The Audio File: Residents of Proserpina Park: Season 4

It seems like it was only yesterday that I listened to that first episode of Residents of Proserpina Park. And now, here we are. The fourth season is complete, and the fifth season is on the way. Where does the time go? Well, enough rambling, on to the main event. We’re taking a look at season four of Residents of Proserpina Park. 

Last season, Mirai took a trip to Japan in search of answer about her brother Juni. She discovered a hidden village inhabited by yokai. She also discovered Kukunochi Park, which is basically the Japanese version of Proserpina Park. Now, Mirai is going to explore Kukunochi Park in earnest. She’s got her trusty tanuki friend Daichi by her side. Perhaps she’ll even be able to call upon Fox Ears the kitsune…if Fox Ears is in the mood. It’s a new park, a new season, and a whole lot of surprises to be found.

We had an episode last season which featured Mirai in the main role. It showed that she was more than capable of carrying the show purely on her own. I had been hoping we might see more of that come season four. As it turns out, I got my wish and then some. The entire season follows Mirai and the Japanese creatures. Alina and the gang only make a brief appearance in the stinger scene at the end of the season.

Naturally, we get to encounter a lot of cool Japanese creatures. We get an episode dedicated to the Kasa Obake. They’re basically the poster boys for yokai. They’re those umbrellas with one eye, one leg, and really long tongues. From that same episode, we get to learn about the Bakezori. They’re yokai that originate as old abandoned shoes. Yeah, there’s an entire class of yokai called Tsukumogami. They’re objects that come to life after being sufficiently, usually over 100 years, old.

I also really enjoyed the episode about the Ninmenju. It is a tree that grows fruit with human faces. Seems like standard yokai stuff, but here’s the kicker, the story isn’t indigenous to Japan. There is a nearly identical story in Islamic Folklore called the Waq Waq Tree. The story made its way to China via the Silk Road, and from there, it found its way to Japan. Japan has historically gone through several periods of isolation. In many ways, Japan is kind of on the edge of the world. Yet the Ninmenju show that Japan wasn’t quite as disconnected as it tried to be. It really is a small world after all. I love discovering connections like that.

It was also obvious we were going to get an episode about the Gashadokuro. They are giant skeleton yokai that usually appear following a great loss of life. I mean, the Gahadokuro is right there on the season cover art. The art this time is very crisp and well defined. Previous seasons’ cover art was more abstract and mysterious. We’ve learned enough of the secrets of the parks to be familiar with them. The mists are parting, you might say.

Of course, there’s more than just Japanese creatures lurking in Kukunochi Park. This makes sense. Proserpina Park is home to creatures from across the globe. It also tracks that Japanese creatures would dominate in Kukunochi Park. It is their home turf after all. Japanese people aren’t the most religious people in the world, and primarily follow Shinto rituals out of culture, rather than sincere belief. That said, many Japanese people are incredibly superstitious. So, there’s probably enough people around who believe in yokai to give them a bit of a boost.

Interestingly, Japan isn’t the only nation that can be described as superstition, but not exactly religious. People in Iceland have been known to build roadside shrines to elves. Road construction has sometimes been re-routed if it ran through land where elves are believed to live. In fact, the way Icelandic elves are described is quite similar to how Japanese kami are often described. That is, spirits within nature itself.

And speaking of Norse Mythology, the talking squirrel Ratatoskr makes an appearance in this season. The original myths never say how big he is. He does run up and down the world tree Yggdrasil. So, some people have taken to depicting him as a giant squirrel. This is what Residents of Proserpina Park goes with.

And who is it that voices this majestic squirrel? Why, me, of course! Yes, I have made my return to the voice acting side of Residents of Proserpina Park. It was fun getting to play a new character. I enjoyed that Ratatoskr was a very different sort of character than Slenderman was. I tried to imitate Michael Chiklis’ performance as The Thing in the 2005 Fantastic Four movie. The result was a bit more along the lines of “Hey, I’m walkin’ here!” but I think it turned out pretty well. I also have to give major props to Angela for editing those scenes. I didn’t actually record those scenes with Vida Shi and Zerreth, who plays Daichi. I really, really wanted to, but my work schedule conflicted with recording. Though, I later learned I could have asked for the day off to record with everyone. Ah, well, I guess there’s always next time.

Anyway, the scenes are edited so well I had to remind myself that I recorded separately. Admittedly, there was one benefit to recording on my own. There’s a scene in the last episode where Mirai chases in the favor Ratatoskr owes her, and she calls out for him. It was really cute and adorable, and I kept thinking “There’s no way I could pretended to be grumpy if I’d recorded this scene with Vida.”

Okay, so enough about me. There’s something even more important to discuss. After many seasons, he has finally arrived. The man, the myth, the legend appears at long last. Everyone give it up for Junichi! It is rather amusing how well Mirai and her brothers map onto the Freudian trio of Id, Ego, and Superego. We’ve got impulsive, energetic Mirai as the Id, nervous and cautious Junpei as the Superego, and calm collected Junichi as the Ego to balance them out. 

First of all, I must give praise to Spencer Hiroshi Field. He made Junichi sound like someone who’d be a really cool guy to hang out with. Junichi initially comes across as easy going, but he hasn’t fully recovered his memories, and we slowly discover he has some insecurities about that. It will be interesting to see how things go after he’s reunited with Sam, Jessica, Dog, and Junpei.

Now, this next part actually is a slight criticism of this season. I actually want to begin with a compliment. We got some new music this season. It combines traditional Japanese instruments with a kind of 1940s-1950s jazz rhythm. You hear it play over the credits, and in a few scenes within the episode proper. I liked it, one of the best bit of music Residents of Proserpina Park has yet produced. That being said, it didn’t escape my notice that some of the musical cues are getting a bit repetitive. I noticed that the same handful of music being used over and over again. 

