Archive for the English Anime Category


Sailor Moon Season 1 Part 1, Disk 1 (English)

May 7th, 2015

SM1P1LEWhen Sailor Moon first hit Cartoon Network, I found it entertaining in a way I hadn’t ever before experienced. Things…changed. The characters grew over time, they remembered what had happened last week and learned new things as the series went on. They got more powerful, and braver and more competent as the series progressed. The story wasn’t about just defeating the bad guys. We learned about the characters themselves, too – what they liked and didn’t like. They had complex relationships – sometimes the closest of friends, sometimes they’d be distant. It was something so amazing, so different from the animation I had grown up with, that I was hooked.

It was 1998. Seriously? I have been obsessing about this series for 17 years? Good heavens.

Pioneer originally released the series on VHS. We don’t have all of the VHS tapes because they were impossible to find in order, or as a set. You’d get one volume of episodes at Suncoast and thne search forever to find the next one, maybe discovering it at an anime con, or the bargain rack at The Wall. Or not, and you’d have that hole in your collection forever. When Pioneer put the set out on DVD, I scarfed them up. Cartoon Network had hacked and slashed the third season up in the weirdest possible way, making cross-dressing Haruka and her flirtatious possibly-girlfriend Michiru into a creepy pair of incestuous cousins, and we were thrilled beyond belief to have Sailor Moon S in its subtitled, uncut weirdness.

In 2014 we got the new Sailor Moon Crystal anime. Predictably, fandom spent more time being unhappy about it than glad. My favorite complaints are that the animation is bad and the faces are all the same. The complaint that we spend too little time with the characters is entirely valid. The season went from 40 episodes down to 13, mirroring the manga, which means the anime has both the strengths and the weaknesses of the the manga. We lost some character building time for the Senshi, that is true. We also lost many other things.Viz has put out a brand new master of the original Sailor Moon anime. I am rewatching every single episode, even the bad ones, and let me tell you, there are some stinkers in this thing.

Sailor Moon Season 1 Part 1, Disk 1 begins with the moment that clumsy, crybaby Tsukino Usagi meets a talking cat, Luna and learns that she is a Guardian of Love and Justice, Sailor Moon. She is also stalked by this creepy dude in a mask and tux, cleverly called Tuxedo Mask.

No one is going to beat me in my love for this series, but I have to be honest with you, episode 4 really bites. In fact, the first 7 episodes are probably my least favorite among all 200 and I am including all of “R” and “Super S” in that. Chibi-Usa kissing a unicorn sucks less that the episode where Usagi is worried about losing weight. If I could destroy that episode so no one ever had to see it again, I would, gladly. And truly, the animation is abominable. Remember, that no one at Toei knew whether this would fail and they pulled out no stops at all. The animation is bad even for its time. So when you complain that the animation is bad in Crystal, remember that Sailor Moon has a 20-year tradition of bad art. ^_^

And let’s talk about the writing for a second. In Crystal, because we don’t have monsters of the day, only enemies of the day, we don’t get lines like “Frilled-neck lizards, albino Mexican salamanders, and the human face fish are all mad!” I don’t know whether to call that a loss or a victory, ^_^

This all having been said, the one thing that made the series work for me starts up in Episode 8, with the addition of Mizuno Ami to the team. The rapport between the characters was always what made Sailor Moon work for me (although I admit to loving the monsters of the day for their inherent absurdity). When Ami first shows up, she looks lonely. That look will leave her face as time goes on, because one of the key points of anime is that you are stronger with friends. Seeing Ami smile was worth it. It’s always worth it.

Last, but not at all least, I have to commend Viz. The remastering is as good as anyone could have ever hoped and the translation not only is accurate, but includes cues to character voice, so that Usagi’s lines sound like a child, while Ami’s are a bit more mature. Top marks from me on that. (As an aside, when I began watch Crystal, I though that Mitsuishi Kotono-san was voicing Usagi a bit babyish, but the more I listen to the original, the more I think it fits. About episode 7 or 8, she starts sounding a bit more babyish, so clearly that was what they were going for.)

In general, the Viz edition is clean, simple and appealing. For folks who want fancier layouts, there are multiple versions, with physical and content extras. The more basic Limited Edition is available on Amazon and RightStuf through the Yuricon Shop.

It was both wonderful and excruciating revisiting this disk and I have no doubt that my feeelings will remain the same for the next two disks. Onward – more Senshi await.

Ratings:

Art – 6 tops
Story – 7 Still more plausible than Weiss Kreuz
Characters – 7, soon to climb
Yuri – 0
Service – 1 unless you count Tuxedo Mask and I don’t, but there is inevitable bathing.

