JERRY OLEA:
Nakasentro ang kuwento ng animated film na Plump Blossom sa isang Chinese princess ng fictitious Huang Dynasty. Sinulat, prinodyus, at idinirek ito ni Kapitana Rossana Hwang.
Si Kapitana Rosanna ay presidente ng Kapitana Entertainment media, isang independent film outfit.
“It’s a passion project. Parang for people to learn a little about China,” pahayag ni Kapitana Rossana.
Nakatsikahan namin siya noong Hunyo 30, 2026 sa kanyang mansion sa Dasmariñas Village, Makati City.
“You know, 'the fat lady,' tapos maraming kultura aspect. Wala, it’s just a princess project. Tapos gusto ko yung body positivity, yun lang.
"Na maganda ka pa rin maski mataba, of course, huwag ka namang mag-obese, everything that is on the excess.
"Ayoko yung tuyot, ayoko din yung matabang-mataba. Iyung obese.”
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PLUMP BLOSSOM INSPIRATION
Ang tinutukoy niyang "The Fat Lady" ay hango sa "The Court Fat Lady" o iyong mga "full-bodied female figurines" na naging popular noong panahon ng Tang Dynasty sa Tsina.
Pro-China ba ang Plump Blossom?
Hindi kaya maging instrumento ito para ma-invade ang kulturang Pilipino?
“No, no, no!” bulalas ni Kapitana Rossana.
“This is parang a cultural thing, 'no? To tie our Filipino makers and culture aspect."
Sabay binanggit niya ang mga sikat na animated films na inspirado ng folk tales ng iba-ibang lahi.
“So tingnan mo yung Disney, they did Pocahontas loosely based on the life of a Powhatan woman.
“They also did Ariel, The Little Mermaid, loosely based on the Danish fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen.
"Elsa, Frozen is loosely inspired by Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale The Snow Queen.
"They also did Jasmine, Aladdin, based on the Middle Eastern folk tale from One Thousand and One Nights.
"So why can’t a Filipino do a Chinese [character]? Kasi I felt that iyung Mulan before is not about a princess. It’s more of a commoner."
Bakit China ang napili niyang setting ng Plump Blossom?
“I like to do a Chinese princess movie. Kasi iyan ang gusto ko, the fat princess,” pagtatapat ni Kapitana Rossana.
“Kung may masamang ano sila na iniisip, bakit ako sumusulat ng ganun, pro-China ba ako? Ganun-ganun.
“No! Ano iyong sa Chinoy TV? Chinese by Blood, Filipino by Heart. Ganun. I don’t dream of going back to China."
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THE COURT FAT LADY ARTWORKS
Dito na ikinuwento ni Kapitana Rossana ang fascination niya sa Court Fat Lady artworks nang makita niya ang mga ito sa isang museum sa China.
“I just dream of touring China, you know. I don’t dream of living or going back to China but I dream of touring some parts of China, ganun.
“But this one [Plump Blossom] is very interesting. Kasi, what I saw in the Shaanxi History Museum is fat princess, fat queen. Fat, fat, fat!
“And in fact you don’t have to go to Shaanxi to see it. Even if you research sa Google, you’ll see, and they entitle that as Fat Lady. They call it Fat Lady."
Paliwanag pa niya: “So it means from this Fat Lady, nag-emerge itong story, Fat Princess.
"But you know now it’s not politically correct to call her Fat Blossom, or Fat Princess.
"So ang ginawa ko, to make it politically correct, I made it Plump Blossom."
GORGY RULA:
Ina-address ba ng animated film na Plump Blossom ang real-life social issues gaya ng body shaming, beauty standard, at discrimination against plus-size individuals?
“Yes, oo, oo!” bulalas ni Kapitana Rossana Hwang.
“I just portrayed it in that era because there’s a story to tell about the Chinese.
“In that era, ibig sabihin, hindi lahat ng payat ang maganda. During a certain particular time in history, there’s an era that glorified katabaan.”
May kanta sa Plump Blossom na parang naggo-glorify sa pagiging plump o chubby.
“Ano ang mapupulot diyan? Yung young general loved Princess Ruo Hua and told her, ‘Despite mataba ka, despite anong suot mo, I love you.’
“Kasi when the general fell in love with her, hindi niya alam na prinsesa ito,” sabi ni Kapitana Rossana.
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NOEL FERRER:
English with Chinese subtitles ang Plump Blossom. Inaasam ni Kapitana Rosanna Hwang na mai-dub din ito sa Tagalog at Chinese. Ang playdate nito ay Setyembre 23, 2026.
Ang buod ng pelikula, “In a fictitious dynasty inspired by ancient China, Princess Ruo Hua longs for a life beyond the rigid expectations of royalty.
“A passionate gourmand with a curious spirit, she secretly slips into the imperial kitchens at night to learn the art of cooking from the palace chef.
“Her quiet adventures take an unexpected turn when a wounded general is brought into hiding within the palace after a brutal conflict.
“Despite the danger, the compassionate princess chooses to help and protect him.
“Through shared meals, late-night conversations, and small acts of kindness, an unlikely bond begins to blossom between them.”
Ang principal voice cast ay sina Candice Tan bilang Princess Ruo Hua, Don Puno bilang General Jian, Gutch Gutierrez bilang Chef Bao, Chad Williams bilang General Feathers, Yeng Her bilang Yuan Yuan, at Audie Gemora bilang Emperor.