What is Palermo searching for?

Alola

Alola

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In Serena's latest Showcase, Palermo left our heroine with some pretty stern words about the "something" she lacks necessary to become Kalos Queen. But what exactly is that something? What is it that she's looking for among the various girls and women that enter these competitions?

Do you think the anime will give a substantial answer? Or do you think given the nature and current capacity of Showcases, there isn't anything deeper to look for?

As of now, we've only seen one of Aria's Performances-something that apparently has the caliber of being the current best of all of Kalos. Yet...Serena has easily emulated such a performance in one of her own Showcases. Thus again, what is it that Palermo thinks she, among others, lacks?
 
Determination, competition. Something related to the aspect of Serena's use of "fun" in performances.
 
The short answer: a unique performing style, probably a dramatic one.

The long answer: Palermo first appeared during the Coumarine Showcase. She watched the whole competition from a separate room and she didn't say a word until it was over. She then talked to someone on the phone and told him or her that she was not impressed. Apparently, she was looking for a Performer skilled enough to end Aria's reign of terror but no one seemed to be capable of completing such a task.

Shauna received her first Princess Key after delivering a performance in which she had fun with her Pokémon, but Palermo was bored. She wanted to go back to her hotel room as soon as possible, and on her way there, she saw that heartbreaking scene of Serena crying as if her mother Grace had just died. However, Grace was very much alive; Serena's world fell apart because she lost a competition she just learned existed. It was too much for her, her lifelong (HAHAHA!) dream ruined before her eyes.

Serena is a smart girl, and she thought "How about a haircut? Maybe people will be more sympathetic towards me next time around. I already got enough pity votes here to beat Jessie's original and creative style!" She then hugged her Pokémon and proceeded to chop her hair. Her fans cried a river and declared Serena was the #1 most developed character in the anime, but most importantly, Palermo was impressed. What? How? Shauna just won the freaking Showcase while Serena lost in the first round, and Palermo becomes impressed with a girl crying. Why? Shauna can cry, too! What makes Serena so special?

At first, I didn't understand what was so special about Serena that made Palermo change her mind from thinking Serena was just another mediocre Performer like the rest of the bunch who left Palermo utterly bored to a promising young Performer with a bright future ahead of her. Now I am willing to bet it was the fact Serena was being overly dramatic, and that could be what Palermo is looking for: drama. Let's be honest here, Aria dresses like a clown. She wants people to have fun with her performances and Palermo is well aware of that as she helped build Aria. She knows Aria won the Master Class with FUN and no one will beat Aria in her own game, but maybe a drama queen can become the next Kalos Queen.

However, as time went on, Palermo discovered that Serena is indeed a generic Performer who has only one dance routine and is willing to perform it until our eyes bleed. She asked Serena at the end of the Frey Showcase if Serena was satisfied with the performance she gave, and Serena said yes because she had FUN with her Pokémon. That was it. Palermo had enough. She then warned Serena that she lacks something crucial to steal Aria's title, and I think that something is uniqueness. Serena is literally doing what every other Performer is doing. She is walking the road that Aria paved. She won't win against Aria if she keeps doing that. She needs to develop her own unique performing style if she wants to win. Aria is the master of fun and Serena has to counter that with a dramatic and heartfelt performance, otherwise Aria will remain terrorizing little kids diagnosed with coulrophobia and committing a crime against fashion by wearing her ugly, badly colored outfit taken from a clown's wardrobe.

:p
 
Mikuri said:
The short answer: a unique performing style, probably a dramatic one.

The long answer: Palermo first appeared during the Coumarine Showcase. She watched the whole competition from a separate room and she didn't say a word until it was over. She then talked to someone on the phone and told him or her that she was not impressed. Apparently, she was looking for a Performer skilled enough to end Aria's reign of terror but no one seemed to be capable of completing such a task.

Shauna received her first Princess Key after delivering a performance in which she had fun with her Pokémon, but Palermo was bored. She wanted to go back to her hotel room as soon as possible, and on her way there, she saw that heartbreaking scene of Serena crying as if her mother Grace had just died. However, Grace was very much alive; Serena's world fell apart because she lost a competition she just learned existed. It was too much for her, her lifelong (HAHAHA!) dream ruined before her eyes.

Serena is a smart girl, and she thought "How about a haircut? Maybe people will be more sympathetic towards me next time around. I already got enough pity votes here to beat Jessie's original and creative style!" She then hugged her Pokémon and proceeded to chop her hair. Her fans cried a river and declared Serena was the #1 most developed character in the anime, but most importantly, Palermo was impressed. What? How? Shauna just won the freaking Showcase while Serena lost in the first round, and Palermo becomes impressed with a girl crying. Why? Shauna can cry, too! What makes Serena so special?

At first, I didn't understand what was so special about Serena that made Palermo change her mind from thinking Serena was just another mediocre Performer like the rest of the bunch who left Palermo utterly bored to a promising young Performer with a bright future ahead of her. Now I am willing to bet it was the fact Serena was being overly dramatic, and that could be what Palermo is looking for: drama. Let's be honest here, Aria dresses like a clown. She wants people to have fun with her performances and Palermo is well aware of that as she helped build Aria. She knows Aria won the Master Class with FUN and no one will beat Aria in her own game, but maybe a drama queen can become the next Kalos Queen.

