Archive for the Series Category


Sailor Moon SuperS Anime, Part 1, Disk 3 (English)

October 25th, 2019

Disk 1 gave us the SuperS Special, with it’s Yuri lovefest. Disk 2 turned a little dark, but was deeply queer.  With Sailor Moon SuperS, Part 1, Disk 3, we find ourselves deep into the middle of the 4th season of the original anime, with virtually no more information about the plot than we had in the first disk. Less, because this disk devolved into a a kind of pissing match between Hawk’s Eye and Tiger’s Eye about how many women they can seduce while Fish Eye seeks to seduce men, during which they occasionally remember they have a specific mission to discover Pegasus hiding in a human’s dream.

Because the mission has largely been forgotten, there are a number of things that draw our attention in this season which are problematic. Even setting aside Chibi-Usa’s crush on a talking horse, which reads more “fantasy” than creepy, and some of the earlier, quite creep lolicon, there is the frankly sexually violent way in which the Amazoness Trio immobilize their victims, rip people’s dream mirrors out of their chests, open them, thrust themselves in and out while digging around, as their victims scream. This violent act is horrific on it’s own, but that it keeps being conflated with seduction…I find myself at a loss for words.

This season adds shotacon to the pile of things to be made uncomfortable by, if you’re keeping a record, with Fisheye’s lame attempt as seduction/assault/mirror rape of a young boy and…Shingo and Ami. This is an equal-opportunity fetish series.

As I contemplated writing this review, I struggled with this disk. SuperS is my least favorite season for any number of reasons, the above paragraphs among them. I was considering skipping this disk in fact, as it seemed to me aggressively straight, until I began to really watch it, through the lens of my 21st century understanding. All three of the Amazon Trio are gender non-conforming and Fish Eye is, to my eye, trans. Minako’s “two-timing” episode is a poorly constructed episode that I would rewrite into her being poly and pansexual, except that of course, the Amazons are an alien enemy, not two genderfluid humans. ^_^;

I used to feel sympathetic to the Amazon Trio, but I’m not feeling it this time. I find myself actually looking forward to the theatrical release of the first Sailor Moon Eternal movie (functionally the 4th season of Sailor Moon Crystal) in which we blow through them to get to the Amazoness Quartet (whose story is sadly abbreviated in manga as well as anime and also needs a rewrite.)  The manga also has the much better powerup of the Inner Senshi than the one on this disk, which strips the agency from the Outers and gives it to Pegasus…which was just annoying.

Technically, this disk looks amazing and I only picked up the DVD, not feeling enough love for it to get the BD. While the art is retro as always, the quality of the reproduction and sound is absolutely stellar, as if it had been made for digital. Great job with the remaster and no over-saturation of the color needed. Extras on this disk are trailers only.

SuperS is never going to my favorite season, but my favorite episode of this season is coming up on the next disk, so that’s something to look forward to!

Ratings:

Art – 7 It’s noticeably improved on this disk
Story – 2 So much screaming
Characters – 4
Service – This disk adds shota to the pile.
LGBTQ – 6 For an aggressively heterosexual season, SuperS is really queer

Overall – 6

This disk leaves me with three questions:

1) Where does Mamoru get his money? He doesn’t work, goes to med school, lives in a huge apartment and has a European sports car in late 90’s Japan.

2) Do the Inners get tired of buying clothes in the same colors as their Senshi fuku? Because this season they are all-in on the matching color scheme.

3) What lessons is this season supposed to be teaching us? Because I don’t think those are the ones we’re learning. ^_^





Yuri Manga: MURCIÉLAGO, Volume14 (ムルシエラゴ )

October 10th, 2019

In MURCIÉLAGO, Volume14 (ムルシエラゴ ), the gang learns of a new, exciting horror to infest their city; someone is chomping chunks out of the necks of women.

Narumi and Kuroko team up to discover just what the hell is going on, but Narumi finda herself purposefully disabled and stuck in a sewer with a bunch of other girls, all of whom have the same injury she’s been given. Narumi and the others…have been put in the larder. She quickly learns the horror this time is not new at all…in fact, it’s the return of one of the most complicated and interesting antagonists of the entire series. 

