Gylian breakthrough

The Gylian breakthrough (French reformed: L'percée gylienne) is an ironic phrase used to describe Tyranian acts and works that achieve notable success in Gylias.

Usage

The term emerged in the 1970s, and its first use was attested in Delkora. Cheap Trick were said to have achieved det gylske gennembrud with their 1978 live album At Budokan. The term spread in popularity on the internet in the 1990s, particularly among Common Sphere members, and is usually used in a jocular context.

Gylian cultural commentator Keie Nanei describes the phrase as a foreign response to the Gylian Invasion. Gylias' notable pop culture success in Tyran is contrasted with its "seemingly impenetrable" domestic market, due to divergent tastes (shaped by historical isolation of the Free Territories and Liberation War), robust cultural protectionism, and its unconventional economic practices. Due to the profound impact of the Gylian Invasion, managing to become successful in Gylias is a strongly appealing prospect.

Due to this aspect, the term specifically excludes instances of the "Gylian Magnet" — artists and performers who moved to Gylias to develop, continue, or reinvent their careers. However, it is possible for a Gylian breakthrough to later become an instance of the "Gylian Magnet" — the most prominent example being the creators of Cowboy Bebop moving to Gylias to escape censorship and harassment in Æþurheim.

Delkoran music journalist Nora Gunnarsen writes that the "Gylian breakthrough" carries particular weight in the context of Gylias-Delkora relations. The impact of the Gylian Invasion and the disparity in population between Gylias and Delkora have fueled a phenomenon of good-natured ribbing and competitiveness when it comes to culture. Former culture minister Chantal Beaumont — herself an example of the phenomenon, predating the term itself — summed up the spirit with her famous quip, "They have woken a sleeping giant of 80 million people, and now it's our turn to kindly show them how it's done."

The Havomar Report and The Hans Schou Experience's numerous sketches satirising Gylian culture and Gylias-Delkora relations helped cement the concept as a facetious aspiration in Delkoran culture. Their recurring sketches on the subject turned "How are we getting our asses kicked again by a country barely the size of Norenstal?!" into a famous quote related to the phenomenon.

The creators of The New Adventures of Lotte Lang jokingly admitted in a documentary that one of their ambitions with the series was "giving the Gylian animation industry a kick up the arse", and were elated by its success in Gylias, especially since Gylian fans embraced their rezy-like positioning. Similarly, Marlene Amberg was immensely proud of her clothing brand becoming the most popular foreign brand in Gylias, considering the country's unique sensibilities regarding clothing.