Ortensia ( オルテンシア ) is a Disney character that first appeared in the 1927 Oswald the Lucky Rabbit short: "The Banker's Daughter" 1 and the 1928 short "Harem Scarem" 2 as Oswald's love interest. (based on artwork for posters and a model sheet.) However. These two shorts are "lost" at this point in time and thus she is more well known for her role in Oswald shorts like "Oh, What a knight" , "Rival Romeos" and "Sky Scrappers" that still survive today. 1
She is voiced by Audrey Wasilewski
Disney shorts
- The Banker's Daughter
- Harem Scarem
- Rival Romeos
- Sagebrush Sadie
- Oh, What a Knight
- Sky Scrappers
- Bright Lights
History
Ortensia has had several names in her career. Most were barely used in the Oswald cartoons. She went by the name "Sadie" in the Disney shorts. The Oswald short title "Sagebrush Sadie" was one of the few times her name was used. Later, In the Lantz shorts, she was called "Kitty".
During the production of Epic Mickey, she got her current name "Ortensia", most likely this was done to mirror other famous Disney pairs that share the first letter in their name: Mickey and Minnie, Donald and Daisy, and thus Oswald and Ortensia despite that she isn't of the same species as Oswald. Also, Ortensia is the Italian name for the Hydrangea flower; gardening, indeed, seems to be one of her hobbies in the "The Game's Afoot" digicomic.
Epic Mickey
In the main story, Ortensia's paint was removed when the Phantom Blot was sealed, and she was in a Catatonic state. In this statue-like state, she couldn't move and her voice is heard only faintly in one of the cutscenes. Still, she has some impact on the plot of Epic Mickey even in this state. Her state leaves Oswald the Lucky Rabbit and several Bunny Children in her house in sadness, but many times, the memory of her leads to Oswald acting nicer to Mickey than usual.
For example: The first time Oswald calls Mickey by name is when Mickey returns her locket to Oswald. The first time Oswald tries to start over with Mickey (on top of Mickey Junk Mountain) is because "Ortensia would want me to be more friendly". Oswald and Mickey even forgive and make peace with each other when Mickey sees her and Oswald on the top of Dark Beauty Castle. Like Oswald and Gremlin Gus, Ortensia was consumed by the Shadow Blot afterwards.
However, after Mickey defeats the Blot and gets his heart back from Oswald, Mickey returns to his world, while Wasteland begins to regain its former state. As this happens, Ortensia's paint returns to her old self (in other words, regains her paint), and she happily reunites with Oswald as she kisses him all over his face. In the end, Ortensia gets a chance to temporarily meet Mickey through a mirror that was created by Yen Sid.
Oh What A Knight
Ortensia can be seen near the same balcony that Oswald saw her in the 2D projector screen level of Oh What a Knight. She throws hearts that Mickey can he use to jump onto the balcony.
Epic Mickey 2 : The Power of Two
Epic Mickey 2 The Power of Two : Mickey Oswald Ortensia and Gus
"ORTENSIA - The motherly toon universally respected and revered by all! No matter what the danger may be, you can be sure that she will do whatever it takes to protect her family!" Disney Epic Mickey Video Game Facebook page desciption.
Ortensia returns in Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two, first appearing in the 2D cutscene that functions as a recap of the original Epic Mickey. After that, the scene changes to Oswald strolling down the street of a recently restored Wasteland. Just as an earthquake begins to shake the street apart, the Mad Doctor and his Beetleworx creations arrive on the scene in a twisted sort of take on the Main Street Electrical Parade. The Doctor sings a stirring musical number, using the refrain "Help Me, Help You" to convince Oswald to join forces with him to save the Wasteland. While first confused about the Mad Doctor 's arrival, Ortensia tries to stop Oswald from joining the Mad Doctor as she doesn't seem to trust him. However, Oswald has already been convinced and joins him, much to Ortensia's annoyance. Angry and still not trusting the Mad Doctor, Ortensia leaves with Gus as Oswald leaves with the Mad Doctor.
She and Gus go back to the castle where Gus creates a machine to contact the toon world. A comically impatient Ortensia walks around, is eagerly waiting and eventually falls asleep as Gus finally finishes the machine, enabling them to again reach out to Mickey to set things straight.
While Ortensia is waiting for Oswald to return in the castle, Mickey re-enters Wasteland by falling through a window of Dark Beauty Castle, where he meets Ortensia and Gus who explain the current situation of Wasteland and the return of the Mad Doctor to him until Oswald arrives. A worried Ortensia happily greets him, glad to see him safe. Oswald explains that the Doc told him about the Blotworx and that the creatures are going to attack them. Ortensia doesn't trust the Mad Doctor, but Oswald is convinced that they should give him a second chance. Mickey suggests they go find the Mad Doctor, when a quake starts and the castle begins collapsing all around them. When some rubble comes down and separates Ortensia from the others, Mickey, Gus and Oswald outrun the rubble to escape the castle and reunite with Ortensia, who (in her own words) had her own adventure escaping the castle, much to Oswald's amusement. Eventually all four escape by train.