Rose Marie is back and creepier and more horrific than ever! Narumi holds out until Kuroko and Shizuka arrive and help her take out this new/old scourge.

The counterpoint to all of this is that Hinako and the remaining half of the team go to the pool where they swim, eat, and pound the living shit out of some assholes. All good fun.

Chiyo has one of those serious moments, when speaking about Kuroko to Hinako and explains that her “like” is definitely different than Hinako’s like – she’s not above a little fantasizing that they might be married one day… Hinako’s main objection is that the idea of Kuroko in a dress really annoys her. ^_^

Ratings:

Art – 8 On repeat: In so far as it is conveying horrific violence, I think it’s getting better.
Story – 8 Creepier than usual, which is saying a lot
Characters – 8
Service – 5 less than usual, skimpy bathing costumes
Yuri – 4 Chiyo is the Yuri carrier drug here, and I’m okay with it

Overall – 8

I am in awe of Yoshimurakana’s ability to come up with new skin-crawling terrors. I am also a little in awe that this series, which is very heavy on the violence against girls doesn’t make me want to punch someone. The only thing I can think of is that the violence against women is the only part that’s taken seriously. When guys are killed, it’s like, “eh, whatevs.” ^_^





100 Years of Yuri Tour: Sailor Moon Restaurant, Shining Moon Tokyo

September 22nd, 2019

One of the several exciting events associated with our 100 Years of Yuri Tour was a visit to the Sailor Moon Restaurant, Shining Moon Tokyo. We included this, in part because Sailor Moon is foundational to a whole generation of not only Yuri fans, but also Yuri creators. (I recall a story in one of Hayashiya Shizuru-sensei’s early doujinshi on how she met her partner/assistant Makise Ren at a video rental store, as they both reached for a Sailor Moon S tape.) Also in part because I thought it sounded awesome and wanted to include it.

Shining Moon Tokyo was awesome, and I’m really glad we went. ^_^

To begin with, we were met at the door by a person who confirmed our reservation and took our dinner orders before we had set foot in the place. We then proceeded down stairs into a basement wonderland. Well…a relatively low-budget wonderland, anyway.

 

 

 

 

The tables and chairs were white resin, very 1960s. The stage was small, with stair up each side to a catwalk across the top and the smallest proscenium I had ever seen, not even a meter square. There was a screen across the stage, welcoming us to Shining Moon Tokyo.

 

 

 

The ceiling was hung with the planets…two of which became part of the show, in a rhythmic gymnastics kind of way.

 

 

Costumes in one section of the restaurant were the only decorative items. In most other ways the space felt like a cave or a basement theater…or a kind of modern Mithraeum, where a ritual enactment was about to take place. ^_^

 

 

 

The screen kept telling us that the show would start shortly, but first, we were served dinner. The choices were limited, so between us, we had all three options. I had the sushi platter, with little planetoid sushi.

 

 

There was the moon somen plater.

 

 

And the moon bunny curry.

 

 

Drinks were Senshi-themed. We split between the Sailor Moon (peach), the Venus (mango and green jello)  and the Mars (shiso and some kind of berry.)

 

 

For dessert I think we all got the Silver Millennium cake.

 

 

The food was pretty good as far as it went, which is as far as microwaved platters can go. ^_^ They were served on planet symbol-themed wax paper over special Shining Moon Tokyo plates, which were a gift – after the dinner, we were handed boxes to take them home with us. We joked that if we came back a few times, we’d have enough for a service.

Just as the screen told us the show would begin shortly, I noted that the screen has English subtitles. Huh, how about that.

Then the show began. Not surprisingly, no pictures were allowed of the show, but we were encouraged to take pictures of the revue portion.

The show was the entire first season boiled down into a half-hour, with key points -including the death of the Senshi – kept intact. The individual fight scenes were pretty amazingly well-done. The screen functioned as some of the special effects, so Ami’s and Makoto’s attacks were shown on screen. Rei’s fight was exceptionally well done, using a large puppet for a nine-tailed kitsune and she twirled some kind of effect bar that showed up as flames – we all really liked that effect.

