"Nadirinig Mo Ba'ng Madla?"

Les Misérables used as political messaging across Asia (incomplete)

In my intro of my blog, I talk about the utilisation of Les Misérables for the purpose of giving political statements being available to search on my account. (Usually via the hashtag 'protests')

I'm just going to create a separate list (this one) compiling of information that I found which talk of certain events in countries across Asia. (as the list I have now in my intro largely limits itself to adaptations/translations only) If anybody has anything else to add, please tell me!

The following will have different levels of research be put into it. I've put a link to the post which has the most relevant information regarding to the matter for a quick link to the research, however it necessarily won't be the only informative post about it.

It's definitely a work in progress! Think of it as a blog update.

Otherwise, here's the list thus far:

1868 Armenia -> Pro-literacy movement via translation and how Les Misérables was used for political criticism and national consciousness

#1868 translation

1903 China -> Criticism of the Qing Dynasty & International relations (Western countries and influence on China)

#Su Manshu

1926 Vietnam -> Combatting the post-colonial state from the French Empire and Criticism of the Nguyễn Dynasty

#Nguyễn Văn Vĩnh and #Hồ Biểu Chánh and #Ngọn Cỏ Gió Đùa

1938 Japan -> Anti-war messaging.

#kyojinndenn

1945-9 Indonesia -> (Real world comparison to:) War of Independence / Indonesian National Revolution and the Dutch colonisation and Japanese occupation

#Indonesia independence

1955 India -> Criticism of the British colonisation and the representation of the Quit India Movement (Heavily incomplete- I need to do much more research regards to the historical background and setting)

#Kundan

1957 Malaysia -> (Real life comparison to:) Declaration of Independence (Merdeka) and ethnic & patriotic unity and the British colonisation

#Malaysia

2019 Japan -> Contemporary Japanese identity; protests and earthquakes (still largely incomplete)

#owarinaki tabiji

2019-20 Hong Kong -> Independence Protest ('dyhtps')

#Hong Kong protests

2020 Thailand -> Critiques systems of inequality, selective morality, (youth and women's) incarceration, women's rehabilitation centers. (Heavily incomplete- I haven't read the book yet nor have I researched Thailand's modern political climate regarding these themes.)

#A wish in the dark

Honourable mentions: Yang Kui (Taiwan: 1895-1945); Gezi Park Protests (Türkiye: 2013); Candlelight protest for the Impeachment of the President Park Geun-hye (S. Korea: 2016-7); Aragalaya protest (Sri Lanka: 2022).

Non-Asian shoutout: Fabrika's protest against President Mohamed Morsi's government and suppression on artistic expression (Egypt: 2013). [Context: It was in the midst of Calls for Resignation for the President.]

[These are put into 'honourable mentions' because Les Misérables was more of a mention in the protests or rebellion, rather than it being a consistent and a major factor for a cause or political belief.]

Maybes:

1996 S. Korea -> 70s-80s South Korea (Most likely a criticism of the political climate, but I haven't watched enough episodes to comment.)

#1996 Korean tv series

Grantaire is a disaster. Enjolras not having it.

『レ・ミゼラブル』 原作: ヴィクトル・ユーゴー 漫画：新井隆広

If anything, I see what I call beauty in things that are broken and lost.

Is that your belief?

And if I said it was?

You're a drunk cynic. I don't despise you. But I do pity you.

jean valjean as saint peter

(reference under the cut)

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An all too short TV commercial with rare footage of the first Canadian cast of Les Mis, 1989.

He added, after a pause: “Remember this, my friends: there are no such things as bad plants or bad men. There are only bad cultivators.”

Les Misérables, Volume I / Book V / Chapter III, trans. Hapgood

The Dreamers

Post Seine

the end of les mis is so fucking good. like, yeah we just turned this whole ending around from a feeling of tragedy and profound loss to one of hope, interconnectedness, and an understanding that the bounds of human love and the innate bonds in the rich tapestry that our lives are woven together into exceed even death. that loss will not stop the future, because the memories of those who dreamed of change will always live on. and this all is achieved in like 20 seconds before credits roll.