When they arrive in Mean Street Station and enter Mean Street, Ortensia and the others find the Mad Doctor. The Mad Doctor sings about changing his ways and the dangers that threaten Wasteland, but Ortensia remains unconvinced about his good intentions. When the Mad Doctor leaves, Ortensia tells Oswald to go ahead as she'll wait untill the Ostown projector starts working. She worriedly asks him to be careful as he kisses her. The scene ends with Ortensia wishing her "hunny bunny" good luck and leaving.
Ortensia can be found in the museum while the projectors aren't working. She tells Oswald and Mickey not to worry about her as she'll stay there untill they can get the projectors fixed. She does worry about her Bunny Children in Ostown.
Ortensia will eventually travel to Ostown and find the Bunny Children missing and scattered around Wasteland. Resulting in her giving Oswald and Mickey a quest to return the Bunny Children to her.
According to Warren Spector: Oswald's significant other, Ortensia, 'is a character from start to finish that you interact with a lot.' However, if you choose to follow the game through, you barely interact with her at all after Dark Beauty Castle.
Epic Mickey: The Graphic Novel
The Graphic novel shows in more detail how Ortensia was turned
Ortensia sacrifices herself to save Oswald by pushing Oswald away from the Blot's attack and gets hit herself.
into this statue-like state. Oswald and Ortensia made one final effort to get rid of the Blot by sealing it in the thinner bottle on Mickeyjunk Mountain that fell in Wasteland when the Blot first appeared. TheMad Doctor warned the Blot, but Oswald succeeded in grabbing the Blot's attention. He was too good a target for the Blot to resist. Oswald was ready to sacrifice himself, if it meant the end of the war, but Ortensia wasn't ready to allow that. When the Blot attacked Oswald, she pushed him away to safety and Ortensia fell victim to the Blot instead, transforming her into her statue-like state. "Oswald's silent scream was heard from one end of Wasteland to the other", but he had enough presence of mind to succesfully trap the Blot by jamming the stopper into the bottle. Sadly, it didn't end the war. The Blot's minions were still loose upon the land under the guidance of the Mad Doctor and the Shadow Blot, the Blot's most fearsome minion." None of which mattered in the least to Oswald. By losing Ortensia, "his entire reason for living had been obliterated by the Blot".
Epic Mickey: Tales of Wasteland
"Ortensia is Oswald's one true love. Her dedication to Oswald is absolutely unstinting, but she's nobody's pushover. She's no-nonsense and direct, and will not hesitate to let anyone - most of all Oswald - know exactly what's on her mind.
Whether she's busy fending off unwelcome advances from the notorious Pete or wishing that Oswald would spend more time with her and their copious children, Ortensia is - in every way - Oswald's better half. Now if she could just get him to stop obsessing about Mickey and thinking more about her!"' ( Ortensia's "Tales of Wasteland" profile )
Ortensia is one of the main characters in the Epic Mickey: Tales of Wasteland (digi)comics.
Oswald, Ortensia and the Bunny Children in the "Tales of Wasteland" comics.
These comics are a prequel to Epic Mickey and take place before the Thinner Disaster. She appears in five of the six (digi)comics.
She makes a small cameo in "Clock Tower Cleaners", but has larger roles in the other comics: from getting unwanted attention from Pete in "The Game's Afoot", visiting the Misadventurers club in "The Rubbish Cup", or simply being together with Oswald and their kids in "Oswald the Lucky Duck" and "There's a Hole in the Sky".
Ortensia loves Oswald and is very dedicated to him. She's very caring, but also sensible, realistic and direct. She's one of the few who suspects the Mad Doctor's bad intentions, something Oswald is quite oblivious to. She's not afraid to share her opinion on things, but she'll support Oswald when he's truly dedicated to something.
Trivia
- Concept art of Epic Mickey shows that originally the role of Oswald's girlfriend was supposed to be filled by Fanny (his other love intrest) however it was changed to Ortensia for unknown reasons. But a possible reason for this might be the fact that she was Oswald's last love intrest in his cartoons.
- Ortensia had a tail in early Disney shorts like "The Bankers Daughter" and "Rival Romeos", but doesn't have a tail in later shorts like "Sky Scrappers" and "Oh. What a Knight". She lacks a tail in Epic Mickey and comics as well.
- When she is in her pertified state she has a hat on,when she is revived it falls off her head and isn't picked up by her as she is not wearing it in the mirror cutscene afterwards.
- At the Fireworks Control Tower, Mickey's own Paint cannot revive her, only the Paint rain does.
Gallery
External links
- Ortensia's page on the Disney wiki
- "Rival Romeos" The Encyclopedia of Disney Animated Shorts "The Banker's Daughter was the first cartoon to use her"
- "Oswald's girl Ortensia is back". Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two preview
- ‘Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two’ Hands-On Review, Gameplay Video, Screens, Pre-Order and Giveaway
- Ortensia's Disney Epic Mickey Video Game Facebook page desciption
- A gameplay video of Epic Mickey 2 in which Ortensia's voice is heard for the first time
- NYCC: On ‘Epic Mickey 2′ Graphic Novel, Pin Buffs, Voices, Collectors Edition and Cartoon?
Characters
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