Archive for the Series Category


Live-Action: Shoujo Kakumei Utena ~Shirokibara no Tsubomi Musical (少女革命ウテナ ～白き薔薇のつぼみ～)

October 10th, 2018

In Spring 2018, to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Shoujo Kakumei Utena franchise, a stage play musical was performed in Tokyo. Now the Shoujo Kakumei Utena ~Shirokibara no Tsubomi Musical (少女革命ウテナ ～白き薔薇のつぼみ～) is available  on DVD, Blu-ray and streaming on Amazon for folks in JP.

Now, if you have been a Utena fan for a long time, you may remember that in the early 2000s, there had been a Utena Musical stage play. And, should you remember that musical, you will remember that it was, in a word, excruciating. The word “unwatchable” also comes to mind. ^_^;

We set the memory of that earlier musical aside to watch the new musical and found that we generally enjoyed it. 

There were a few glaring weaknesses, primarily that the boys couldn’t sing. This is a pretty major problem in a musical. And, in comparison to all the female leads, especially Anthy and Utena’s actresses, Yamauchi Yuka and Nouji Ami, it was a pretty stark failing. 

But that aside, there were a number of elements that made the play move along well. In Utena”s first duel with Saionji at the climactic moment, they switch swords. It was a low-tech way to communicate a moment of intense magic. Instead of focusing on drawing the sword from Anthy’s chest, which was handled with little subtlety, the focus of this musical is the actual relationships of the characters. Time is given to everyone’s back stories. In the first act we clearly see the delusions that make up Miki’s and Juri’s pasts. And Tatemichi Riona as Juri did a convincing flinch away from B-ko when she got too close.

The second act was much tighter than the first, with a number of highlights. Yokoi Shojiro, who plays Saionji, has a brilliant moment when, defeated by Utena a second time, he creates his own Shadowgirl scenario and enters it himself. It was both a funny and profound moment. It was, my wife points out, very self-aware of the play. As one of the few wholly original moments, it worked beautifully.

The final scenes are extraordinary and moving, as Nouji does an excellent job of communicating Utena’s despair at having been defeated by Touga. Takeuchi Yume is brilliant as Wakaba, motivating Utena to take control of herself.  Nouji notches up the acting with a very emotional climax, where her need to get through to Anthy is pretty darn convincing. (My wife had stepped out of the room and returned as the play wrapped up. She noted immediately that it looked like Nouji had been crying. And she had been, fairly realistically.)

For staging, dueling concepts and acting, it was worth watching. For fans of the Utena story, this was a pretty decent re-telling of the first 13 episodes of the anime.

Ratings:

Overall – 8

 If the boys had been able to carry a tune, it would have definitely been a 9.





LGBTQ Comic: Legend of Korra: Turf Wars, Part 3

September 16th, 2018

The final volume of Legend of Korra: Turf Wars has dropped! 

In Part 1 and Part 2, Korra and Asami were rudely interrupted on their vacation in the spirit world by the intrusion of a greedy real estate developer on the spirits’ domain, a humanitarian aid crisis being mishandled  by the Republic City government and a violent gang turf war. All of which had it been written in 2014, might have seemed absurd happening all at once but, in 2018, feels a bit on the nose.

Because this is a 3-part American YA comic that was meant to be a sequel to a popular cartoon, the plots and any and all emotional complications were wrapped up relatively quickly and neatly. Any discomfort family and friends had with the idea of Korra and Asami as partners is wiped away in a panel or two per complication, long traditions of homophobia are declared “need to be changed.” The greedy real estate developer – after having been saved more than once by Korra – comes around to the only actual sensible idea. Asami asserts her corporate power, Zhu Li takes over the Republic City government (and I weep with joy at the idea of a world in which police, military, corporate and political power are all held by women with a sense of responsibility, wrested from the grasping hands of selfish and greedy men.)

Art is once again handled beautifully by Irene Koh, who has reported on her Tumblr that a sequel series is in the works, although she won’t be working on it.

It would all be perfect, except for one nagging thing. Several times this volume Korra and Asami agree that they “should talk.” I understand that thin page count means that neither plot nor development get the time they deserve in this comic, but the thing that annoys me most is that they never have that talk. A panel or two where they agree that they work better as a team isn’t really the talk they need, and while I deeply appreciate that the final pages are focused on their love for one another, I really wish we had seen them have that talk. ^_^; On the one hand, I think it’s that I’m just more used to manga, where longer page counts means that talk takes two chapters, and on the other, I’m old and that talk is really an important tool in terms of healthy relationships. ^_^

On a lot of levels, though, I’m not unhappy that we get the end we wanted from the cartoon here in the comic, with Sato Asami and Avatar Korra saying “I love you” to one another, as they celebrate the victory of peace and progress in the city they love. There’s a bunch of young readers out there, for whom this will be a life-changing comic.

Ratings: 

Art – 9
Story – 8
Characters – 9
Service – 0
Yuri – 10

Overall – A very solid 9

Thank you very, very much to Okazu Superhero Eric P. for his sponsorship of this series! 

If we do indeed get a sequel, I’ll be really interested to read it. (And I look forward to whatever Koh has planned, as well. She’s definitely someone to follow.)