Even Tuxedo Mask had a decent fight scene that included lasers and smoke. “He” was still brainwashed for a bit there, but visually, the whole scene was cool.

Which brings me to Minako. We saw Abe Nanami as Minako/Sailor Venus, and we all commented that she leaned into her role hard. She was fantastic. Her fight was the most abstract, with nice use of light and shadow – and she made good use of the scenario. She also managed to dominate any scene she was in, in a good way. Additionally, as the performance wrapped up, I swore I saw a little byplay between her and Taguchi Mika, who played Mars. It was just a moment of interaction in which I was positive Rei was acting jealous. ^_^

 

 

 

I also want to shout out to the deathlings, played by the other set of actresses that switch off with the team we saw. My god, they were athletic. Even beyond flips and dance-fighting kicks and stuff, they did rhythmic, acrobatic, and aerial gymnastics.  These 12 young woman work really hard for this show and I want to thank them all.

 

 

And then the actresses came out to greet those of us in the audience and my suspicions about Minako were totally confirmed. ^_^ I wasn’t filming, but I did capture photos of Venus throwing a kiss at my wife, and Mars reacting with jealousy, then Venus holding on to Mars for the rest of the greet. ^_^

Here’s the photos in a time lapse video.

 

 

Of course by then, we were all ready to spend money at the shop. Belatedly, I noticed we had nothing Mercury themed. Had I realized, I would have ordered a blue drink. Poor Ami.

 

 

It was a wonderful time and we all enjoyed the heck out of it.I recommend it highly if you’re already a fan of the series or are looking for a themed cafe and show.

After watching Minako in this little scenario, I’m more than ever convinced that it’s way past time for a 21st century update of Sailor Moon, in which the full range of gender and sexuality in the characters is openly acknowledged. Haruka as genderfluid, Minako as pansexual, the Starlights as trans…I think it would be swell. ^_^





Sailor Moon Eternal Edition, Volume 5 (English)

September 3rd, 2019

Volume 5 of Sailor Moon, Eternal Edition is….not what I’d hoped it would be.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s a beautiful book, with the “holographic cover” and color images that grace this definitive edition…but it’s that this is the definitive edition that sort of bugs me.

One of my big complaints about the 20th anniversary edition was the choice for transliteration of Haruka’s, Michiru’s and Setsuna’s family names. I argued with the translator who rightfully insisted that the transliteration she chose was correct. I equally insisted that it may have been correct, but it is fugly. Sadly, this 25th anniversary edition has continued using them.

Ten’ô, Kai’ô, Mei’ô

Tenoh, Tenou, Tennoh, Tennou, Ten’ou, Ten’oh but… … Ten’ô?  Vile.  It is an abomination. I do not care that it is “technically correct.” I care that it jangles my nerves and ruins my ability to read the story smoothly because it just looks so awful.

Let’s just stop here and take a look how names are transliterated in the real world. You may know the name Ichiro. He’s kind of a famous major league baseball player. His  name is 鈴木 一朗, which is transliterated as Suzuki Ichirou or Suzuki Ichirō and is commonly just written Ichiro in English.

     

The second jersey belongs to 佐藤 友亮 Satō Tomoaki, transliterated as Satoh Tomoaki, a Japanese baseball player with the Saitama Seibu Lions. I only picked baseball players, because they typically have their names on the jerseys, but this applies for most Japanese athletes. Haruka is an athlete.

When we see Haruka in her racing gear in the original anime her name is very sensibly transliterated Tenoh, as it is on this collectible card.

 

 

Ten’ô. There is no sane reason for this choice. 天王 =てんのう Tenou. Frankly for scan, I would have chosen Tenoh, Kaioh and Meioh,, but Tenou, Kaiou and Meiou would have been *fine*. I hate Ten’ô so much, it’s an insult to my eyes every time I see it. It may be correct, but it is terrible.

In every other way, this volume is just fine, but this was – and will continue to be – such an affront that I actually am considering not getting the rest of this series in this edition and just sticking with the Japanese, which will not irritate me. I was so looking forward to a sensible correction to this hideous choice in what is meant to be a magnificent definitive edition in English. It really scarred what is otherwise a momentous edition, as we meet genderfluid Haruka, her partner Michiru, and Setsuna miraculously comes back to life with no explanation whatsoever, bringing Sailors Uranus, Neptune and Pluto together, with their three talismans.

