged tbh.
I'll never stop being surprised by how well Elsie captures Saberspark voice inflections.
I can assure you that the transformation trope was responsible for a lot of "awakenings" for people born in the 80s and 90s
Yea
Shoutout to everyone who can remember the exact scene that set the foundation for a future ✨interest✨ in transformations.
@@guardianofcreativity4860 yeahh. My friend has repeafetly told me why she likes them. And i caj see whybin these vids
...kinda?
@@juliagoodwin9510 alot of my friends where changed by it. You could say tranformed by it
Another aspect of transformation that I don't think you really went into is the concept of transformation as escapism: that is, giving audiences the opportunity to think, "wouldn't it be cool to be someone or something else like this?" That was one of the biggest reasons for the creation of the original Captain Marvel, or Shazam - giving children readers an opportunity to live vicariously through the story of a kid who was their age who could transform not only into an adult at will, but the most powerful man in the world.
Isn't that a little bit of an elevation transformation, though? Becoming an adult gives you new privilege that way. Like, I can see the argument for making escapism a fifth category, but it also works as a subcategory of elevation.
Some genderbend transformation stuff is definitely escapism fantasy transformation, and a very common one for a lot of trans people. I could ramble all day about gender transformation as a trans escapism fantasy
My farts are better than Saberspark and Saberfart’s farts 💨
@@alistairrosehearts9734As someone who plays a character in an actual play podcast who is closeted transfem with an alter ego she transforms into that is more suited for her gender identity, I feel this trope a bunch. XD
Then again, I am also transfem and doing my best to live my best life, so there's that.
Escapism is a big part of why audiences watch any movie, but I think the question is: why is the fictional character transforming? Is the fictional character seeking escapism from their fictional life? I think an example of a movies where the character is seeking escapism is Birdman.
I was always fascinated by transformation as a kid. Whenever a cartoon had transformations in it i would record it and then replay it frame by frame to view the process. Its a shame that a lot of shows were missed out in this but ive come to the conclusion that more modern cartoons are going to be more remembered by younger viewers. (Though still surprised Ben 10 wasnt even mentioned) some other fascinating transformations that didnt get mentioned was the She-Hulk transformation from the Incredible Hulk 90s cartoon and the vast amounts of transformations from Disney's Gargoyles.
YES was finding someone mentioning Ben 10, it's my childhood and im surprised too that's it's not mentioned in the vid :[
Oh my god, I thought I was the only one who was obsessed with transformation since childhood :,)
Fun Fact !
Sabie's Voice Actress Elsie Lovelock Is British, Though Most Her Voices And Performances Are With American Accents
Which Is Really Impressive!
The one in "HEAVEN 2 HELL"?
3:11 Mom told me Jekyll & Hyde was a metaphor for alcoholism, the good doctor indulges in a brew that allows him to do as he pleases without regard for the consequences only to discover that not caring doesn't make them go away, so he tries to quit, but finds that he's become dependent on his drink to stay normal, & then he finally drinks himself to death when he loses all capacity for self-control.
Huh. I guess that's one way to take it
I 100% agree with alcoholism being a prominent theme, but it is still also a tale about the duality of man and the story of Jekyll and Hyde was actually in part inspired by the real life criminal William Brodie, who was initially known as a respected cabinet maker and locksmith, but used the latter talent to break into homes and steal to fund his gambling habit at night. Robert Louis Stevenson’s Dad owned some of the furniture Brodie made and Stevenson even wrote an unsuccessful play about Brodie.
It’s a popular interpretation to use Jekyll and Hyde as an addiction allegory.
It can be an allegory for any type of addiction, not just booze. Back then Opium was a common type of drug to get high on, and we all know what modern opiates do to addicts today. It was both better and worse back then as the opiates you could get back then were easier to get (including over the counter ones like Laudanum), but they were not as potent as modern ones like Fentanyl.
Yeah that aspect of it being a moral repercussion is a big part, especially with Pinocchio turning into a donkey and Circe turning Odysseus' men into pigs.
I love the TF trope for the potential it has. It could be used for wish-fulfillment, horror, comedy, tragedy, and everything in between. And the woefully underutilized concept of trying to figure out how your new form ticks.
There’s a reason the concept of transformation was created long before written history (cave paintings and legends depicting shapeshifters) and used in so many different myths and legends throughout the ages. (Ovid’s Metamorphosis being a prime example).
Also, learning how to draw or write a TF story can help you learn a bit about anatomy. (So you know not to snap the knees backwards.)