What did you think? Let me know in the comments!

 





Sailor Moon R Movie and Sailor Moon S Movie Double Feature (Guest Review by Pat M)

September 12th, 2018

It’s Guest Review Wednesday and today I’m pleased to introduce you all to a brand new Guest Reviewer and long-time friend, Pat M! Pat’s giving us a two-fer today, after watching both Viz’s releases of the first two Sailor Moon movies in the theater last month. Please welcome our dear friend Pat and sit back and enjoy the double feature!

 

The Sailor Moon R and S movies recently hit theaters in a limited release by Viz. Sailor Moon is one of my favorite anime of all time, so I rode the nostalgia wave to a nearby theater to watch the double feature with subtitles.

Sailor Moon R Movie takes place after the second season of the same name. Sailor Moon S takes place after the third season of the same name.

In the Sailor Moon R movie, the gang are enjoying a day out at the botanical garden when an alien materializes before them and speaks directly to Mamoru. It turns out that Mamoru met Fiore when they were children. He gave Fiore a rose before the alien left Earth. It was an act of kindness that stuck with Fiore, and drove him to search out the most beautiful flower worthy of his new friend. This is Sailor Moon, so the flower that he finds naturally turns out to be an energy sucking evil monster that causes him to have plans of world destruction. He’s also very attached to Mamoru, and does not appreciate the fact that Usagi declares herself Mamoru’s girlfriend. Sailor Moon and the gang have to stop Fiore from destroying the earth with a giant seed-shaped asteroid that is on its way to spread evil flowers everywhere.

Both the movies are from the 1990’s. On a technical level, I think that Sailor Moon R had a better transition to high definition video and audio. The animation was smooth, and the sound was fairly good for something that wasn’t mixed with today’s digital audio in mind. I always mention the high production value of the R movie. The visual quality is higher than any of the other Sailor Moon movies. This is also the movie that has the song “Moon Revenge” in it. It’s a high power song sung by the whole cast, and it’s worth watching the movie for.

Unlike the other movie, Sailor Moon R does not resemble the TV series feel. The characters seem more serious. There is much less slap-stick humor. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Watching the R movie again after so many years reminded me of why Usagi is such a powerful character; she can’t bear to see anyone in pain. This is the driving force behind her character. Usagi is frequently the focus of slap-stick humor in the show. It’s nice to see a story in which she gets to display a maturity that makes it believable that she could grow into a legendary leader in the future.

The first major fight scene in the movie has always been one of my favorites. It takes up a good amount of time, looks great, and is brutal. The monster isn’t just weird, it’s creepy. It’s also important to note that the R movie gives us a rare glimpse into Mamoru’s past. Even Usagi admits that she doesn’t know much about his life before they met.

Sadly, there is no Yuri in the Sailor Moon R movie.

Art: 9
Story: 7
Music: 9 – Moon Revenge!
Characters: 7
Service: 2
Yuri: 0 

Overall: 7

 

In the Sailor Moon S Movie, Luna, the cat who told Usagi about her destiny to become Sailor Moon, stumbles around with a fever on her way home. She is saved from being run over by a nice scientist who happens to work in an observatory and is obsessed with the moon. In her delirium, Luna falls in love with him. Around this time, a frozen alien woman who resembles Elsa Gone Bad shows up and is intent on freezing the Earth. She’s after an evil crystal that Luna’s scientist found. It’s been sucking away his energy and turning him into a really rude and cranky guy who lashes out at everyone but Luna. Bad Elsa wants the crystal because it’s a piece of her comet and she can’t freeze the whole earth without it. I think that she just wants a bling broach for her open gossamer shirt, but who says that both reasons can’t be true. Luna wishes she could be human and spend time with her scientist, but alas, she’s a cat. Everyone shows up to save the world and blast Bad Elsa back to Arendal (or wherever she went after Serenity blasted her from the Moon Kingdom the first time).

The Sailor Moon S movie did not fare as well in the transition to high definition. There were several scenes in the movie that looked as if they had characters added to the cells after production. The lines for the additions were much thicker and darker, so they stood out in sharp contrast to the rest of the cell. These were almost always during crowd or street shots, but they were really jarring at whatever pixel depth the theater showed the film in. The animation quality for the movie was a step up from the show, but nowhere near the quality of the R film. Sound in the S movie was not consistent. There were times when one track would be very low, but another would blare loudly. An example of this is when the Outer Senshi first transform. The music was loud, but the dialog during it was so quiet that I couldn’t hear it at all.

Sailor Moon S felt much more like the TV show. Rei and Usagi fight like they always do. Chibi-Usa and Usagi are ridiculous to the point that they actually trick a monster into looking the other way as they escape just by pointing in unison in that direction. There’s also a romance in the form of a story for Luna that lasts from the beginning of the film to the end. While it isn’t as high on my list of Sailor Moon songs as “Moon Revenge”, “Moonlight Destiny” plays at the end and is a lovely song.