Granted, this might have been a result of this season being a bit shorter. I also need to be fair here. Residents of Proserpina Park produces all of its music in-house. I have no background in music, and I don’t have the first clue about producing it. I’m always amazed by whatever music Residents of Proserpina Park comes up with.

By contrast, when I need music for The Books of Thoth, I usually see what Epidemic Sounds and Kevin MacLeod have on tap. Plus, it the Indiegogo campaign had raised more money, we probably would have gotten more music. Why, yes, that was me hinting that you should all donate the next time Residents of Proserpina Park has a crowdfunding campaign.

So, this isn’t really a criticism per se, but something I wanted to comment on. The first episode has Mirai and Daichi encounter a Kapre. It is a creature from Filipino Folklore who looks like a giant man with dark skin. We learn that the legend of the Kapre got popularized when Spain started using the Philippines as a stop for its slave trade. Mirai remarks that she learned none of this in school.

Now, as a history major, I’d like to give my two cents. So, in large part, the way we teach history in grade school is meant to be a survey course. Give you the foundations that you can build upon, if you so choose, in college. Now, granted, the way we teach history is rather flawed. I mean, we really should split it up into multiple parts like in college. You just can’t condense 10,000 years of history into a single year of class. Inevitably, things get skipped, and the emphasis tends to be put on the Western world. So, class basically becomes “World/American History’s Greatest Hits.” Personally, I think that’s a big disservice to students. There’s a great value to learning about non-Western cultures and civilizations. Plus, you know, it is interesting to learn about other parts of the world.

The United States has been around for less than 300 years, but even splitting up American History class would allow teachers to go deeper with the subjects. I guess what I’m trying to say is, never attribute to malice that which can be explained by incompetence. And no slight to Mirai, but just because schools teach about something, doesn’t mean students will actually be paying attention in class.

There’s also a scene where we get to meet Sezaru, the fourth wise monkey. You might be familiar with the Three Wise Monkey. Perhaps you know that they are Mizaru, Kikazaru, and Iwazaru. They famously teach us to see no evil, hear no evil, and speak no evil. Ah, but then there is the fourth monkey Sezaru, who teaches us to do no evil. Mirai comments on how redundant that sounds. To which Sezaru replies “Oh, and the Ten Commandments weren’t obvious enough?”

So, a couple thoughts about that. First off, why would a creature from Japanese Folklore care about the Ten Commandments? Second, there are actually 613 commandments. What are often called the Ten Commandments are merely the first ten on the list. Among other things they say: don’t wear clothing of mixed fiber, don’t plant different crops in the same field, you must stone disobedient children to death, and men must not speak to women who are on their periods. Oh, and lest we forget the most infamous of them all: man shall not lie with man. And that’s not even getting into the first ten. For example, is killing always wrong, or is there an exception for self-defense? Should we honor our parents even when they are abusive? In fact, what does honoring even mean? Granted, Jewish people have been wrestling with these questions for centuries. The Talmud is all about the various interpretations of the Torah.

Getting back on track, looks like we’ll be picking back up with Alina and company in season five. And it looks like we’ll be taking a trip to the Otherworld of Irish Mythology. I look forward to the adventures to be had in the coming year.

So, there you have it. Season four of Residents of Proserpina Park is shorter, but still just as sweet, and just as packed with mythological fun. Having the action set in Japan makes for a fun change of pace. Mirai and company are more than capable of carrying the season all on their own. So, if you haven’t already, be sure to listen to this season of Residents of Proserpina Park.

Well, I think that should do it from me for now. I will see you guys next time.

The Audio File: Residents of Proserpina Park: Season 3

By now it should be clear how much I utterly adore Residents of Proserpina Park. An urban fantasy audio drama where you get to learn about mythical creatures from around the world? Hey, this is my happy place. We’ve already had two amazing seasons, and now it is onto the third. Oh, but three really is the magic number. This is a very special season indeed. Without further ado, let’s get into it. We’re taking a look at season three of Residents of Proserpina Park.

When we last left our heroes, they had just come to a shocking revelation: the park is named Proserpina Park! Oh, and Sam is back. That’s also pretty important. Ah, but Sam isn’t alone. He’s joined by an old friend named Jessica. She has a freewheeling devil-may-care personality, and a very cavalier when it comes to the creatures of the park. Jessica is back to settle some old business. Business that Dog, the gang’s loyal alien in canine disguise, has some connection to. It has something to do with a particularly mysterious creature. 

Alina and her friends are going to have to venture into the depths of the park to find answers. They must be sure to keep their wits sharp. For, in this season, we shall meet the tricksters who call the park home. Meanwhile, Mirai is having her own adventures in Japan. She has found her way to a village populated by yoaki. She’s certainly out of place as a mere human, but she’ll make some unlikely allies during her time in the village. Everyone buckle up, because this season of Residents of Proserpina Park is sure to be a wild ride.

This season of Residents of Proserpina Park was a bit of a new experience for me. I was one of the backers for the season three Indiegogo campaign. So, I got to listen to all the episodes before they were released to the general public. It was an interesting experience to binge the episodes, but still very much enjoyable. Though, I did kind of miss getting to hear the theme music at the beginning and end of each episode. Not that this was a dealbreaker or anything like that, mind you. There was one other way that this season was different for me personally, but we’ll get to that in a bit.