Yeeeep. Summarised my thoughts exactly. TF is the kind of “underwater part of the iceberg” that has insane potential.
My farts are better than Saberspark and Saberfart’s farts 💨
Oh GOD the "knees snapping backwards" thing always irritated me. That's the ANKLE you're thinking of god dammit
The Last Unicorn is one of my favorites of this trope, partially because all the others seem to be a person turning into an animal or monster, but with The Last Unicorn is the only one other then Shrek 2 where it’s the creature turning into a human. At least as far as I can recall, can anyone recall any other stories where a creature turns into a human? 🤔
On TVTropes this is called “Humanity Ensues”. I suggest looking into that if you want a comprehensive list.
It certainly isn’t my cup of cocoa, though.
I’ll never get over the frenemy energy Saber and Sabie have.
The "She's gone!" scene from 'Change Your Mind' always gives me cathartic chills, and then followed up by the fusion sequence is like an emotional release. *chef's kiss*
I've loved Steven Universe for the multi-perspective themes of changing and growing then becoming okay with who you are.
I think an additional reason why transformation is abundant in animation in particular is simply because it's the medium that most allows it, and almost encourages it. It's harder to make physical transformation believable or impactful with live action and practical effects, whereas the process of animation already includes creating and recreating every single visual element from scratch, so within that process the idea of transforming and distorting sort of comes as a naturally brilliant idea.
My farts are better than Saberspark and Saberfart’s farts 💨
Many live action transformation movies - Big, Freaky Friday, The Change-Up, etc - avoid effects altogether. The characters simply wake-up in another body.
@@evanrhildrethbut when they do you get werewolf of london and the like
This was my thought. "Why is it so prevalent in animation?" Because animation doesn't need expensive makeup and prosthetics and CGI and trickery to pull it off, it can be done just as easily as anything else.
@@CuppaLLX Some films do pull off transformation in live action. Even The Howling, the first movie, showed werewolf transformation. Even though one of the deleted scenes that never made it into the film would have shown a claymation model of the wolf walking towards the protagonist instead. But the claymation ending scene never got far and, well, it really stinks considering how well framed and animated it really is. And how did they pull off transformation in the early 1900s??? Well, either you spin yourself around, a fade comes in and all of a sudden, the actor becomes something completely different than what they were before, they can also do it with a jumpcut say, another character who's helping a female protagonist look beautiful and formal in her outfit (Snaps his fingers, jumpcuts) and now we see her wearing that beautiful gown for the ball party. While the other ones do a slow transformation process via robotic mechanisms, Remote Control devices, and tons, and tons, of makeup, just to make sure the skin around their head, matches with the one that the character's transforming into.
Saber: You were created as a visual representation of a trope that will be continuously be used to gain more views.
Sabie:*Horrid realization* Oh my god.
Sabie's got a point that Saber is despereted for views, just look at the title and thumbnail for his Mario movie review
Also Rule 34.
@@Elyseon Oh no
(Insert reverb fart sfx)
Saber: Yea welcome to the club pal.
Elsie is such a crazy talented VA. Love her work in this vid ✨
cute sona
the longest running age transformation anime is detective conan, where the main character went from a teenager to a kid, though the transformation can sometimes be undone to return him to his normal age.
The Last Unicorn is a nice subversion to this trope I think. Usually the character is a normal looking person turning into an animal (or monster) of some kind (Tiana turning into a frog, Kuzco into a llama, Odette into a swan, etc) but the unicorn in The Last Unicorn turns into a human! A very ethereal looking human, but still I can’t think of any other stories where a magical creature turns into a human (other then Shrek 2 lol).
There’s plenty of mythologies that talk about it. Plenty of stories in Japanese mythology of youkai assuming the forms of humans for love, entertainment or punishment. Heck that’s the plot of The Little Mermaid, Ariel wishing to become a human and she does.
I LOVE THE LAST UNICOOOOOORN
I love the last unicorn, I also love the trope of higher beings transforming into common folx to mingle and learn and teach. (Dragons are included and I guess you could technically include Jesus)
Centaurworld has a magical creature to human trope as well!
@@Hyper_Drud I guess I mean in animation. Not surprised there’s plenty of myths and legends like that
Petition for Sabie to get her own channel just for silly skits
Petition for her to get a channel on another website 👀
@@HitachiTRQ-225 does it start with a O, and end with an S with an F in the middle?