The Outer Senshi are in the S movie, so technically there is Yuri just by their presence. There is only one scene that I can point to as a Yuri moment, and it is so short that if you blink you’ll miss it. During the first café scene where Haruka, Michiru, and Setsuna are hanging out, one of the Snow Dancers crashes through the window and Haruka wraps her arm around Michiru before diving out of the booth with her.

Art: 6
Story: 5
Music: 7 – Moonlight Destiny
Characters: 8
Service: 2
Yuri: 3 (1 for Haruka, 1 for Michiru, and 1 for Haruka protecting Michiru) 

Overall: 6.5

Thanks Pat! I really appreciate the overview. I’ve noticed that sound is always a huge problem with these remastered versions…and it’s really apparent with large screens and good sound systems. (Some of us may remember the issues we had with sound on CPM’s version of the Revolutionary Girl Utena Movie. ) These movies have not yet had DVD/Blu-ray releases, but as soon as they do I’ll provide links for you all!

 





LGBTQ Cartoon: Steven Universe, Season 7

August 26th, 2018

Steven Universe, the blockbuster cartoon about a magical boy is groundbreaking in a dozen ways. In previous seasons, it has dealt with complicated feelings about family, shown us both abusive and functional relationships, discussed war trauma, and repeatedly discusses betrayal, trust, loyalty, friendship and love in its many forms. In a cartoon. For children.

In Season 7 (by Amazon’s reckoning,) Steven Universe delves deeply into those concepts of betrayal and trust. Very deeply. Very, very deeply. This season also complete the process of humanizing the Crystal Gems. In the first few seasons, it is very clear that human relationships are genuinely not a strong point for them. We see this even more starkly in flashbacks to their lives before Steven. In this season, we see the Gems resolve and move through a number of lingering issues by taking part in that humanest of excuses to party – a wedding.

The season begins with secrets, chaos and confusion and geas.
The season resolves with love.
The season ends in chaos and confusion and we have no idea what’s to come.

This season was amazing.

There was not one iota of rebuke or snark in Ruby and Sapphire’s wedding. This is not an episode – heck, it’s not a series – that ever thinks to say, “in your face, haters!” As Steven sings clearly for all of us, caught in the middle of interesting times, for just one day, let’s only think about love…

…and Nell Brinkley. And cowboys. And when the next soundtrack album will be coming out. And holy shit that ending! And all the other stuff. What a season. What a series.

I have repeatedly said in public – often on forums for which this is wildly inappropriate – I want a Peridot/Lapis fusion. I want them to become Azurite. And I want to talk about why. So buckle in.^_^

Someonesomewhere commented that they didn’t want a Peridot/Lapis fusion because they felt that fusions were always about “love.” But I want to talk about fusion, because while Sapphire and Ruby’s fusion is absolutely about love, we’ve seen so many kinds of fusion, from Rubies fusing to make a larger Ruby, to Amethyst and Pearl, whose Opal fusion is not once driven by love – but is instead driven by desire to protect Steven. And we’ve seen non-consensual fusion.

For me, fusion is about trust. Garnet’s words bear that out when she tells Greg that to fuse one must have a gem of light at the core of one’s being and a person who can be trusted with that light.

Lapis has been horribly emotionally scarred, from long before we met her and repeatedly after we do. She can’t trust. She’s never seen trust. Peridot keeps trying to trust Lapis, and getting hurt when she betrays that trust. The moment they fuse will be a profound change for a gem who has been our PTSD poster child. And, selfishly, I really want to see that moment. ^_^

Ratings:

Art – 8 I love, love, love, the capsule-shaped fog on the Beach City Boardwalk
Story – 10
Characters – 10
Service – Sapphire in a tux counts for 4
Yuri – 9

Overall – 10

Gahh! January is so far away!





Yuri Manga: MURCIÉLAGO, Volume 7 (English)

August 23rd, 2018

Another day, another set of grizzly murders in MURCIÉLAGO, Volume 7. And, the best person to get on the case is, obviously not the police, but psychopath Kumori Kuroko and her sidekick Tozakura Hinako. This time, they are bringing back some old friends and bringing in some new ones to build their team.

Due to a slight misunderstanding by Hinako, Kuroko believes Chiyo no longer cares about her, so she’s more than ready to take it out on someone else. Hinako develops two exciting new obsessions, we get a bunch of bombs from Minako, the high-school bomb maker, Narumi (formerly Teresa) drops off a few helping items and we meet Urara, a former cage fighter, now bartender, who will be providing us with some extra large muscles.

I want to be ever so slightly critical of this volume. The “Sakura pruning” group’s name in Japanese begins with “Tozakura” which is also Hinako’s family name. She is not, as the localizers chose, seeing “Hinako” painted around town. She is seeing “Tozakura” which is both extremely creepy and a lot more mysterious. It would not make sense for the “Sakura Pruning Group” to be painting “Hinako” around the the town. “Tozakura” does make sense.

Other than that one comment, this volume is spot on from what I want from a volume of MURCIÉLAGO – grotesque deaths, grotesque lesbian sex and Hinako’s weird obsessions, now including beetles and banchou capes.

Ratings:

Art – 6
Story – 7
Characters – 7
Service – 10
Yuri – 9 

Overall – 8

And Kuroko gets to have lesbian sex with a prostitute. That’s always fun.