UNMC Music Review: The Flaming Lips: Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots Pt1

'Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots pt1'

Sabi nila when the world is in chaos and the people are getting cruel there's only one thing you can do to leave this all behind for a moment. Pero kung sasabihin mong alak ang kasagutan, mali ka dun tohl hindi lahat eh kayang solusyunan ng alak. Why not try something new? Yung iba sa atin we find our comfort listening to good music. Put your headsets on! pero wag sa opisina namin kasi baka ma NTE ka "Ninja Turtle Extreme", joke notice to explain kasi bawal daw ang musika, bawal magrelax. Ang gusto nila yung mga tugtugan ni Rihanna yung work, work, work. Tanginang kanta yan pressured ka na sa ginagawang email yun pa maririnig mo sa floor. Bawal ang personal headsets kaya wala kang katahimikan. 

Back in my days and time during the early 90's, better rhythms stuck in our era, frozen in time. Kung maibabalik yung mga tugtugin na yun ngayon sa mga modern airwaves eh baka mag top 1 pa nga sa mga daily countdown ng mga radio stations. And today, I will bring up a perfect piece for you kiddos of the new millennium. This is one of my favorite bands back then, bands that create songs based on our daily life and struggles.Please listen to THE FLAMING LIPS - YOSHIMI BATTLES THE PINK ROBOTS PT1.

Her name is Yoshimi
She's a black belt in karate
Working for the city
She has to discipline her body

'Cause she knows that it's demanding
To defeat those evil machines
I know she can beat them
Oh Yoshimi they don't believe me
But you won't let those robots defeat me
Yoshimi they don't believe me
But you won't let those robots defeat me

Those evil-natured robots
They're programmed to destroy us
She's gotta be strong to fight them
So she's taking lots of vitamins
'Cause she knows that it'd be tragic
If those evil robots win
I know she can beat them

Oh Yoshimi they don't believe me
But you won't let those robots defeat me
Yoshimi they don't believe me
But you won't let those robots eat me
Yoshimi

'Cause she knows that it'd be tragic
If those evil robots win
I know she can beat them

Oh Yoshimi they don't believe me
But you won't let those robots defeat me
Yoshimi they don't believe me
But you won't let those robots defeat me
Yoshimi they don't believe me
But you won't let those robots eat me
Yoshimi they don't believe me
But you won't let those robots eat me
Yoshimi

‘Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots’ is a story about a girl fighting against her terminal illness.

‘Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots’ is a musical about a girl trying to overcome her terminal illness while dealing with emotional issues, depicted in real life and in her imagination.

‘Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots’ is a musical about Yoshimi, a girl trying to overcome her terminal illness while her friend Ben struggles with her situation and his feelings towards her. The story takes place in the real world and a fantasy world, where she fights against pink robots as a metaphor of her fight against the disease. Yoshimi learns about her own strength and the people who support her during this process.

The play takes place in the real world and a fantasy world. The real world is represented as an American contemporary city, while the fantasy world is another planet inhabited by destructive pink robots, as a metaphor of Yoshimi’s disease. It could be a product of her imagination.

The space in the real world is mostly interior, built and contained. The main scenes happen at Yoshimi’s exhibition, Yoshimi and Booker’s apartment, and the hospital. The fantasy world feels wide open, considering all the battle scenes that take place here. However, there is an interior and contained space during the scenes at the doctor’s lab.

Time is linear, although it is unclear in how much time it takes place because of the constant transition between both worlds. The fantasy world is an emotional reflection of the real world, so it seems to be more ‘eternal’ and indefinite.

The mood is mainly created by music, which is basically contemporary indie rock music with some psychedelic and electronic elements. This element, along with the action scenes in a fantasy world, helps to portray the character’s emotions during the play. Overall it is a dramatic story but the elements mentioned provide an optimistic and colorful feel.

The social context is private. The story revolves around a central figure and her interaction with other characters: parents, love interests, friends and doctors. In the real world, characters have jobs and problems pretty much like ours. In the fantasy world, the main character fights pink robots and doctors research on weapon using bright chemicals. All characters seem to live in both worlds at the same time, and they speak in verse/singing.

Yoshimi’s disease and her evolving relationship with Ben drive all the plot of the play. Towards the end, Yoshimi’s disease progresses until she dies, and she realizes her feelings towards Ben. Fantasy world falls apart.

THE PLAY

                         Play at La Jolla

Based off of the Flaming Lips album of the same name and a handful of their other popular songs, the main actress, Yoshimi (Kimiko Glenn), must choose her life’s journey between two men — all while a chronic disease takes over her body and world.

Kimiko Glenn as Yoshimi

Pink robots, including one that towered over the cast at 14-feet tall, stand in the way of Yoshimi’s health and battle against the well-being of her body. The robots, whose bodies’ LED armor plating is synced up to the music, lit up the dark stage and became the unsung main characters of the evening. As much as we wanted to hate the robots that harmed Yoshimi, we couldn’t help but fall in love with their colorful suits, clever choreography, unusual sing-alongs, and high-flying acrobatics.

The musical touched on themes regarding today’s obsession with technology and smartphones, while also addressing hope, loneliness, and how the love between two people can change drastically in times of crisis. And for someone who personally went through health scares among immediately family this year, the struggle between health and illness was extremely emotional.

The show is thrilling and really unlike any musical we’ve ever seen. If you are a fan of The Flaming Lips, appreciate innovation in performance arts, or just have a love for robots, you must see Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots before it closes.

Sources: http://itp.smorad.com/2015/10/the-world-of-yoshimi-battles-the-pink-robots/