@@electrostar5161 no it starts with a P
@@electrostar5161no it stars with an r and ends with 34
It starts with X (not Twitter)
I actually rewatched SU recently, and another lens I viewed fusion from was the idea of finding a new identity in a relationship as a unit. And the source of conflict in these moments is usually due to the fusion exacerbating the personal "failings" of both characters involved; the episode when Steven and Amythyst showed off their fusion to the fused Pearl and Garnet showed this off so well!! They become stronger as a unit, almost completing each other (the SU Future really confronted this when Steven wanted to propose to Connie). But they don't find completion, nor do they become any closer to perfect. Each gem/person needs to complete themselves first, working on their insecurities before bringing it to their fusion/relationship.
First show I ever saw with this trope was the masters of the universe/princess of power the idea of it was so tied to the entire lore
I’m actually surprised you didn’t talk more about the idea of using negative and monstrous transformation for the villains and to create fear in the viewer.
I think we can all agree that the original Super Saiyan transformation is one of, if not, the most iconic transformations in anime history.
Super Saiyan is the best of the super transformations in the series. No contest
Luffy gear 5 is one of the new transformation in anime and without goku super saiyan gear 5 luffy may never exist without it and we are grateful having super saiyan being the first iconic transformation :D✨
I like Bleach bankai transformations.
Yeah pretty much
@@bearerofbadnews1375many people do you just don’t hear a lot of people talking about it
I haven't watched Saber in so long, so glad to see you finally embraced the Sabertooth Tiger that was inside all along.
My farts are better than Saberspark and Saberfart’s farts 💨
@@p-__ stop writing this everywhere
Oh I get it. Clever.
@@Morrison-saber-tooth no
It’s not funny and nobody cares@@p-__
Kids Next Door used to do this all the time and it always fascinated me. Something about the loss of identity and the need to keep going despite it was just super compelling to me.
The hulk is one of the best examples of transformations
I used to be deathly afraid of people transforming in media. to the point where my parents had to walk me out of the theater bc I couldn't handle the hulk's transformation scene in the avengers. also struggled with despicable me 2.
What big transformation scene is in despicable me 2? Been awhile since I watched the movie
@@otterino1419the minions becoming the purple minions
If you hate transformations, you won’t like Ben 10
Roald Dahl’s the witches having kids turning into mice is terrifying.
@@TheDerpyBoiyeah hated ben 10 too
Hilda and the Mountain King used Hilda's transformation into a troll as a perspective shift. She views the world through the eyes of a troll, learning of the Mountain King, and how they're far more than the monsters human society treats them as. I expanded on this in my fanfic, Hilda and the Magic Feather, where Hilda is granted shape-shifting powers. I use that story to further explore the relation between human and beast, and the importance of balance in our lives.
Yo can you link the fanfic
There's also a fifth Transformation Trope: Genetic Mutation. Batman, TMNT, and various superhero comics and cartoons has had people get genetic mutated thanks to chemicals, cosmic rays, freak accidents, DNA from other animals.
I would also add shapeshifting to the trope.
Technically fits under Species Change.
My farts are better than Saberspark and Saberfart’s farts 💨
Oh, like the lizard from spidah-mahn!
Perhaps that goes under elevation, because the transformation allows the character to be something greater and find out what their purpose is.
@@p-__not funny
Honestly nothing is funnier than when a content creator understands their audience😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
My farts are better than Saberspark and Saberfart’s farts 💨
cease@@p-__
They know they'd be the same if they were the audience
He doesn't understand all of his audience
Transformation is such an interesting topic! Great essay! Really covered so many topics in this
Saw you live at Everfree Northwest earlier, you were great, especially the improv! I hope you had as much fun as I did!
Elsie has absolutely perfected that slight uptone and "bake" at the end of each sentence
It's wild how they never once mentioned Ben 10 in this whole video. Personally that's the first thing I think of when it comes to transformations
That being said I liked this video a lot. Very insightful and well-researched
They also didn’t mention transformations via sequel series. Though I guess that’s more a cross between age and narrative transformations.
I was also thinking Beast Boy 💚
And with the transformation animations... Is Ben a magical girl
Generator Rex sprang to mind.
@@utubrGaming ah childhood
This is why i loved steven universe he gets to see different personalities and how two side can change a perxons mind or create a new.
Genuinely surprised the more risque aspects werent touched on more. Obviously they wouldnt have been gone into detail, but surprising it wasnt discussed more none the less
Yeah I was kinda expecting that to come up... Especially when it comes to the donkey transformation scene in Disney's Pinocchio
@@thestripedmenace In case you're wondering Pinocchio is dark book that Disney happened to adapt, so the Donkey scene isn't an original idea.