Season one was intro to World Mythology and Folklore. Season two was all about creatures of the night and other monsters. Season three is all about the tricksters, but it also stands out from its predecessors in another way. Most of the creatures featured in season three tend to be of the chattier variety. This is very much by design. Angela Yih has said that there’s only so many times you can recycle the roar and snarl sound-effects before they get old. I certainly agree with that, and it isn’t like chatty creatures are unprecedented. The first two seasons gave us the kappa, the aswang, and of course JD, among others. Personally, I think it is great that Residents of Proserpina Park is keeping things fresh. Each episode of season three also includes an after credits bonus scene. So, you want to make sure to stick around until the very end of each episode. This season is also slightly longer. We got twelve episodes this season, rather than the usual ten.

Okay, so, who is this Jessica person? I speculated, in my review of season two, that Jessica might be something not quite human. But no, it would seem that I was wrong. Jessica is merely a garden variety human. She did manage to capture a genie, and I don’t mean the kind that are blue and sound like Robin Williams. The original jinn from Arabian Folklore were really more like gods in terms of power. There is one minor discrepancy, however. Dog mentions that some people blame mental health problems on jinn. Except, jinn verifiably exist in the Residents of Proserpina Park universe. So, how does that work out? I suppose you could justify it by saying that they can cause mental health issues, but natural causes are far more likely to be the case. This was kind of on my mind, as it does tie-in with something we’ll discuss in the spoilers section. Oh, and you know how Sam can see the creatures, but can’t hear them? Jessica is the exact opposite. She can hear the creatures, but can’t see them. We’ll get more into that later.

Anyway, getting back on track, Jessica provides a foil to Alina. In doing so, Jessica highlights a major theme of this season. In the immortal words of John Lennon, you get by with a little help from your friends. That is very much true with Alina. Drew and Jun frequently act as the voices of reason, and help reign Alina in, and dial back her impulses. I would imagine that it isn't a coincidence that we learn more about Drew and Jun’s backstories this season. Jessica is, essentially, how Alina would have turned out if she didn’t have her friends, or if she had alienated them. Jessica tends to rush in first, and ask questions later, if at all. She tends to focus on whether she can do something, rather than if she should do it. Jessica is determined to become the most powerful being in the park. It doesn’t matter how many creatures she has to hurt to achieve this.

Alina and Jessica also contrast with how they treat Sam. They both wronged Sam and abused his trust. Alina brought her friends to the park, when Sam explicitly told her not to, and Jessica…well get into that in the spoilers section. However, they tried to make amends in very different ways. Alina does her best to sincerely apologize and make amends. It definitely helps that Drew and Jun are there to keep her calm and focused. Jessica, by contrast, has a single-minded focus on correcting her mistake. She’s been avoiding Sam and Dog, and in the process, further alienated them. I suppose another theme of this season is about the importance of communicating, and talking things out when you have a problem. One gets the impression that Jessica, Dog, and Sam could have saved themselves a lot of grief if they had just been more open about their problems, instead of avoiding each other.

As previously noted, we get to learn a bit more about Drew and Jun’s backstories. We learn that Drew tried college, decided it wasn’t for them, dropped out, and doesn’t have any concrete plans in life. They’re just going wherever the winds of fate take them. They’re content to take things one day at a time. They’re aware this puts them in contrast to Alina and Jun, who are both very ambitious. Drew is well aware that they will probably part ways with Alina and Jun one day. However, they don’t despair. It isn’t how much time they have with Alina and Jun, but how they spend it that matters. Even if they must part ways eventually, Drew will always have Alina and Jun’s backs.

This is quite a thoughtful and introspective moment from what tends to be a fairly lighthearted audio drama. It rings very true to my own experiences. I’ve had many friends come and go over the years. It is always sad when that happens, but each person we meet changes us, and leaves a bit of themselves with you. So, it’s like they’re still with you even when they’re gone. For however long it lasted, they were your friend, and nothing will change that.

On a lighter note, we learn more about Jun’s interest in space. He wants to be an astronaut, but he also likes to theorize about alien lifeforms. He likes to theorize about how the aliens might evolve and adapt to different environments. Well, that was certainly unexpected. It appears that Jun is a speculative evolution enthusiast. I’m also involved in that community. We theorize about all that paths evolution might take. We imagine worlds where evolution went different in the past, we imagine how it might go in the future, and we do indeed imagine how it might play out on alien worlds. If you’d like an introduction to speculative evolution, may I recommend the r/SpeculativeEvolution subreddit and the Curious Archive channel on YouTube?

I was pleasantly surprised that we got an entire episode devoted to Mirai’s adventures in Japan. I had been hoping we might get something like this at some point. She has found herself in a village inhabited entirely by yokai. She has Fox Ears the kitsune to help her out, but she also gains another ally named Daichi. He is a character that Angela Yih designed a while ago, but only implemented into the story this season. I knew, from the audition forms, Daichi felt ashamed of his body. That could only mean one thing: a tanuki. I did wonder if perhaps he’d be one of the more obscure yoaki, but he was represented by the raccoon emoji. The auditions didn’t outright say what creature the role were. Angela wanted it to be a surprise for the listeners. So, a raccoon emoji clearly mean tanuki, which are also known as raccoon dogs.

Tanuki are usually depicted as jolly mischievous tricksters in Japanese Folklore. They’re shapeshifters, much like kitsune, and the two are often depicted as rivals. I should also note that tanuki are a real animal. They’re also called raccoon dogs; though, they are neither a raccoon or a dog. Also, as far as we know, they do not shapeshift or talk. Now, why would Daichi be ashamed of his appearance? Hmm, how do I put this delicately? Guess I better just say it. Tanuki are famous for having massive testicles, and being able to make them bigger. There’s even a popular children’s song in Japan all about tanuki testicles. There’s a scene where Daichi uses his ball sack to form a massive wall to temporarily hide Mirai from the other yokai. I guess you could say that scene got real balls-to-walls insane. Hey, don’t give me that look, the joke practically writes itself.

