Archive for the Series Category


Puella Magi Madoka The Movie Anime – Parts 1 & 2 (English) Guest Review by Greg C.

February 12th, 2014

Modoka-Magica-DVD-V1Wahoo, it’s Guest Review Wednesday and today by a long-time commenter and friend of Okazu, but first-time Guest Reviewer, Greg  C.! Greg has graciously offered to review The first two Puella Magi Madoka Magica movies for us.  I would like you all to welcome Greg with your usual warm welcome. Take it away, Greg!

Puella Magi Madoka Magica The Movie – Part 1: Beginnings (also available on DVD or BD) / Part 2: Eternal (also available on DVD orBD) are the two disks in the Blu-Ray Collector’s Edition that I purchased.  Various vendors will give you different bonus materials with purchase, so shop around.  (Not bonus materials on the disks, but merchandise goodies with the movie.) Important safety tip:  the sub-titles default to “None” and the sound defaults to “Dolby Stereo” and you probably don’t want either of those choices.

“They’re dangerous at both ends and crafty in the middle.” – Sherlock Holmes.

Let’s start with picture quality.  I’m watching the Blu-Ray release on a big screen plasma TV. It gets the most amazing picture quality. If you’ve seen the series, then you know where I’m going with this. Supposedly they redid some of the animation for the movie releases. The backgrounds, especially the witch’s labyrinths, look amazing. The main character designs are STILL pencil quality moe-blobs.  *sigh*

Madoka-Magica-Vol2-Cover-DVDMadoka Magica is a Shaft production and it shows. It shows so very, very hard. The “Shaft neck-tilt” is ubiquitous throughout. It would make a great drinking game to take a shot every time a character looks over their shoulder. A great drinking game if you want to get totally blotto. The changing art style trick they love to do works because of the complexity of the story. It’s done at very appropriate times. My main gripe is that this show about magical girls is definitely a male gaze production. The over use of the “zettai ryouiki to face” pan when characters are speaking is incredibly annoying. (Not as egregious as in Rebellion, but that’s a story for another day.) Be sure to watch for the trademark “Easter eggs” as well, such as “SHAFT” written on the side of a crashing train. The movies are littered with them. At least that’s fun.

“Hush, now — spoilers!” – River Song.

Now, let me warn you THERE BE SPOILERS HERE. If you haven’t seen Madoka in any form: RUN AWAY! AVERT YOUR EYES! Abandon hope, all ye who enter here.

 

Okay, everyone still here doesn’t care about spoilers, right? Good. Here we go. My main nitpick with the movie release editing is right at the beginning: I gasped, “Wait… what happened to Madoka-chan’s opening dream sequence?” Gone. So immediately I’m upset because I know that all the foreshadowing that made re-watching the Madoka Magica TV series so awesome the second time is gone. Why is Madoka so upset in class when she sees Homura for the first time? WE DO NOT KNOW. It will have to be explained to us later, indirectly. The first episode is titled “I Met Her in a Dream… or Something” but that’s all out the window in the movie. Seriously, my favorite scene in the TV version is when Sayaka spoils the whole series in the first episode. However, after that, I’m okay with the choices they made to reduce 12 episodes into two movies. It’s mostly the school scenes that got cut. There is an overwrought Ryouko additional scene, but that is forgivable.

Plot-wise, I like to describe Puella Magi Madoka Magica as my favorite episode of Doctor Who. Homura is, of course, The Doctor. And Madoka… well… Madoka is River Song. Starting with “Silence in the Library” River and the Doctor were going different directions relative to each other. Homura and Madoka at the beginning of the movie are in different timelines. Of course, you don’t learn Homura’s secret until much later. How they ended up this way is unraveled beautifully over the two movies. And in the end Madoka has the will to do what The Doctor, and even Buffy, never did – give herself fully to the cause. And I do mean fully. Madoka went where only Lain has gone before. Gen Urobuchi, you magnificent writer!

Even with all the nit-picky things I mentioned, I still enjoyed these movies immensely. As many times as I’ve watched them, there are still tears. I’ve read the main manga, and some of the alternate story manga. I saw Rebellion twice. I haven’t bought any of the figures yet, but I’m sure I’ll crack when the Yukata Homura figure comes out. (So far I only have figures of my waifu, Saber.)