However, as time went on, Palermo discovered that Serena is indeed a generic Performer who has only one dance routine and is willing to perform it until our eyes bleed. She asked Serena at the end of the Frey Showcase if Serena was satisfied with the performance she gave, and Serena said yes because she had FUN with her Pokémon. That was it. Palermo had enough. She then warned Serena that she lacks something crucial to steal Aria's title, and I think that something is uniqueness. Serena is literally doing what every other Performer is doing. She is walking the road that Aria paved. She won't win against Aria if she keeps doing that. She needs to develop her own unique performing style if she wants to win. Aria is the master of fun and Serena has to counter that with a dramatic and heartfelt performance, otherwise Aria will remain terrorizing little kids diagnosed with coulrophobia and committing a crime against fashion by wearing her ugly, badly colored outfit taken from a clown's wardrobe.

:p
Click to expand...
I think you may be right about the uniqueness about Serena's performances. I'm starting to feel that her repetitive performances were intentionally written that way so that Palermo can mentor her on finding her own performing style once she loses to Aria.
 
I think I'd cry an absolute river (of laughter) if Serena wins the Master Class with a moody and dramatic tragedy piece. Maybe she could take a few leaves out of Nene's book?
 
Mikuri said:
The short answer: a unique performing style, probably a dramatic one.

The long answer: Palermo first appeared during the Coumarine Showcase. She watched the whole competition from a separate room and she didn't say a word until it was over. She then talked to someone on the phone and told him or her that she was not impressed. Apparently, she was looking for a Performer skilled enough to end Aria's reign of terror but no one seemed to be capable of completing such a task.

Shauna received her first Princess Key after delivering a performance in which she had fun with her Pokémon, but Palermo was bored. She wanted to go back to her hotel room as soon as possible, and on her way there, she saw that heartbreaking scene of Serena crying as if her mother Grace had just died. However, Grace was very much alive; Serena's world fell apart because she lost a competition she just learned existed. It was too much for her, her lifelong (HAHAHA!) dream ruined before her eyes.

Serena is a smart girl, and she thought "How about a haircut? Maybe people will be more sympathetic towards me next time around. I already got enough pity votes here to beat Jessie's original and creative style!" She then hugged her Pokémon and proceeded to chop her hair. Her fans cried a river and declared Serena was the #1 most developed character in the anime, but most importantly, Palermo was impressed. What? How? Shauna just won the freaking Showcase while Serena lost in the first round, and Palermo becomes impressed with a girl crying. Why? Shauna can cry, too! What makes Serena so special?

At first, I didn't understand what was so special about Serena that made Palermo change her mind from thinking Serena was just another mediocre Performer like the rest of the bunch who left Palermo utterly bored to a promising young Performer with a bright future ahead of her. Now I am willing to bet it was the fact Serena was being overly dramatic, and that could be what Palermo is looking for: drama. Let's be honest here, Aria dresses like a clown. She wants people to have fun with her performances and Palermo is well aware of that as she helped build Aria. She knows Aria won the Master Class with FUN and no one will beat Aria in her own game, but maybe a drama queen can become the next Kalos Queen.

However, as time went on, Palermo discovered that Serena is indeed a generic Performer who has only one dance routine and is willing to perform it until our eyes bleed. She asked Serena at the end of the Frey Showcase if Serena was satisfied with the performance she gave, and Serena said yes because she had FUN with her Pokémon. That was it. Palermo had enough. She then warned Serena that she lacks something crucial to steal Aria's title, and I think that something is uniqueness. Serena is literally doing what every other Performer is doing. She is walking the road that Aria paved. She won't win against Aria if she keeps doing that. She needs to develop her own unique performing style if she wants to win. Aria is the master of fun and Serena has to counter that with a dramatic and heartfelt performance, otherwise Aria will remain terrorizing little kids diagnosed with coulrophobia and committing a crime against fashion by wearing her ugly, badly colored outfit taken from a clown's wardrobe.

:p
Click to expand...

I'm pretty sure what Palermo saw in that episode was a girl who was willing to make such a drastic change to push herself forward. Sure Shauna could cry, but would Shauna give herself a huge makeover?

Thus I think that's what it is, I don't know if it QUITE explains what Palermo wants but I think maybe the reason Palermo was disillusioned by Serena in the Frey City showcase was because Serena was too comfortable with her performance. As seen in the Couriway Town free performance when Eevee made the mistake Serena PUSHED forward and continued forward and finish admirably even though she lost. So I think its as simple as Serena mustn't get too comfortable with the way she performs.
 
I dunno. I'm not entirely interested in Palermo's little arc, to be honest.
 
Maybe Palermo believes she can do fine enough on her own, and not have someone on her shoulder all the time like Ash? I don't know. She could seem like a good mentor figure to Serena, but now I'm starting to think Palermo's expectations are a little too high....
 
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