In all seriousness, I did enjoy Daichi as a character. I liked the way he contrasted with Fox Ears. Daichi tends to be friendlier and speaks to Mirai as an equal, whereas Fox Ears tends to be more aloof, haughty, and cryptic. That isn’t to say Fox Ears doesn’t throw Mirai a rope now and again, but she certainly likes to toy with Mirai.

Naturally, we get to meet all sorts of amazing new creatures from across World Mythology and Folklore. I had been hoping we might meet Anansi, the trickster spider god of the Akan people, at some point. Lo and behold, this season more than delivered on that. Vincent C. Davis gave such an absolutely wonderful performance. He sounded almost exactly how I always envisioned Anansi sounding. It was pitch-perfect casting. And let’s not forget the writing in that episode. It carried as great sense of suspense and mystery.

In other creatures, I loved getting to meet the wemategunis. It is a creature from the folklore of the Lenape people. I always appreciate getting to learn more about Native American cultures. One of the most famous stories about the wemategunis is how it helped a young gambler. The gambler had lost his eyes to the Chief of Gambling, who is a spirit that lives on the Moon. The wemategunis agreed to help after the young gambler promised to give up gambling for good. Given some things we’ll touch on in the spoilers section, I get the feeling that including the wemategunis in this season wasn’t coincidence. I also liked that part of that episode where Alina had to stay behind, and gave her recorder to Sam and Terry. So, we get to experience that part of the episode from Alina’s perspective, or lack thereof.

Okay, let’s see, what am I forgetting? Oh, right, I’m in this season too! I got to voice Slenderman. Yes, the monster from all of those creepypastas. He was included as an example of modern-day folklore. This was the first major voice acting role that wasn’t a bit part. I’m very excited that I actually got to be part of Residents of Proserpina Park. I had a lot of fun voicing Slenderman. Angela said she envisioned Slenderman sounding like God from Puppet History of the Universe. So, I tried to mimic that style. By all accounts, I did pretty well. I love the distorted sound-effects that Angela included for the parts where Slenderman really shows his true colors. And hey, who knows, maybe you’ll get to hear me again when season four rolls around.

Thankfully, we didn’t have any “who’s on first” issues because of my name. I briefly got confused when the recording schedule said Sam, but then I remembered we were doing it by character name, not real name. Though, amusingly, my day job is working as an edutainer at the Shreveport Aquarium. I educate the public about all sorts of marine creatures, but I also make sure the guests behave, and the touch tank animals stay safe. Even more funnily, one of my managers is named Jessica. Don’t worry, she and I are on good terms with each other. Most of my co-workers have listened to the episode I was in, and all give it high marks. Now I just need to get them to listen to all the other episodes of the show.

A big thank you to Angela Yih for giving me this opportunity. Also, thank you to Ben Pollizi and Ashley Dawson. You were both really nice during recording. Sorry I sounded like I was five seconds away from having a panic attack. I was worried I’d screw up, and my baseline tends to be anxious. But I did have a lot of fun, and I’d happily do it again.

Okay, now for the part where we get into the spoilers. Get off the ride now if you don’t want any of that.

Last chance, you sure you want to keep going?

Well, if everyone who wants out is gone, let’s get into it.

In my previous reviews, I came up with several theories about why Sam can’t hear the creatures of the park. Many of my ideas were very exotic and imaginative. However, the actual answer turned out to be a tad simpler. In fact, it was practically staring me in the face. Turns out, Sam and Jessica were cursed after the ran afoul of the Aos Si, also known as the fae, or the Fair Folk. I guess I let my imagination get carried away, and imagined things that were fun to think about, rather than what was likely. I can be a bit slow on the uptake at times. For example, I knew that Angela Yih cited Scooby-Doo as one of the inspirations for Residents of Proserpina Park. It took til now for me to connect the dots that the podcast follows a group of meddling young adults, and a talking dog, solving mysteries. Also, the lion dogs are named Dio and Gi. I though maybe it was a JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure reference, but upon further inspection, it was a pun on D-O-G.

Anyway, the Aos Si aren’t the kind of fairies who have tea parties in the garden. These are the original, darker and wilder, fairies from Celtic Mythology. In Ireland, the Tuatha Dé Danann were the pre-Christian gods, but got reimagined as mere spirits following Christianization. Albeit, very powerful ones. Think, the forces of nature given physical form. It isn’t that Aos Si don’t have any morality, but their morality is utterly incomprehensible to humans. So, they’re kind of like creatures H.P. Lovecraft might have dreamed up.

So, Sam was cursed to not hear the creatures, and Jessica can’t see them. See no evil, hear no evil, where’s speak no evil? To explain that, we have to delve into another revelation: Sam is gay. He was worried that Alina had a crush on him, but turns out she’s asexual and/or aromatic. Well, Drew says that Alina is the type to look, but not touch. We also have to assume that Alina probably has ADHD, given how impulsive and easily distracted she tends to be. Ah, but there was a special someone in Sam’s life. Jun’s name is short for Junpei. I bring this up because he has a twin brother named Junichi, who used to be Sam’s boyfriend. Unfortunately, Junichi was cursed to not speak of the creatures. This manifested as him losing his memories, and turning sickly. This is why Sam has such a strong air of melancholy about him.

But what did Jessica, Sam, and Junichi do that brought this curse upon them? It involved a new creature. A creature even newer than Slenderman, but who could it be? I was spinning my wheels trying to figure it out, but it was a fool’s errand. I would have never guessed the answer, because the creature is one that Jessica, Sam, and Junichi created themselves. From what little we see, it appears to be some sort of shapeshifter, and very powerful. This seems to confirm the theory I had that the creatures pop into existence ex-nihilo because people believe in them hard enough. It reminds me a bit of the concept of the tulpa from Tibetan Buddhism.

