Board Thread:General Discussion/@comment-29195016-20160724204832/@comment-25926288-20161214004352

I agree with HM. My disdain for Direct Disney Insertion is no secret. So, small disclaimer before I go in detail.

Once isn't a show about Disney, but taking all the fantastical and literary works from our childhood and more and placing them into the real world and to truly know their "twisted" story.

With that in mind, Moana does not belong in Once. Merida slipped by because it sort of fitted in the world and with Camelot so nearby, it wouldn't hurt. Merida had elements that somewhat related to Once and easily fit into its pre-established world (unlike Frozen which threw off the powerscaling, magic, and technological advancement of Fairytale Land). There are a number of reasons to not introduce Moana:

1. It looks bad. The movie looks great, is great, but the act of advertising "Moana is coming" looks like they are just selling out to cash in any and every Disney movie. Adam and Eddy were praised for their ingenuity and originality. If it isn't a good business move, directly inserting Disney undermines whatever claims to creative genius they have left. Frozen, I've noticed, brought in a new wave of fans and reviewers that expect Disney!Disney!Disney around every corner. The show wasn't that before and should at best be a rare thing and not major plot elements. Believe it or not, Once didn't always DDI: Example: Rapunzel which was used simply and effectively with no mention at all about Tangled.

2. It's done at a great price. All things come with a price and this would be no exception. Frozen had a temporary boost, but sidelined the core characters. Brave had two splotches that were weird and Merida was quite unlikable early on. Hades' flaming hair added nothing too his "never discussed backstory". Jasmine and Aladdin have really just had a few scenes of intrigue followed by several scenes of sitting and complaining. Jasmine and Aladdin's storyline is showing that the writers appear to be avoiding Once Wonderland at great lengths which is just terrible. Episode 5 of season 6 is arguably the worst episode of the season so far because it came off as a cheap live-action rendition that takes the whole movie and cuts it down to 10 minutes.

3. The story is more: A, B, and C and if something we loved from Disney that's related, we'll tie it in. So, the writers don't go (without regrets) and say, "We are going to do Brave this season. What plot can we do?" It's more of "We need this plotline and device to happen, so what can we use? Oh, I know! Brave!" Moana should be seen on how it can affect the main storyline and be reflective in the main characters and not the other way around. They did the "other way around" with Frozen and it made little sense. Emma just gained control of her magic and accepted her family and felt loved. Then they "Elsa" her from this postion which was utterly contrived. So, what does Moana bring to the show? We can discuss major themes and see if they fit. Other than that, I'll go ahead and say "a demand for tons of CGI".

I see often everywhere that a good number want Tiana from Princess and the Frog. However, I think they cover those themes in Once many times over. Emma worked hard without parents. Belle and etc see beauty under the cursed appearance. It can be done, but it's more of an "untold story" or cameo rather than major advertised point. So, actually, most of these ideas can be covered with cameoes and background characters without getting major light. We've seen Tom Sawyer, "Jack and Jill", The Scarlet Letter, and Goldilocks. I'm sure we can see a "Moana" like character in the background who might be the tourism host of Storybrooke and not seen again.

I'm not against DDI completely, just small, delicate uses of it or very orignal usage that only adds to and greatly enchances the story of our core characters. We are currently developing a major plot point and Aladdin and Jasmine are practically just spouting "Agrabah! We must save it!" every other episode which is when they appear. They are similarly unlikeable in part because we need much more of their story, but their story is peripheral to the main conflict "Queenie and Untold stories and Emma's actual fate".