Overall – 7, but watch it crescendo as we move forward.

Sincere and immense thanks to Viz Media for a review copy. It’s like visiting old friends (and remembering why you didn’t visit them any more. ^_^)





Madoka Magica: Rebellion bilingual DVD/BD Guest Review by Eric P.

May 6th, 2015

PMMM3rebellionOnce again it is Guest Review Wednesday and it is my very real pleasure to welcome back our long-time Okazu Superhero and friend Eric P. with his take on the dub of the Puella Magi Madoka Magica: Rebellion DVD/Blu-ray combo.  (I’ve linked to the entry on the Yuricon Store, so you have links to Amazon or TRSI) Take it away Eric!

 Some time after Puella Magi Madoka Magica came to an end, creator and director Akiyuki Shinbo came out with Rebellion, a direct film sequel as well as a kind of extended epilogue to the series. Its story and very existence met very mixed reactions at best from its dedicated fanbase, leaving some angered that it ruined the show’s “happy” ending (depending on how one interpreted it). It was a definite conclusion either way to the story it was telling, while Rebellion was technically more of a supplement, so in that regard the movie may not have been “needed” per se. Necessary or unnecessary, we have it either way regardless, so the real question is whether or not we could/should accept it.

The first time I watched Rebellion, I admit to having had mixed feelings as well. Upon second viewing, I made up my mind and decided that it’s in fact a great and worthy companion piece to the series, having become “necessary” after the fact. Although I agree the series had a good ending, I disagree about it being the perfect conclusion its hardcore fanbase made it out to be, since there were still a few things I found problematic. For instance, it just didn’t sit right with me at all for Kyuubey to not get the retribution he deserved, for purposely taking advantage of the girls’ naivety and ruining their lives. Only in Rebellion do we get that (after he attempted doing something truly despicable), among several other awesome moments that amount to a worthwhile view.

The visuals alone are undeniably beautiful, going beyond what was achieved in the series, to the point of overwhelming sensory overload. Some fans complained especially about the direction of Homura’s character, but her “likability” was never really the point. The choices she made were arguably still true to her character, and for those who didn’t recognize that need to give the series a fresh new look. Even though that’s Madoka’s name in the title, recognizing that Magica may in fact have been Homura’s story all along only puts a more solid perspective on everything that happens in Rebellion.
For many it took only one view to recognize how special the Madoka Magica series really was, whereas for Rebellion it would probably take at least one extra view as it did for me to recognize and appreciate its own merits and intent. Especially as a standalone feature, I know I only keep appreciating it with each new viewing.

Aniplex USA has put together a very nice physical set for this movie’s bilingual DVD/Blu-Ray release. Although not hardcover like the original import, it’s still a glossy cardboard artbox that comes with the magnificent soundtrack CD in its own blu-ray case, a couple of postcards and a booklet. Minus the staff interviews, it’s pretty much the same booklet as from the import release, but this time containing English translations, so we could read everything in one place. If I had one disappointment with this release, I wish Aniplex had thought to sub the ending theme song, so I could know and better appreciate what Kalafina was singing as we watch the spectral silhouettes of Madoka and Homura dancing together while the credits rolled.

As for the English audio in this bilingual release—to start with, the dub for the series has always been decently better than average. But for the movies, especially for Rebellion, all the English voice actors are at the top of their game, having grown familiar with the characters and knowing just what they need to convey. Cassandra Lee has always nailed Kyuubey’s innocent evilness, Christine Marie Cabanos continues reflecting Madoka’s moe cutesiness without being one-dimensional, while Cristina Vee especially almost perfectly captures Homura’s passionate feelings in Rebellion. In the scene where Homura delivers her speech to Kyuubey about love being the driving force behind her actions, many people have interpreted that moment as solid proof of the inherent Yuri in Madoka Magica, while others continued believing it’s still subtext. But when listening to Homura deliver that exact same speech in English, whatever subtext there was is practically gone, and I certainly don’t mean that in a bad way at all. Having watched Rebellion subbed twice before, I consider the English version interchangeable with the Japanese version, which is no doubt the highest passing grade a dub can get, just short of being the superior version. And yes, they actually and cleverly dub the cake-rap song, which they certainly deserve special kudos for.