I really liked the scene where Alina pleads with Sam that he doesn’t have to go it alone anymore. It tied in nicely with this season’s theme about the importance of friendship. It also demonstrated their development as characters. Alina doesn’t just view Sam as another mystery to solve, or a ticket to an adventure. She now genuinely values him as a friend. Similarly, Sam takes steps towards moving beyond his past. He isn’t completely healed, and there’s still trials ahead, but being about to trust Alina and her friends is a major step forward for him.

Yeah, the whole power of friendship trope might be a bit cliché, and some would say overdone. But you know what? This season of Residents of Proserpina Park pulled it off really well. Ultimately, tropes are tools, and can be done well if handled by a skilled writer. Fortunately, Angela Yih was more than up to the task.

No theorizing from me this time around. I have absolutely no clue where plot is heading, but I can’t wait to find out. This season of Residents of Proserpina Park was something really special. And, you know, not just because I was in it. Several members of the cast received character development, we got to meet the tricksters of the park, we got some serious revelations. We also learned about the importance of friendship, but in a way that felt organic, and was never heavy-handed. There are bright days ahead for Residents of Proserpina Park, and I can’t wait to visit again.

Well, I think that should do it from me for now. I will see you guys next time. 

The Audio File: Residents of Proserpina Park: Season 2

I was really impressed by season one of Residents of Proserpina Park. I took a gamble on it all the way back when it only had one episode, and it payed off big time. So, season one was fantastic, but what about season two? Oh, it more than managed to keep up the momentum. In fact, that’s what we’ll be talking about today. We’re taking a look at season two of Residents of Proserpina Park. 

When we last left our heroes, Sam had received an unexpected visit from his cousin demigod cousin Terry. Sam also wasn’t too thrilled that Alina brought other visitors to Proserpina Park without his permission. Alina has returned to the park, but Sam is nowhere to be seen. Alina and her friends will venture further into the park, but danger lurks around every corner. This time, the creatures are going to be much deadlier. Alina and company are going to need all the help they can find. Meanwhile, Mirai, the narrator of the framing segments, has traveled to Japan in search of answers of her own. Along the way, she’ll meet a mysterious bus passenger with fox ears, who may have some of the answers she searching for.

Season one of Residents of Proserpina Park was absolutely fantastic, and I was eagerly awaiting for what surprises season two would have. Season one had a somewhat episodic feel to it. That’s not to say there was no continuity, but most episodes tended to involve Alina meeting Sam and learning about some new creature. Granted, the later episodes of season one do have a stronger sense of continuity. Alina did start to explore the park on her own, often with friends in tow. However, season two becomes full-on serialized. One episode directly leads into the next. I suppose that does make sense. We’ve gotten to know the characters and the park enough by now. So, no need to hold the listeners’ hand and ease them into the setting anymore.

I really loved the new way that the stories of the creatures are recounted. Whenever a character, usually Dog, explains what the creatures are, there will be noises, music, or a bit of dialog from people or creatures within the story. Often, this will have a somewhat comical undertone to it. It was a nice additional little touch. I always appreciate it when audio drama creators add these extra little flourishes. We also have more creatures directly appear on-screen, for lack of a better way of putting it.

It was previously established that creatures can appear outside the park. However, this season brings the first appearance of a creature somewhere other than the park. Well, the first not counting Dog. One episode takes place in Alina’s apartment, and an aitvaras appears. It is a household spirit from Lithuanian Folklore that takes the form of a flaming rooster, but can also turn into a dragon. It brings fortunes good and bad, and will provide all sorts of goodies to you, which it steals from everyone else. Why did the aitvaras appear in Alina’s apartment? Perhaps, she’s become more attune to the mythological due to her time in the park. Thus, such creatures are naturally drawn to her now. Or, maybe there’s something else going on here, but let’s put a pin in that for now.

We also get a closer look at some of the less than friendly residents of the park. In season one, most of the creatures tended to be things that were cool, but fairly harmless, or at least, not directly malicious or deadly. Come season two, and we get to see the many creatures of the night who call the park their own. Though, there’s plenty of danger lurking in the day as well. I knew that we were going to encounter aswang because I saw that on the list of roles that were open for audition. Aswang is sometimes used as a catch-all term for any mythical creature from the Philippines. However, it also refers to a specific type of monster, a sort of Filipino vampire/ghoul. I was very excited that this was coming, because I had recently gotten into Filipino Mythology and Folklore . And before you ask, yes, I’ve watched Trese on Netflix, and I loved it. Can’t wait for season two. Go watch if you haven’t already. It is a really great animated urban fantasy series with lots of Filipino Mythology and Folklore.

Anyway, back to Residents of Proserpina Park. So, back when season two was in production, series creator Angela Yih asked me if I had any suggestions for creatures to feature. I made a big list of suggestions, as is on-brand for me. One of my suggestions was the manananggal, which is also from Filipino Mythology. They’re another vampire-like creature, but take the form of women who detach their upper bodies from their lower bodies, and fly around with bat-wings. Angela did mention that many of my suggestions were slated to appear, and that it was freaky how in-synch we were with each other. Apparently, that included the manananggal. I suppose it makes since, given that the Aswang were already featured.

