Yep, this is still a talking point, six and a half months after the announcement that Rosie was going to get a revamp. And of course, stupid, immature fans would rather recycle old topics than actually discuss something very few have brought up. And since Journey Beyond Sodor's American release isn't too far off, I decided to again talk about Rosie being painted red... or at least, specifically, a comment on DeviantArt concerning the matter, and the holes in the commentator's logic.
(For my full take on this from January, click here.)
Not too long ago, a new promo for the revamped Rosie was released on the official Thomas website (and good timing too!), so what're my thoughts on this? It definitely looks sharper than what we first saw, and the inclusion of rivets makes her look better. At the same time, it's a bit annoying if you put Rosie alongside Thomas and/or Percy; they look very plain and toy-like compared to her!
But of course, there are some fans who don't like this change, and one got so angry over it that he left the Thomas fandom - I, personally, left the fandom because some people can be intolerant idiots. (Not that the MLP fandom's any better, but still.) Basically, some fans can handle change the same way Donald Trump handles anybody who disagrees with his beliefs (yes, I compared the Thomas fandom to America's so-called "President" - deal with it).
But that's not what I'm concerned about; no, my real concern lies in a comment left by CCB-18 on DevinatArt on this submission.
Yeah, I think James' expression here sums up my reaction best; I'm calling BS on that user's comment, and I'm going to explain why.
If he's hoping that Rosie's new look isn't permanent, spoiler alert, IT IS. If they brought Rosie back in that garish pink livery, fans would be thinking about the Rosie in seasons 10-16, where she didn't have much personality to speak up. How is this upgrade "unnecessary"? Shows need changes in order to stay relevant, otherwise, they become stagnant and boring to watch. Take a look at Magical Mystery Cure and if you still think Twilight Sparkle should've stayed a unicorn, would we have had Starlight Glimmer? (Twilight being an alicorn may or may not have had a direct impact on Starlight's presence in the show, but it's something I thought people should think about.)
Next, he says red shouldn't be Rosie's color for three equally ridiculous reasons:
- The amount of red engines on Sodor - Is red anymore a dominant color than green or blue? I think not! Not only that, James is the only red engine in the Steam Team whilst everyone else (except Toby, who's brown) is blue or green.
- It risks making her a background character - She was basically a background character when she was pink; what makes you think red will make her more of a background character? She's going to have some roles in season 21, for goodness sake!
- She looks like Lily from Sodor: The Modern Years - Rosie and Lily DO NOT look the same! Yes, they're red, they're tank engines, and they have NWR on their tanks, but that's it! Rosie is a 0-6-0 1940s dock tank engine, whilst Lily is a 0-4-4 1890s suburban passenger tank engine. Compare the two engines end to end and then say they look alike. It's like saying Arthur and Belle are the same engine despite the obvious differences; stupid and illogical. Also, Rosie has had her lamp since Percy's Lucky Day in season 17. Where was the complaining then?
I'd bring up the fact that pink is part of the rainbow, but... it's just a pigment of our imagination. Don't believe me? Read this article. I know some will argue she's lavender, but... potato, tomato.
Then he brings up the fact that we're reverting to the book illustrations, and thinks that we'll see Donald and Douglas will become blue, and the Skarloey engines red. What does that have to do with Rosie's revamp? Keep in mind that the Railway Series and the television adaptation are two different entities; they always have been, and always will be. By comparing the two, you're comparing an apple to an orange. The most likely scenario is that they'll stay in their TV series colors for the sake variety. (Before anyone brings up Arthur, he hasn't appeared since season 12.)
And lastly, how is Rosie "ruined"? She was basically a mess of a character from the get-go; season 10 basically made her out to be a creepy stalker and in seasons 13-16, she was interchangeable with... just about anyone. I'd rather have a reworked Rosie than be reminded of her roles in the Barlow era.
The bottom line is, that guy's just basing his opinion off of paranoia with the mindset of "OH NOEZ ROSY GOT A REPAINT; DA SHOW IS RUINED 4EVA!! BURN IN HELL, MATTEL!!!!!!" or something along those lines. I say shut up and wait and see for how the new Rosie will play out rather than come up with stupid, worse-case scenarios that have a 0% of ever happening. There are a few things that keep Thomas and Friends from reaching its full potential, and the redesign of a tertiary character sure as hell ain't one of them. Rosie will never go back to what she was once was, and if you can't accept change, then maybe you shouldn't be taking a goddamn children's show so seriously!
Oh, and if anybody's gonna make some stupid, pointless petition to change Rosie back - don't. You're just wasting your time over something meaningless. Grow up.