Some of my favorite transformations have to be Yugi summoning Atem to take over his body, it's just epic every time, and Sonic to Super Sonic. I think part of the reason why the transformation trope is so huge, is because it's like the signal that sht's getting REALLY real. Transformation in and of itself means change. For good or for bad.
I mean, even TMNT takes on the trope when the turtles gain mystic powers in the 2003 show, and turned into dragons at some point. And again in the 2018 show they had mystic powers that coincided with their weapons and personalities. I'm actually surprised Yu-Gi-Oh wasn't mentioned at all here. Yugi fits a lot of the types of tropes mentioned. Including Elevation Transformation, by being with a 5000 year old spirit that needed to learn what compassion is, Yugi himself, learned how to have set boundaries, and grow as a person. He gained confidence from Atem, and Atem gained humility and kindness from Yugi. He fits the body swap trope, as well as the mind swap trope to an extent, since we can hear Yugi's thoughts even though it's Atem in control, as well as vice versa. He checks off literally all the boxes.
He even fits Sensational Transformation especially in the film _The Dark Side of Dimensions_ because there's no reason NO GOD DAMN REASON why they had to go THAT FREAKING HARD on that scene but they DID and it's INCREDIBLE. The score, the animation, the sound editing, the way the outline of Atem's body is in this fiery light, his eyes almost looking dead because there's no pupil in them, it's EERIE almost but relieving at the same time that he came in to save the day. Big mistake on pushing Yugi that far cause Diva did NOT want the Pharaoh to come back, but what did he think he could get away with nearly killing Yugi? Fat chance.
All in all, the transformation trope is a staple of animation, and I hope to god it never goes away.
My farts are better than Saberspark and Saberfart’s farts 💨
i was wondering how long it would take for someone in the comments to mention yugioh lol
Yes, so glad you mentioned this! Yugi definitely fits this trope and as I've watched some of the other shows, they've used transformation in certain ways that uses physical transformation as an allegory for change. At least that's how I interpret them
Yu-Gi-Oh ftw!! :)
Doesn't Yugi also fit the possession trope for transformation? In the very original intro it shows Yami standing alone but shadow is split into yugi and himself. Implying the ability. He also was able to talk to Joey when everyone was in the burning warehouse to try and convince him to save Yugi, and leave him behind. Then giving Joey the idea to use the crowbar to free the puzzle.
Who is yuigi I thought it was Luigi
Ohhh so that's why sabie got new sprits, looks great😌
@@finallyitshere7410 👶
My farts are better than Saberspark and Saberfart’s farts 💨
@@p-__
Not better than Sabies farts.
@@HeilRayWtf
@@HeilRay bro💀
Funny, Ben 10 wasn’t mentioned once
I'm somewhat surprised that 'Miraculous - Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir' didn't get a mention. It may be French but it is every bit the magical girl, (and boy) transformation category, with every episode including the glitzy and colourful transformations of the main characters from school students to superheroes. Sometimes we get to see the villain , Hawkmoth, transform, and in the later series, we see more and more of their classmates as they get the chance to transform into superheroes too.
Transformations have always been fascinating to me just because of the idea of seeing someone/something turn into anything else. It's one of the main reasons I love seeing characters with shapeshifting powers, especially those that morph into various animals (i.e. Merlin and Mim from Sword in the Stone, Beast Boy from DC media, and Nimona). Not to mention that it's a fun exercise in seeing how a character may retain physical traits between forms, such as color schemes, eyes, hair, or even something extra like glasses.
Transformation is an EXTREMELY versatile storytelling gimmick. Need some generic horror moment for an episode, one that of you so wanted also has the added benefit of psychological questions regarding inner monsters or can you kill the monster you know is a friend? Transformation
Need an episode to allow characters to explore deeper understanding of themselves or others through living life from a different perspective? Transformation
Want to have a questionable fanservicey episode? Transformation
Just want to have some cool awesome visual powerup? Transformation
Its potential is as limitless as the forms you can transform into *shifty eyes at the wonder twins and turbo-teen*, yes, truly limitless, unfortunately....
In a webcomic I’ve read where a anthro Ferret wanted citizenship for all animals. Long story short it ended with half of the human population being turned into animals in a no more mutants kind of way.
My farts are better than Saberspark and Saberfart’s farts 💨
@@bearerofbadnews1375 house pets went from cute to bloody weird didn't it?