Just as beautiful and haunting as it is cruel, if this be the final ending to Madoka Magica, it works as a fitting conclusion that doesn’t betray the overall story’s tone, even if it’s not what the fans would have expected or even “wanted”. Whether it be sad, bittersweet, or possibly even deceptively happy (despite the title and role Homura takes) is left totally up to the viewers where any interpretation is perfectly valid, both similar and dissimilar to what the series achieved. However, if this is not the end of Madoka Magica, and assuming that any further continuation is a direct sequel to Rebellion, one could not have imagined a more intriguing prelude to a brand new chapter, one that may well lead to truly epic heights. I for one am still genuinely curious of what would lay further ahead in Homura’s journey. Oh, and Madoka’s too as well, I guess.

Ratings:Overall—9 (minus one point for not subbing the ending song—as well as for the couple inappropriate fanservice shots of Mami’s pronounced chest, my one and only real nitpick against the movie itself)

Erica here again. I have not watched Rebellion for any number of reasons, but I have to say, Eric, you may have convinced me to try it. I agree that the series can easily be seen as Homura’s story and while generally, I’m against retribution when the point is (or should be) saving the innocent, you’ve made a strong case for this being worth our time. Thank you for the great review!





Yuri Anime: Dear Brother Set 2, Disk 2 (English)

April 30th, 2015

DearBrother2With Disk 2 of  Dear Brother set 2, we finally encounter the full depths of madness that runs in between Miya-sama and Saint Just and, if we are completely honest, we find it pitiable.

Miya-sama who, we learn, was always an entitled jerk, was jilted by her first love at 12 years old, and has spent the last 6 years wallowing in her own bile and torturing her half-sister because she’s a sadistic jerk.

Now, on the brink of adulthood, her sadism and jerkishness are about to hit a wall…the common decency of a decent commoner.

Miya-sama takes the coincidence of Nanako’s relationship with Henmi personally, and in the twisted scales she uses to judge everyone but herself, finds Nanako to be a threat. She’s tried threatening her, controlling her through the sorority, and in the bottoming out of her sanity, even attempts to seduce her. Luckily for Miya-sama, Nanako is a kind and decent human being and is neither seducable or attracted by insanity. Unfortunately for Saint-Just, she is.

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Now we know everything there is to know about Miya-sama and not one iota of it is good.

Nanako is firming up as the drama deepens. Tears have been replaced by confidence and defiance and she’s such a good person that she’s successful in dragging Mariko back into the world. If Nanako were a real person, I would have no doubt at all that she would be the Sorority club president as a third-year and radically redefine both the school and the sisterhood as her legacy.

It’s not going to get any easier as we move forward, but at least we’ve lanced the wound fully and now we just have to let it drain.

Ratings;

Art – 8
Story – 9
Characters – 9
Yuri – 3
Service – 1

Overall – 9

Miya-sama is a terrible person. Hold onto that thought.

Now, remember, this anime ran on Japanese TV in 1991-1992. And 7 years later, Tenjou Utena ran into a haughty Student Council member who was cruel to her, who had a head of pre-Raphaelite curls and a name as upper-class as Ichinomiya. Imagine, then, what Arisugawa Juri was supposed to make us feel when we first saw her, as she is meant, quite specifically, to recall Miya-sama. When we first saw Juri, we felt…fear.





Ikkitousen Xtreme Xecutor Anime, Disk 1 (English)

April 21st, 2015

IKKIXXI want to talk today about violence in comics. In particular, my love of violence in comics. Over the years, I’ve been really upfront about how I love fighting comics and animation and characters that beat the crap out of each other. Not surprisingly, I’ve received a lot of shit for it and I understand why, so I want to talk about what I mean when I say, “I like violence.”

To me there is a clear and important line between a fight between equals and an abusive situation  – and that line is the balance of power. Horror as a genre has never appealed to me, because there is always a presupposition of a power imbalance. The stalker, murderer, evil thing has the power and the rest of the cast are victims running away from or forced to fight against the character(s) with power. I suppose that a lot of people enjoy horror because at least one victim wins, usually by gruesomely destroying the bad guy. It’s not my cup of tea. Neither are portrayals of abusive situations. These are not entertainment for me.

I prefer a consenting human, who has chosen their situation, to step into a battle with a fairly matched other consenting person. Even if the fighting itself is not “fair”, the presupposition is that both fighters know what they are getting in to. (This is all relevant this week, by the way, I’ll be referring back to this conversation later, so keep it somewhere you’ll remember to find it. ^_^)

In the meantime, today, we’re going to talk about Ikkitousen, one of the honestly crappiest series I’ve ever enjoyed. My review of XX back in 2010 said this, “In Ikkitousen: Xtreme Xecutor, we pretend that Ikitousen:GG never happened and go crawling back to the Romance of the Three Kingdoms with our heads down, asking humbly for it to take us back.”