With regards to the manananggal, Residents of Proserpina Park actually got me to think and reconsider how I approach the legend. One of my biggest dreams is to have my own serialized audio drama, which I’m tentatively calling The Calliope Brigade. It will be set in a fantasy version of America called Usonia. It will feature a colorful cast of character, many of whom are mythical creatures, who are part of a traveling carnival. I had planned on featuring manananggals as a potential one-off antagonists. But then I listened to the episodes of Resident of Proserpina Park that deals with manananggals. Alina and the gang note that the manananggal legend has some decidedly sexist undertones. The way to defeat the manananggal is to rub salt on her lower body. Yeah, the manananggal‘s lower body is literally her downfall. Oh, and they like to feed on unborn children, and this is supposedly why miscarriages happen. Most of these elements were in the original manananggal stories. However, they really got emphasized once Spain colonized the Philippines, and pushed conservative Christian values onto the Filipinos.

I knew all of this, but maybe I didn’t about it as much as I should have. So, I reconsidered my plans, and I’m going to do a more nuanced take on the manananggals when I make The Calliope Brigade. Though, I’m just going to warn all of you, that’s a ways off at this point. I’ve still got a lot of ground work to lay, and a lot of audio drama production ropes to learn. Still, my thanks to Residents of Proserpina Park for helping me refine my own work.

Now, obviously Alina and the gang need protection, if they’re going to survive the park without Sam. At one point, they consider looking for the Egyptian lion goddess Sekhmet. I suggested the gods of Egypt, because I love how many of them have animal heads. So, I can’t say with complete certainty, but I feel fairly confident that one was potentially my contribution. Of course, I could be totally wrong.

Okay, so who is this Terry person? Well, they’re Sam’s cousin, and a demigod. Specifically, a child of Hades. They’re very arrogant and haughty, but that’s par for course with demigods. And admittedly, they did have a point that Alina went behinds Sam’s back, and violated his trust. It is made clear very early on that there is a damn good reason Sam was so strict about the rules. Many residents of the park are quite dangerous even if you know what you’re doing. Alina and her friends survive more often than not by luck more than anything. There are consequences for Alina’s cavalier attitude towards safety. Also, in the part where the ahuizotl grabs Alina’s hair, did it take just a piece or the whole thing? Hmm, probably the former. None of the other characters, or Alina herself, remark on Alina being bald, or anything like that.

Let’s switch gears and talk about Mirai. I probably should have mentioned this before, but her brother Junpei is one of Alina’s friends. It’s through him that she has the recordings of Alina’s adventures. Mirai encounters a kitsune, who she names Fox Ears, while ridding a bus in Japan. Kitsune are Japanese fox spirits, and close cousins to the Chinese huli jing and the Korean gumiho. One of the biggest differences is that, while huli jing and gumiho are almost always female, kitsune can be female or male. I bring this up because I auditioned to play Fox Ears. I saw the call for auditions, and I felt I needed to start putting myself out there more, so I tried out.

I was trying for Mark Hamill’s take on The Joker from Batman: The Animated Series. Unfortunately, I kind of missed the mark. It was also hard to find the privacy to record my lines. Still, I sent what I felt was my best take, and at least I could say I tried. I got a bunch of thumbs up on Casting Call Club. Don’t know if that’s good or not, but I thought “well, maybe I actually have a shot.” There were a lot of auditions for Fox Ears, and ultimately the role went to Maddie Shallan. I remember listening to one audition, I think it might have been her’s, and I thought, “well, I can’t beat that. I’m DOA.” I thought she did an excellent job as Fox Ears; far better than I probably would have been. I look forward to seeing more of her performance as Fox Ears in coming seasons.

I also considered auditioning for the bully character who briefly appears in one episode, but I could never get any take I was satisfied with. Instead, G3, who normally plays Sam, voiced the bully. May I just say, G3 has some serious range. I didn’t even realize it was him until the credits said so. Oh well, maybe next time. And I concede that having both an actor named Sam and a character named Sam could lead to a who’s on first scenario.

Okay, now we’ve got to talk about some of the stuff that occurs at the very end of the season. As such, there will be spoilers. So, turn back now if you don’t want that.

Last chance, you sure you want to continue?

If everyone who wants out is gone, let’s get into it.

So, Terry tasks our heroes with helping them find a vetala. They’re from Hindu Mythology, and are kind of like ghouls, but they are quite knowledgeable about humans. They especially like to tell riddles that drive humans insane. So, what does the vetala ask our heroes? Why, to name the park of course. Well, that’s a no brainer, or so I thought. See, I’d never considered that the characters never refer to that park by its full name. They always just call it the park. I guess my brain subconsciously filled in the name Proserpina because of the show’s name. Throughout the seasons, our characters have been trying to find out more about who Sam is. One of the things they discover is that a woman name Jessica constantly pops up when they look into Sam. Well, she finally appears in the last episode of the season, and she’s clearly not human. There’s something mythical about her, but I’m not sure what. My temptation is to say demigod, but that might not be correct.

But speaking of speculation, let’s do a bit more. Last time, I speculated about why Sam can’t hear certain residents of the park, such as JD. Now, we’ve seen Terry doesn’t like that Alina has been getting close. What if that wasn’t just demigod arrogance? What if Terry feels responsible for Sam? But why would that be? Well, here’s where it gets speculative. What if Sam is undead? That is, he somehow died, and was revived as something not quite human. So, maybe he can’t fully perceive the park due to being outside the natural order now. Granted, he’s shown no hints of being undead. Maybe he’s an artificial creature, like a golem or a shabti, and is working in the park in hopes of becoming a real boy some day. Under this theory, Sam can’t hear the creatures because he has no soul inside of him at the moment. Again, pure speculation on my part.

Or what if I’ve got it backwards. I’ve been focusing on Sam, but it just now occurred to me that we don’t really know too much about Alina. We know about the lives of most of that other characters, but we don’t know much about Alina outside of her adventures in Proserpina Park. What if there’s a reason for that. What if Alina is some sort of mythical creature, or even a demigod or goddess, but has lost her memories? But she’s starting to awaken her true mythical nature as a result of spending time in the park. Hence, the aitvaras appearing in her apartment. That would explain why Sam was okay with Alina being in the park, but not Drew and Jun. And maybe that’s why Alina was so blasé about Cerberus when she first saw him. Perhaps, subconsciously, she recognized him as something familiar. But again, this is totally speculative on my part.