@@davidfitzsimmons2451 yes yes it did on the bright side Tarot is preggers now. So the joke where Peanut got a snowball thrown in his mouth can be inflected on his kids.
@@bearerofbadnews1375 *excalibur_face.gif*
Best expression I got for how I feel about how that webcomic progressed
Bruh, Luffy's transformations are much deeper and tied to his character growth, it's not just flashy for the sake of being flashy.
Another aspect of transformation stories, especially the gender swapping ones, is how they help some of us have some escapism. They also help us (by us I mean trans people) sometimes realize who we are. It was looking at MtF (male to female) transformation stuff and wanting that to happen to me more than anything that helped me realize I was a girl.
So true same experience here
I swear, Ranma 1/2 was singlehandedly responsible for helping so many people learning more about themselves. I mean, how could it not be? A main character with gender dysphoria who spends half the show in a body he doesn't identify with while dealing with society's hypocritical nonsense and standards? It's like 100% eggbeater from concentrate.
@@1sdani And the constant question of "Why does Ranma go back to being a guy? I would just stay as a girl." and somehow not putting two and two together.
@@1sdani And then there's me, who wonders why the heck Ranma wants to get rid of his curse? It's awesome! I wished I had it!
...and decades later i'd find out my gender was a little fluid...
Bro same here as a trans person! Ftm ^^😊
"Kubo and the Two Strings" is a good example of transformation. It's rather apropos for a story about origami, which is the act of taking a piece of paper and shaping it into something else.
For instance, Beetle, is a samurai cursed to be a humanoid bug-man. His curse was many years ago, but it's only once he joins the heroes on their quest that his true transformation into Kubo's protector and surrogate father figure begins.
I love that movie! So underrated!
Seeing glados turn into a potato is the best transformation on video game history 😂
Yes rehehehehehehe
"how are you holding up? because i'm a potato"
Really excellent analysis. A great starting point for thinking about the trope and covers a lot, if not all, of the basics. Doesn't try to be comprehensive (because, yeesh, that'd a lot more than 40mins) but sets a fantastic base to start.
26:19 Pirate Knuckles' differences become way more prevalent in season 2, when he becomes more and more obsessed with taking one of the shards and cares less about his crew/friends. I'd say his transformation is handled nearly as well as Nine's
I am actually impressed that ya'll managed to miss "Magical Princess Minky Momo" from the 80s. She had the power of, I kid you not, Occupational Transformation.
....huh? The hell is that power?
@@drakofox1362changing jobs, maybe? That's what it sounds like
@@samszczepanski2281 If you're talking about the series I'm thinking of, it is changing jobs. Another video I watched said the series was a sort of educational show intended to show girls what careers they might have when they grow up.
So japanese barbie?
She would transform into an adult (ish) version of herself and took on different jobs such as a nurse, professional tennis player and even Blackjack! There was also another 80’s magical girl anime that took on a similar idea called Creamy Mami but instead of taking on jobs like Minky Momo did, she would mostly be a pop star
Transformation was HUGE in cartoons from 2000-2010. And its shaped lots of people with shows like Generator Rex, Ben 10, TNMT animated and countless other shows that had a required TF episode like the obliged beach episode.
But when people started like *really* liking It in a more popular liking It, they put the brakes really hard. And nowadays its like they're hard avoiding anything similar to that.
True Ben ten and transformers animated kinda set me in the path
feelin guilty of em hittin the breaks
Now my pp gets big when i see a human transform into an animal because of it 😤😤😤
I love the explanation of transformation by saberspark sabie Spark. I would love to see more videos with both of them contributing commentary. It's no wonder she's a fan favorite.
Very thorough and insightful. And it’s always a pleasure to see Sabie in action.
Transformation for me is a very relatable story about either the pressure to chose between two very different worlds , the choice to liberate your self from convention or the discovery that even with your free will removed you can adapt and move on.
Any one who is of two cultures or who feels they have two identities can relate
The King of Transformations for me will ALWAYS be Ben Tennyson. The entire point of the show is transformations. It’s the core of fanart as well
And apparently r34 bait.
Someone never heard of Kamen Rider.
Nah, Optimus Prime is the King
A near forty minute video about transformation, and not a single mention of lycanthropy... even though you even mentioned King Lycan by name. Also, no mention of Pinocchio, which has two massive transformation aspects to it, the boys at Pleasure Island turning into donkeys and Pinocchio becoming a real boy.
