Written by Hairong 2022 Cohort
When the Internet was first created, we thought that anything beyond our imagination could be possible, casting magical spells, opening our coffee shop, cultivating a field with exotic plants, and finding a job as an adventurer. We try to find endless delight in this world to fill the mundane daily life of the elemental world we live in.
The lights on the stage suddenly dimmed, and columns of text appeared in the dialogue box. Looking out from the crowd, a Miqo’te girl could be seen taking centre stage. As the light focused on her, she opened the book and quietly read “Boys Over Flowers” – the name of a play. Then the stage curtain was pulled down, and the orchestra behind them started playing atmospheric music. Embracing the audience’s eagerness, the stage gradually took on the appearance of an academy.
It all happens in the MMORPG game Final Fantasy XIV. In this world, there are eight races, and each has a unique expression supporting the actions of the characters. The Miqo’te girl starring on the stage opened the book with phrases and seemed to be contemplating the text; the assistant under the stage arranged props from the bag to adorn the scene; the musicians behind the stage played on different weapons according to the organized script; beneath the floor of the stage, effects artists used their career-specific skills. It sounded like an actual stage play but lacked the actor’s voice because all the dialogue was presented in the game’s chat box. Accounting for the actors’ performances and the audience’s understanding, we witnessed different strokes for different folks.
The TV series “Boys Over Flowers” was adapted as a play. Sometimes the members of the F4 group appeared one by one, and the heroine met four men in the vast crowd at school. On a snowy Christmas Eve, she stood in solitude, and people around her came and went without noticing her; sometimes, she argued with the four male protagonists on campus. Miqo’te unique temper and charming actions were compatible with performance; sometimes, she danced in the nightclub, and splendid phosphorescent lighting made the protagonist’s soul dynamic even more dynamic on the screen. After the two-hour stage play, under the ribbons flying all over the room, the audience stood up and applauded. Some walked up to hug and take photos with the actors, and some stood in their seats and took in the experience in a more reserved way.
This is a troupe composed of amateurs – Silver Sparrow, with fans who like the Takarazuka Opera Troupe, students who are proficient in music theory, and have a passion for acting. In Final Fantasy 14, they used their skills, props and expressions to present a bizarre and wonderful creation on the stage, immersing the audience in a mesmerizing fantasy. In the days of MMOs, we live here in an unrealistic way to refill and repurpose our reality.