The Princess and the Frog: A thorough analysis of the fascinating story and deep charm of the characters

"The Princess and the Frog": Disney's new charm and touching story

■Overview of the work

The Princess and the Frog is a feature-length animated film released on March 6, 2010 by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. The 97-minute film was directed by John Musker and Ron Clements and produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios. The story was created by E.D. Baker and is an original animated feature. The copyright belongs to Disney.

■ Story

Tiana, who lives in New Orleans in the southern United States, is a girl who works hard to dream of one day having her own restaurant. One night at a masquerade ball, a frog appears in front of Tiana, who is wearing a princess dress, and tells her that he is Prince Naveen, who has been transformed into a frog by a curse. He then says that if the princess kisses him, the curse can be broken. In response to the frog's desperate plea, Tiana musters up the courage to kiss him. However, instead of the frog turning back into a prince, Tiana herself turns into a frog!

After being chased away from a party, the two (or two animals?) arrive in a swamp on a balloon, where they are met by Lewis, a crocodile who dreams of becoming a jazz musician and plays the trumpet, and Ray, a firefly who dreams of the shining star "Evangeline" in the sky. With Ray's guidance, the two head for the home of Mama Odie, a 197-year-old voodoo sorceress. Will they be able to return to being human? And will Tiana be able to find "what is truly important" and make her dream come true?

■Explanation

It was a kiss that changed her destiny. Tiana grew up poor but full of love, and worked hard every day to open the restaurant of her dreams with her beloved father. One night, Charlotte, the daughter of a wealthy man, held a ball for Prince Naveen, and Tiana attended the party. Then, a frog appeared and asked Tiana to kiss him. Tiana was confused by the frog, who said he was a prince who had been transformed by magic, but he kissed her anyway. Then, Tiana also kissed him. In an unexpected turn of events, a journey to break the spell for Tiana and Naveen begins! When the two of them start to have feelings for each other and find something truly important, the spell will also be broken. Through the bonds with the friends they meet along the way, they find something truly important and make their dreams come true - a new romantic story from Disney.

■Cast

• Tiana: Honoka Suzuki
• Prince Naveen: Tanzong Lifeng
• Magician Facilier: Motomu Yasuzaki
• Mama Odie: Kouko Arai
• Eli "Big Daddy" LaBaff: Tessho Genda
• Charlotte LaBaff: Yuuko Sanpei
• Lawrence: Akihiko Ishizumi
• Raymond: Hajime Komada
• Lewis: Atom Kobayashi
• James: Ichiro Mikami
• Eudora: Rika Sugimura
• Tiana as a child: Yuka Fujii
• Charlotte as a child: Sumire Morohoshi
• Henry Fenner: Atsushi Goto
• Harvey Fenner: Yohei Tadano
• Buford Duke: Hajime Iijima
• Reggie: Fukumatsu Susumu
• Darnell: Eisuke Asakura
• Two Fingers: Yasuhiko Nemoto

■ Main staff

• Original story: ED Baker
• Director: John Musker, Ron Clements
• Produced by: Peter Del Veccio
• Executive Producer: John Lasseter
• Story by: John Musker, Ron Clements, Greg Erb, Jason Oremland
• Screenplay: Rob Edwards, John Musker, Ron Clements
• Story Supervisor: Don Hall
• Art Direction: James Aaron Finch
• Art Director: Ian Gooding
• Music: Randy Newman
• Produced by: Walt Disney Animation Studios

■ Theme songs and music

• TM1
• Never Knew I Needed
• Sung by: Ne-Yo

■Detailed review

"The Princess and the Frog" is a brilliant and successful fusion of Disney's traditional hand-drawn animation techniques and new storytelling techniques, particularly its skillful incorporation of New Orleans culture and music to create a rich visual and audio experience.

Tiana, who is at the center of the story, is portrayed as Disney's first black princess, and her dreams, efforts, and love for her family are deeply depicted. Tiana's character is not merely a princess, but has realistic goals and is portrayed working hard towards them, which has resonated with many viewers. Her relationship with Prince Naveen is also different from traditional princess stories, and their mutual growth and understanding are important elements of the story.

In terms of music, Randy Newman's compositions add excitement to the story. In particular, "Never Knew I Needed" is a beautiful ballad that symbolizes the relationship between Tiana and Naveen, and is memorable. In addition, New Orleans jazz and blues are incorporated throughout the film, enhancing the atmosphere of the entire work.

The character designs are also superb, with unique characters such as Lewis the crocodile and Ray the firefly adding color to the story. The voodoo magician Facilier also has a strong presence, and his charm as a villain is outstanding.

In terms of art, the cityscape of New Orleans and the swamp scenery are beautifully drawn, making for a visually appealing film. In particular, the nighttime ball scene and the adventure scene in the swamp are colorful and worth seeing.

■ Recommendation points

The Princess and the Frog is a work that successfully combines the beauty of Disney's traditional hand-drawn animation with new storytelling. In particular, the clever incorporation of New Orleans culture and music provides a rich visual and auditory experience. Tiana's character is deep, depicting dreams, hard work, and love for family, and resonates with many viewers. Her relationship with Prince Naveen is also different from traditional princess stories, and their mutual growth and understanding are important elements of the story. Musically, the songs by Randy Newman add excitement to the story, and "Never Knew I Needed" is particularly memorable as a beautiful ballad that symbolizes the relationship between Tiana and Naveen. The character designs are also superb, and unique characters such as Lewis the crocodile and Ray the firefly add color to the story. In terms of art, the cityscape and swamp scenery of New Orleans are beautifully drawn, making it visually appealing. In particular, the night ball scene and the adventure scene in the swamp are colorful and worth seeing. For all of the above reasons, "The Princess and the Frog" is a film that can be recommended to a wide range of people, not just Disney fans.