Also, it appears there are indeed other parks. There’s a Kukunochi Park in Japan, but it seems that will be a story for next season. I looked it up, and apparently Kukunochi is the kami of trees in Japanese Mythology. Though, it will probably be a bit before we get season three. 

Angela Yih is taking a much deserved rest. She’s going to need to recharge her batteries, because she’s recently become production coordinator at Realm Media. Very exciting indeed. Congratulation to you, Angela! Realm is home to a wide variety of audio dramas and podcast created by some of the top writers within the world of speculative fiction. I recently listened to Bullet Catcher, because I wanted to be supportive of Angela and the company she now works for. Think I’ll try Ninth Step Murders or maybe Marigold Breach next.

I want to wish Angela all the best in her new endeavors. I’d also like to say, if it wasn’t obvious by now, season two of Residents of Proserpina Park is absolutely fantastic. It both met and exceeded the standards set by season one. Whenever it comes out, I have full confidence that season three will be absolutely fantastic. Go and listen to season two of Residents of Proserpina Park if you have not done so already.

Well, I think that should do it from me for now. I will see you guys next time.

The Audio File: Residents of Proserpina Park: Season 1

If you've read this blog for a while, you should have a reasonably good idea about my likes and tastes. Obviously, audio drama, and audio fiction in general, is a big part of that. You should also probably know that I enjoy mythology, and I'm always happy to find audio dramas based around mythology. So, with all of that in mind, on to today's review. We're taking a look at season one Residents of Proserpina Park.

Residents of Proserpina Park begins with a frame story. It begins with our unarmed narrator listening to some recordings that her brother gave her. They're made by a young woman named Alina, who is investigating rumors of a mysterious secret park, known as Proserpina Park. It's part of an assignment for journalism class. Alina found more than she bargained for. Turns out, Proserpina Park is a sanctuary for all the mythical creatures from across World Mythology and Folklore. Fortunately, she's not exploring the park alone. Alina meets a guy named Sam, who is something of a park resident himself. Each episode sees Alina learn more about the various creatures who call Proserpina Park their home.

I'd been meaning to review this audio drama for a while. However, it was when the official Residents of Proserpina Park Twitter account asked if people would review that show that I finally got my motivation. I just wanted to make sure there wouldn't be any unexpected bonus episode before I did a formal review. But that didn't happen, so, now here we are.

I'd argue that, in many ways, Residents of Proserpina Park is an edutainment show. It sets out to teach listeners about different mythological creatures in a fun and entertaining way. Most episodes follow roughly same format; Alina will arrive at the park, meet Sam, and then Sam will tell her about a new creature, and explain the creature's origins and mythological significance. Usually, the recordings end right before Alina and Sam go to actually see the creature in question. Though, later episodes do shake up the format a bit. Alina starts exploring the park on her own, and bringing friends along, something Sam tells her she must never do. Some creatures, particularly the ones with human-level intelligence, do also make on-screen, for lack of a better way of putting it, appearances.

For example, on her first trip to the park with friends, Alina encounters a kappa. The kappa stops to chat for a bit, and is kind enough not to eat anyone's liver. Also, the Jersey Devil is the park's ranger, and identifies as non-binary. Well, I guess the legends never specified what gender the Jersey Devil is. When Alina first meets the Jersey Devil, JD says something to the effect of "What makes me weird to you? Disproportionate head-to-body ratio? Is it that I have bat-wings even though I'm mostly mammal?" Uh, JD, quick question, you do know that bats are mammals, right?

So, anyway, from this encounter we learn that some creatures choose to live in the outside world. It helps that they have people who genuinely believe in them. Bigfoot and Mothman are specifically mentioned. JD doesn't like them very much, because they tend to hog the cryptid spotlight. JD claims that many kids today have never heard of the Jersey Devil. That seems a bit odd, as I've seen the Jersey Devil mentioned frequently in cryptozoology media. But maybe I'm not the best gage of these things.

Some people believe that creatures like Sasquatch, the Jersey Devil, and the Loch Ness Monster are part of a modern-day mythology of a sort. Personally, I agree with that. Not just because they're mysterious creatures that some people believe in, but also for what they represent. Take Mothman, for example. His sightings first began in 1966 and 1967. That was a time of great technological and social progress in America. However, it was also during the Cold War, when the threat of nuclear war constantly hung over everyone's heads. Especially so, given how recently the Cuban Missile Crisis had occurred. Perhaps, then, we can see Mothman to represent the anxieties about rapid technological change. What unforeseen consequences might all this new technology bring? What new horrors might science unwittingly unleash upon the world?

Perhaps Bigfoot, and cryptids in general, represent our desire for there to still be a bit of mystery and wonder still left in the world. Jersey Devil is a bit closer to a traditional mythological creature. Its story was used to teach kids to be careful in the woods. Though, you can also read certain sexist undertones to the story. The Jersey Devil was born as it is because it's mother, who already had twelve kids, said "I don't want another child. Let this one be the Devil!" So, you can read that as being a condemnation of women who tried to defy the social expectations of the 18th Century. It is worth nothing that the part of New Jersey the Jersey Devil is claimed to be from was home to a large Quaker community in the 18th Century. Quite ironic, given that Quakers have become quite progressive, and supportive of women's rights these days.