I'm about halfway into the video and yeah, I'm disappointed at the lack of mentions to Pinocchio :(
@@thestripedmenacebobo
Sad cat dance with Sabie made me feel an emotion that didn't exist
Is it "That" one
One of my favorite and underrated Transformation scenes is Brother Bear Kenai's transformation into a bear
Was waiting to see if someone would mention this, probably my first introduction to the trope
I feel like that entire movie is underrated, but my opinion is biased because my sister and I are part indigenous American and she was always close to that side of our heritage, including the whole spirit guide/totem thing. Completely different process of finding our own, of course, very different tribe of origin, but similar concept.
Anyway, the forced method of seeing things from another's perspective and learning to empathize even with those you don't understand at first is what I really loved, personally. It's a message I wish that everyone could receive and understand at some point, although probably not from a cartoon about a bear.
@@Nylak-Otter Sadly Brother Bear was not received well by critics. Even the Nostalgia Critic though it was underwhelming.
Saber literally got the "go to furry horny jail-bonk"
American Dragon Jake Long would of been a good show to mention. Having the titular title character inherit draconic shapeshifting powers from his mothers side of the family. Where he then has to balance his human life with his dragon protector life. While keeping said magical dragon side as well as the magical world secret from the real world, like people such as his father (like an urban fantasy super hero story).
A great video none the less by Saberspark. Now talk about dragons and/or werewolves in your next video.
Saber and Sabie are like those siblings where one sibling incessantly annoys the other. I hope I can see more of Sabre annoying Sabie and getting his comeuppance.
In the show O.K KO, they have an episode where the main characters get turned into animal versions of themselves, and while they like it at first they learn the problems of it and want to change back, but its revealed they can't change back, so they get all miserable until one of the animal chararers shows them a group of animal characters wearing costumes to make them look human, then for the rest of the show the main characters are seen or referenced multiple times that they still are transformed but wear their human costumes.
I didn’t even know that, how bizarre: I do like running gags like that though, subtle ones.
The Disney Aladdin cartoon used a LOT of transformation. Perhaps one of the most frightening was "Do the Rat Thing" where Jasmine is transformed into a rat, and can't be changed back. The curse will eventually wear off, but "Rats don't live that long."
One subtext you missed about "Turning Red" is that it's also about the onset of Puberty (Red being a metaphor for Menstruation).
Turning Red sucks, so no. XD
Honestly, I mostly watch these videos with Sabie for the chemistry between her and Saber. It is HILARIOUS. X3
The fact that you said X3 in 2023 unironically makes me a little bit disappointed but then at the same time I feel some respect that you had the courage to do that bro
@@nle4428 Why's it a bad thing? It's just a happy face.
Deviant art and it’s consequences
Minor Correction: Satan does not transform into the serpent in Genesis. That is a later interpretation originating in John Milton's epic poem Paradise Lost, projected back onto the original text. The original text just mentions "the serpent," as a specific sort of primordial animal.
Satan technically becomes the snake in Revelations as well as in the life of Adam and Eve apocrypha
@Mustafa70116 That's fair, but both of those books were written centuries later by very different groups of people
@@skreeran yes. Even the Quran's author adopted the idea of Satan or Iblis in the garden, but the snake is removed.
I don't think u give Pirate Knuckles enough credit, he's a twisted version of original Knuckle's one-track-mind and dedication to a magical gemstone.
Knuckles protects the Master Emerald out of a great sense of honor and duty to his people, "The Dread" obsessively seeks out the shard (his "beauty") out of greed and lust for power.
You can see similar parallels between him and his other counterparts and all the other characters and their counterparts, but I'm not gonna get into all that here lmao
IM SO GLAD YOU MENTIONED HOWARD ASHMAN. AS A QUEER PERSON, HE IS ONE OF MY BIGGEST IDOLS EVER.
Just so you know Minky Momo came out before Princess Knight. She was a magical girl with transformation and everything before Princess Knight even came out
I'm surprised Ben 10 wasn't mentioned in this video. Especially since it's one of the most iconic cartoons that have transformations in it. Being the shows main draw and all. Regardless fantastic video. I loved the history lesson of the magical girl transformation trope in the beginning.
I’m surprised some European animation wasn’t mentioned beyond Totally Spies. WITCH and Winx Club both make extensive use of the magical girl transformation trope, the latter regularly adding new forms each season for new transformation sequences (and new designs for dolls for viewers to beg their parents to buy them). Code Lyoko uses transformation too, the Lyoko Warriors having special combat focused designs when in the 3D Lyoko computer environment.
