Starr is Screaming

Article about Miyazaki's feedback on the undead dragon design

This is really neat!! I love it because the part that honestly makes the most sense to me is the way Miyazaki described "dignified" in that example of the undead dragon design.

Maggots/blood/ick is easy. How to portray pain: blood. How to portray joy: a smile. How to portray sadness: tears. Not inherently bad ofc, but there is a lot more—many deeper things we can use to convey the same things and convey them more precisely or heavily.

I'll admit I also tend towards the physical metaphors for pain, stuff hurting my char or blood coming out haha. But I've seen a lot of things that pierce me vs. the basic imagery of tears/smile/wounds. Trying to think of any example....

Like... I dunno. This probably isn't even a great one, but I've put myself on the spot, so blehh.

Your friend just found out, not through you, that you've done something horrible, and now they have the option to kill you for it. You can't tell if they will, but it sure looks like it. You don't cry, beg, say anything, emote. You get on your knees and hang your head and surrender. "My fate is up to you. I love you that much, and I know I can't make up for what I've done."

That's... incredibly sad to me, but not just "sad". It's a silent expression of the exact dynamic happening here and leaves so much for the audience to feel for themselves. (That quote isn't spoken by the judged, it's just what I think the body balance means.)

(also I did not come up with this, it's a spoiler from one of my favorite things, but I removed names n stuff so I could use it out here hehehe - come back and let me know if you encounter this scene! x3)

Also if anyone reading has seen Hunter x Hunter, you'll know why I instantly balled my eyes out when a certain someone responded to hostility with a simple, "Killua. I love you." face full of pure affection and joy. The way my heart broke, man.