And that’s pretty much exactly what happens. Where I was wrong was on the lack of service. The TV release may have had less service, but as this is the “home theater” version, we are forced to to do the tits and crotch dance repeatedly, endlessly, pathologically. I will never have anything but utter pity for folks that actually find this stuff titillating as it’s so boring and pedestrian. You have the whole Internet to be pervy on. Go find something interesting.

So, post the Battle of Red Cliffs that was sort of recreated in Ikkitousen: DD, in the Romance of the Three Schools, a tournament of fighters is announced (again). Someone claiming to be Kentei (again) is setting Fighters up (again) this time to get at the leaders of the three schools – all of whom do not attend for separate reasons. Sousou can’t fight or Cao Cao will take over his body again, Ryuubi can’t fight or her Dragon will go out of control and Hakufu misses the boat because she’s an idiot. This leaves their champions to duke it out with the new crazy fake-Kentei and the not-quite-as-crazy sisters from Nanban. Mouyuu is notable (to me) for being voiced by Toyoguchi Megumi (Sei’s voice actress from Maria-sama ga Miteru) and for having an fetching eyepatch. Put her in some decent clothes and she’d be perfect. ^_^

I’m not going to get into the plot particularly, but I very much like that the characters are extremely aware of their histories and that when Bachou Mouki arrives, they are all instantly convinced that a new recreation of an ancient battle is on the table. Kanu and Ryomou seem to be the most tied into historical awareness – another thing that makes the two of them awesome characters.

There’s a lot of talking in this volume as we set up the fights, but I’m gonna give the story its props, the final episode on this disk ends with a fantastic scene as Hakufu and Gakushu save Ryuubi and company’s asses. I really like Gakushu. He gets the second most “aww”s from me after Ryomou. ^_^

In conclusion, Ikkitousen XX is a hideous perversion of the Chinese epic with gross amounts of service and every once in a blue moon, a terrific fight sequence that makes it all worth watching, if you like watching people beat the shit out of one another. Which I do*.

Ratings:

Art – I guess it’s okay, but why bother? 7
Story – Weirdly 9. The story is actually why I watch it.
Characters – Also weirdly 9.
Service – 10 I can’t complain, because it is what it is, but snooze.
Yuri – 2 It’s there, but all pushed to the background.

Overall – Let’s say 8 if you’re me and 2 if you’re sensible.

*After watching fantasy fighting in Ikkitousen last night, I tuned into UFC to watch a really excellent real-life MMA fight between Paige Vanzant and Felice Herrig at the end of which both I and the live audience were on our feet for Vanzant’s efforts. Two equally matched fighters, both of whom go into it knowing what they are doing, makes for an amazing bout.





Yuri Anime: Dear Brother Set 2, Disk 1 (English)

April 20th, 2015

DearBrother2When people referred to the anime based on Riyoko Ikeda’s Dear Brother manga as Yuri, it was primarily this section of the series they were talking about. Disk 1 of the second Dear Brother set is pretty much the pinnacle of Yuri in the series – it’s also a brief moment of life and joy and happiness in what is otherwise an extraordinarily dark series.

In this disk we start to realize that the drama – all of the drama – is centered upon a single person. Ichinomiya Fukiko, known as Miya-sama, is not just a terrible person, she is a pathologically controlling and sadistic person. As Saint Just starts to recover herself, rediscovering a small joy in the physical activity of basketball, Miya-sama reels her back in repeatedly, like a fisherman tiring out his prey.

But even on the darkest days, the sunlight can sometimes shine through the clouds and Saint Just finds enough of herself left to enjoy – fully and totally – basketball again. Mariko, Nanako and Tomoko are friends and can laugh and joke together without the jealousy we saw in the first set. Through Nanoko’s eyes, we discover that Mariko has fallen in love with Kaoru no Kimi. Not content to be a fan or admirer, Mariko has taken a kind of small possession of Kaoru’s well-being and not been rebuffed. This triggers thoughts in Nanako’s mind that she’s never had before and she considers the idea that she is in love with Saint-Just. Saint-Just does her best to prove to Nanako that she is not lovable at all.

But it’s when Miya-sama “teases” Nanako with veiled threats and unfunny jokes that we realize there is something much, much larger than the obvious going on. In the end, it his Ichinomiya Takashi, Miya-sama’s older brother who gives us the first clue to what it might be. We are left wondering why, when she has Saint Just on such a short leash, Miya-sama cares so much about Nanako?

Ratings:

Art – 8
Story – 9
Characters – 9
Yuri – 5
Service – 1

Overall – 9

Enjoy the laughter and the respite from the dark…in Disk 2 the clouds will thicken again.