Classic series and Omniverse have some very creative transformation sequences for Ben, classic especially playing into the body horror sometimes. Ben wolf was cool for using a slow transformation to evoke a werewolf transformation. Omniverse would show Ben transforming within the scene and not use the green flash or cutting to the stock footage. Classic used fusion forms in one episode, and Omniverse showed that Ben 10,000 had fusion forms on tap that weren’t Omnitrix glitches (Upgrade and Jury Rigg called Uprigg, and a Goop/Humungosaur hybrid in the penultimate episode).
@@jbcatz5 Oh I heard of W.I.T.C.H.
I honestly think that transformation tropes are so popular because it taps into the idea of endless possibility and power. Like, my entire life, hands down, if you asked me what super power I'd want to have, I'll answer "shape-shifting" without a second thought. The ability to turn into any creature I want for whatever task would best suit a different body? Effective immortality if you were able to focus on "repairing" yourself at a molecular level? And with such nuanced control, you could effectively mimic any other power you could ever dream of. Flight? Turn into a bird, bat, insect, dragon, or pretty much anything with wings. Invisibility? Turn your body transparent. Walk through walls? If you can focus on your body at a small enough level, like, say, atom-by-atom, you could squeeze through most anything. You may forget what your original form looked like, but why should that be any different than extreme body modification? You could give yourself plastic surgery whenever you wanted without wearing away at your body, adding inorganic bits, and without an extensive healing process. You could be tall or small as per needed scenarios.
Transformation is one of my favorite ideas because there's just so much that can be done with it. Is it a curse or a blessing? It is controlled by the affected, or cast upon them by someone or something else? If controlled, how well? Would it be something that could be an improved upon skill over time, or would you constantly end up looking like the creature you're aiming for but drawn by a five-year-old by memory? Would it be innate that if you think, "I want to be a horse right now", you'd end up as a perfectly functioning horse, or would you have to focus on extending and contracting each individual bone and ligament, adding extra chambers to your own stomach, and properly filling your chest with lungs of the appropriate size? What about gut biomes? Are they affected by your transformation, or would you have constant bowel issues in different bodies? Would you create your own gizzard upon transforming into a lizard or bird? Would you have to somehow keep your brain shaped in a way that facilitates higher mental functions, or could you inadvertently give yourself traumatic brain injuries with each transformation? Would it benefit you to have an intimate knowledge of anatomy of different creatures? Would you really be able to fly if you didn't know how to shape your wings and joints properly?
Anyhow, it's an idea I've had a lot of fun playing with over the years... and used a lot less in my own characters and stories than I ought have with how much I love it.
I feel like shape shifting would give you either an identity crisis, extreme body dysmorphia, make you a perfectionist, or all above. But if that's the cost to look like a gaint fucking dragon, than I'd say that's worth it.
@@kitkatbreaker1270 Considering I already suffer from all of the above, I don't see a down side to this. :p
@@kitkatbreaker1270 nonsense!
a transformation is a powerup about looking cool
thats it
its like super cool clothes you can change in and out at every whim
while the super saiyan transformation looked cool at first, all the derivative afterward where just so... same-y
thats why power ranger tmorphing is much more on-topic
heck you could say that summoning the megazord is a transformation
don't see what piloting the megazord as to do with body dismorphism
Really good voice acting for Sabie. She mimicked all of Sabersparks speech mannerisms down to a T
Saber, Rishi and Elsie, you nailed it again! Awesome video! Also, Rishi holding the "Furry" infographic caught me unguarded lmao
Elsie being Sabie's voice makes this a great experience
Agreed it does
I love transformation and seeing someone mainstream talking about it makes me feel something else
slowly but surely, hes embracing it
So many trans people began questioning their gender due to gender-swapping cartoon episodes
One of my favorite scenes from nimona when he ask her if transforming (physical) hurts.
There are other examples like Werewolf ones were that could be the case, and he seems concerned about that
I oddly think there needs to be a 5th type of narrative transformation: The Refusal of Transformation. As a Pokémon fan of the 90’s, Ash’s Pikachu was a fantastic example: At first he was mostly rebellious against evolving into a Raichu, due to seeing no need. Then later episodes see it questioning itself if its strength was good enough? Then the conclusion of he’d rather be himself than anyone else. Along the side of Wreck-It Ralph, trying to be someone he isn’t and accepting who he was in the end. Trying to be the good guy, but he’s the best at being the bad guy (in his game). But still have a good heart in the end.