It’s a great volume about which we could talk for hours. To make me feel better about the name issue, I’ve written a short scene for the the “25 years have passed and *we* understand gender and sexuality differently” version I conjectured yesterday in my discussion of Queerness in Sailor Moon. In this version,after the Outer Senshi are introduced, we get an better answer to a question Usagi asked Haruka days ago:

“I never wanted to upset you,” Uranus’s face took on that look of endless sadness that make Usagi ache for her.

“Your Highness,” Neptune’s eyes were wet, “Uranus is both a man and a woman. She is a Guardian of both, with her attributes and strengths limited to neither.”

“I don’t understand,” Sailor Moon looked back and forth at the two women she wanted so much to fight with, not against.

“I’m genderfluid,” Haruka said gently. “I can present as a man or a woman as I want. When I dress as a man, I am seen as a man, and when I dress as a woman, I am seen as a woman.” She smiled tightly, “When I am dressed as a Senshi, I am seen as a Senshi.”

“Oh!” Sailor Moon nodded, “I understand.”

Michiru continued, “Each of us has…”

THERE. Fixed that scene. I feel better. I was >this< far from setting off yesterday in a complete 21st century rewrite of this entire season to fix all the many, many problems. But instead I wrote about queerness.

Ratings:

Art – 8 Visibly stronger than earlier volumes
Story – 7 Kind of a mess by our standards now, but amazing for the time
Characters – 7 Same. Hotaru becomes incredibly interesting from this point on.
Yuri – 5 Haruka trying to seduce Usagi off her case is something; still needs a real love scene between her and Michiru
Service – Same as above

Overall – 7 with a point off for the name issue. 6

Ten’ô, Kai’ô, Mei’ô must die. It’s just so awful.

 





Yuri Manga: Yamada to Kase-san (山田と加瀬さん)

August 14th, 2019

Yamada and Kase-san have officially begun their lives as college students in the big city. It’s a life full of challenges; getting around, meeting people, balancing their relationship and the physical distance separating them against the rest of their lives.

Yamada makes a friend, Hana, a girl whose family runs a flower store. Hana is very similar to Yamada and feels equally as in love with the school program, as she is overwhelmed by city life. To help Hana, Yamada agrees to go to a meet-and-greet event. Kase-san forcefully asks her to decline, but Yamada wants to live her own life, as well as be with her lover.

The defining challenge of Yamada to Kase-san (山田と加瀬さん) is jealousy. Both Yamada and Kase-san are threading thin needles, keeping up with their work, forming peer groups and trying to fit each other into these new lives. When Kase-san shows up to the meet-and-greet, Yamada knows that Kase-san wasn’t wrong, but stands firm on her own motivations. Kase-san backs down – probably the single most important moment of the book. And of course, Hana, innocent that she is, is appalled at the party becoming a drinking party and bails. ^_^

All is well, as they get together with Mikawacchi and Yamada is recruited to a job at a Garden Center – where she is greeted as a savior. Then it his her turn to face down jealousy, as it suddenly dawns on Yamada that Kase-san is sharing her dorm room, with a woman who will know more about the day-to-day life of her lover than she does. Kase-san’s birthday forces her to confront her jealousy.

There’s another conflict brewing in the background, too, but that is saved for another time.

This was an exceptionally strong volume of this series. The translation of Kase-san and Yamada from provincial high school into a more adult world is not without its sacrifices….sometimes the humor comes of as a bit facile, but, more often its a welcome relief to an otherwise difficult emotional situation. It is delightful to have kept Mikawacchi’s chaotic influence in the story and a triumph to see Yamada with a peer of her own.

Ratings:

Art – 8
Characters – 8
Story – 7
Service – Does Kase-san in a suit count? Yes? 7
Yuri – 9 With the slightest frisson of the real world edging in

Overall – 9

Ultimately, my desire to see them happy continues unabated.

The English-language volume, Kase-san and Yamada, is slated for winter 2020 release.