Anyway, at another point Alina meets an alien that disguises itself as a dog. It gave itself the very creative name Dog. Dog really looks like one of those stereotypical Grey aliens; the ones with the big heads and big black eyes. Again, I'd argue this is modern mythology of a sort. Tales of alien abduction aren't all that dissimilar from tales of people being taken to the Land of Faerie. Well, there might be another explanation. Some people with exceptionally good memories are capable of remembering their own birth. Many have notes that the general description of the Greys isn't too dissimilar to how a newborn baby might perceive doctors. Perhaps, people claiming to have been abducted by aliens are subconsciously remembering their birth.

But don't worry, there are plenty of creatures from traditional mythology. In fact, they make up the bulk of the park's population. I found both creatures I was familiar with, and new ones to learn about. On the ones I knew about side, I was familiar with the antlions. As their name suggests, they have the body of an ant and the head of a lion. They appeared a lot in medieval bestiaries. The lion part craves meat, but the ant part can only digest grain. Medieval bestiaries were full of all sorts of weird creatures like that.

On the unfamiliar side, I got to learn about Bulgae. They're dogs from Korean Mythology who chase the sun and moon across the sky. When one of them bites the sun, it causes an eclipse. I also learned about the Aralez from Armenian Mythology. They're large dogs with feathery wings, and can heal people simply by licking them. That's interesting, because I remember that the second Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children book made mention of a Peculiar dog that could heal anything with its licks. I wonder if it was a reference to the Aralez?

I also learned about the Yumboes from Wolof Mythology. They're kind of like fairies, but they're really spirits of the dead. I should clarify that's fairies in the helpful nature spirit sense, not the play mean-spirited ticks sense. They've only really been documented by the Irish writer Thomas Keightley; based on his childhood in Senegal. Series creator, and voice of Alina, Angela Yih agonized about including them, before deciding to do so. Lack of primary sources is a problem with a lot of mythologies that come from pre-literate societies. Well, that and there not being many stories that managed to get written down. Irish and Welsh Mythology, for example, have some large holes in them, and Slavic Mythology is practically non-existent. Slavic Folklore is a bit better preserved, but it is still frustrating.

The point is, sometimes with these things you just have to do your best, and hope that it all works out. I will add that there are other fairy-like creatures from African Mythology. The Mmoatia, from the mythology of the Akan people of Ghana and the Ivory Coast, come to mind. The spider god Anansi had to capture a Mmoatia as part of his four tasks. Once Anansi completed the tasks his father, the sky god Nyame, would give Anansi a box full of stories.

Now let's talk about the people who make Residents of Proserpina Park possible. I've already briefly mentioned series creator, and voice of Alina, Angelia Yih. She describes herself as, and I quote, "a weeb who still writes Percy Jackson fanfiction. And a total mythology nerd." Ah, clearly a woman after my own heart. The narrator is played by Vida Shi. In addition to voicing characters in audio dramas, she also has a career as a VTuber. For those who don't know, VTubing is that thing where you create a digital avatar, craft a persona around said avatar, and play video games and do live streams and stuff. And thus, one of the biggest twists of season one was a metafictional one.

Sam is voiced by G3, who actually looks pretty spot-on for how I envision Sam. Sara Roncero Menedez voices Dog. She's a big horror fan, and has advocated for more horror-based creatures to appear in season two. Based on a casting call that has been put out, it looks like we'll be getting to meet the Aswang from Filipino Mythology come season two. There are several other very talented contributors to Residents of Proserpina Park, but I think we need to wrap things up soon. But suffice it to say, the rest of the cast are all very talented, and their contributions are appreciated.

Okay, now we have to get into some spoilers for the end of season one. So, if you don't want any of that, turn back now.

Last chance, you sure you want to continue?

Well, okay. If everyone who wants out is gone, let's get into it.

I had wondered if Sam might be some sort of creature for a while. Or at least, that he's not entirely human. He can’t hear the Jersey Devil when they talk, and that's bound to be significant. I wondered if, somehow, he might be an atheist. That is, he lacks sincere belief, and that limits how he can perceive the creatures of the park. But then how do you account for Alina? She didn't believe in anything, but could see Cerberus for what he actually is. Granted, she was awfully blasé about meeting a three-headed dog with snakes around its necks, but still.

Then another thought occurred to me. If creatures from mythology are still around, then what about the gods? Could it be that Sam is a demigod of some sort? Well, towards the end of season one, Alina and company are searching for Chinese dragons, and Dog mentions that the Aztec feathered serpent god Quetzalcoatl lives in Proserpina Park. This certainly added further fuel to my speculations, but then the season one finally happened. Sam got an unexpected visit from his cousin, who is a Greek demigod.

What does this mean? What are the implications here? Well, I guess we'll just have to wait and see. Also, Quetzalcoatl being at Proserpina Park has interesting implications. Are any other gods at the park? Is it just the ones that look like animals, or are the human-looking ones there too? Sam mentioned that Proserpina Park isn't the only mythological nature reserve in the world. What are the other ones like? What sort of creatures do they hold?

If mythological creatures exists because people believe in them, did they pop into the world ex nihilo? Or did the world change so that, retroactively, they always existed. Like in that issue of Neil Gaiman's Sandman where it turns out cats used to be the dominate species, until humans dreamed the world into what it is now.

There's plenty of fertile ground for material for season two. And I have full confidence that Angela and her team will make the most of it. Season one was absolutely fantastic, and I can't wait to see what season two has in store for us.

Well, there you have it. Residents of Proserpina Park is a fun and entertains way to learn about creatures from across World Mythology. Season one was absolutely amazing, and season two looks to be just as amazing, if not more so. Episodes are typically about eleven or twelve minutes, so season one is easily bingeable. And I would strongly advise you to do so as quickly as possible if you haven't already.

Well, I think that should do it from me for now. I will see you guys next time.