The reason why, is the possibility of transformation is present in their world or an option of a mindset is given, but the character chose the path which is being true to themself.
here's to praying sabie's plushie doesnt end up in a jar or on a bed next to paper tissues
One of my favorite one as a kid was the emperors new groove. Also Digimon and ranma 1/2
It's always a treat to see Fujio Akatsuka getting the regocnition he deserves for being a pioneer in the magical girl genre, especially in the west.
I think an odd but favorite one for me is Animorphs, revolves around the transformation/metamorphosis trope. But it utilizes the trope for the story so damn well and taught us about different animals while they were fighting a hella ton of alien slugs.
The morphing process wasn’t sugar coated either, the only concession being that there was a natural part of it that dulled the pain that should logically happen. Many morphing experiences get described in uncomfortable terms (in #30 The Reunion Marco’s reaction to seeing Tobias morph roach is to think that Mother Nature did not intend for birds and bugs to mix).
@jbcatz5 Oh yeah, I remember that. They'd describe it a ton, especially in volume 1, where they describe what Visser Three turns into and what he's about to do to Elfangor (Which gives the depressing thought Tobias had to witness his dad dying. When he didn't even know Elfangor WAS his dad. Nickelodeon didn't skip that either, when they turned it into a TV series, only shown in shadows but it was still eerie.)
@@jbcatz5But when it comes to the physical book covers, I'm pretty sure the old Screensaver videos are still up, along with the guy who did the book covers talk about the whole process and how he was able to make it look like they're turning into animals or other humans or even aliens (Ex. Cassie turning into a Hork-Bajir.)
Great video. I always enjoy transformation, it has a lot of potential for storytelling. One thing I wish you brought up is how transformation in ancient/old fiction is sometimes used as a fetish and is probably the oldest fetish in human history. This is especially apparent in Greek mythology (Zeus banged a lot of women in a variety of animal forms) and old fairy tales/folklore (i.e. selkies, kitsune, etc.) It's quite the rabbit hole, isn't it?
Also, love Elsie as Sabie as always. Her voice is just fun to listen to.
What gets me is that not only does the actress do a great american accent, it sounds like shes just a professionally pitch changed Saber. All the same speech patterns and stuff.
Madoka magica has insanely good transformstions cause its very creative, layered and always has a dark undertone that’s more or less subtle. Then there is the second kind of transformstion that would be a huge spoiler, but if you watched the anime you know how hearthwrenching it is.
Madoka magica rebelion got an insanely good transformation sequence, its not spoilery, look it up, its just so perfect!
Princess Tutu is another mahou shoujo that features great transformation sequences, instead of fight scenes(it has action in it,its just beautiful, but its not the focus) its more like antagonists changing mindsets to a better one, then there is Tutu herself who shapeshifts between human and a duck(her true self), clothes not included so its pretty awkward for her and funny for us. She has serious self esteem issues cause she views herself just a duck, and her magical girl persona as a diffferent, perfect version of herself, again its both hearthwrenching and hearthwarming to go through her journey. There are other transformations but its heavy spoiler.
Made in abyss, its made in abyss, dark stuff, body horror, not for the squemish, but its great nonetheless.
Winx club HAD great transformations, its creative, has lots of personality and once you see all girls transform together in season 3, this is important, season 3 was the peak in quality and writing, enchantix is the best transformation cause its centered around self sacrifice for someone, a fairy’s selfless nature. After season 3 the transformation has absolutely no plot relevance and became mixed. Harmonix in season 5 was great tho, its the exception, not the rule
I think its a good story telling trope dealing with internal conflict, self loathing, exploration, horror and the reaction of those around it.
There is another transformation troupe that's missing from the list. Time swap transformation. When characters either, usually temporary, switch through transformed periods or era in opposition of the present. Virtually anything involving time travel or repeating day events fills into this. Or even time sped elevations. Highly recognized Cartoons like Lion King or Swan Princess used this transformation sequence.
I'm so happy for Sabie's coming out 🎉 you go GURL live out your cat girl dreams ❤ 😺
Fun fact it’s actually the first recorded trope. It appears in the oldest story “the cosmic hunt” and all variations of it across the world.
In the story a man chases a deer ( or some other prey animal people would eat.) and the deer would run to the edge of the world and start going into the stars. The man would turn into a wolf (or some other predator) and chase it into the sky becoming a constellation.
Also since it’s the oldest story and it was mainly passed down orally we don’t have a official record on when it was made.
We do know that it would of been when humans where still in Africa as every culture has some variation of the story. if it is the oldest and not the oldest that we know of. It would of come into being the same time we made are first tools as both required development of the prefrontal lobe and thinking outside of the present time.