Be sure and watch until the very end after the credits. Nick Fury asks Homura to join the Avengers Initiative. I’m kidding, of course. But there is a tiny bit that is important to the next movie, Rebellion.

“That is enigmatic. That is textbook enigmatic.” – The Doctor.

Ratings:

Art – 3/9 The “moe-blob” characters are terrible but everything else is rendered beautifully.

Story – 10 It felt very well-crafted and it pushed all my buttons. I loved it.

Characters – 6 In the movies we get less depth because a lot of what is cut out are the little bits of character development that round out their personalities.

Yuri – 4 Homura loves Madoka but not that way. “Obsession” might be a better description than “love”. There is only the faintest whiff of Sayaka x Ryouko. Actually “4” is probably overstating it, but that can represent each couple getting a “2”.

Soundtrack – 10. Yuki Kajiura does her usual wonderful work. The Kalafina end themes, especially “Magia” are perfect. The ClariS opening “Luminous” is a typical bouncy anime title song.

Fanboy/otaku appeal – 1000. Seriously. At times enough to make me angry.

Erica here: Enigmatic indeed. Now I don’t know if I want to see these or not! Thanks Greg for compounding the question. And thanks for a great review!





Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Manga, Perfect Edition, Volume 1 (美少女戦士セーラームーン)

February 2nd, 2014

In 1994, I was still a few years away from discovering anime. I had heard of it and seen some. Speed Racer and Starblazers had been on TV and I knew enough to know they were “Japanimation.”  But I had not stumbled into the giant sinkhole of time and money that this interest would become.

While I was blissfully unaware of this thing – across the planet, millions of people were reading a manga and, eventually, watching a cartoon that would, eventually, change my world completely.

20 years later, Kodansha and Takeuchi Naoko-sensei are once again collaborating. This time on the Perfect Edition of the manga series Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon (美少女戦士セーラームーン). This translation, btw, is official. Pretty Guardians, it is. Not Scouts, not Sailor Soldiers. A “perfect edition” is Japanese industry shorthand for “No more changes, ever. These are the final edits, the last time we proofread the text or re-draw a panel.”

It seems ironic somehow that although this was the first manga I ever read, it wasn’t until last year that I looked at the 15th anniversary edition, when it was released in English. Some choices were made that were good, a few that are inexplicable. (Like the spelling of the Outers’ family names. I  rebuked the translator over lunch last time I saw her  – gently, as I am wont to. “What the fuck, Mari? Who spells like that!?!” We’re still speaking, ’cause she’s cool like that. But really, Ten^o?  WTF.)

I digress, as I often do when it comes to Sailor Moon. It was my first anime love. My first manga. The reason I learned to read Japanese. The motivation for me to write fiction…and eventually, non-fiction.

And just a few months after finishing it again for the very first time in more than a decade…here I am reading it. Again.

The art has definitely been remastered and redrawn in places. People more dedicated than I have done side by side panel comparisons to show how the Senshi have been “youthened.” The digital remastering (perhaps even re-toning in places?) looks really good. Color pages from the artbooks are included, which always give me a warm fuzzy feeling. I can attest to one very specific change that I noticed right away.

In  the original artbook for the series, Takeuchi-sensei commented on original costume sketches. On the character design page, she notes a chain around Jupiter’s hips that never made it into the comic. I have no idea why I remember that, but I did. So when Makoto transforms for the first time in the perfect edition and there was the chain, I laughed.

My apologies for bad quality, my scanner finally gave up the ghost, so I had to take photos. You can click the images for slightly larger versions.

Here’s the original panel from the 1990s version:

Juporig

Here’s the costume page from the first official artbook  that – for some reason, who knows why – I remembered. Note the belt and the highlight sketch of the ball on the belt.

jupart

And here is the new 20th anniversary version:

jup20

Ta-da! There’s the belt.

I have absolutely no idea why that stuck with me, but there you have it, Jupiter has her belt, at last, among other redrawn things. The new edition is 1.5 volumes of the original edition per volume, so this one ends at the appearance of a mysterious Sailor. A good stopping point for the volume and  probably puts this edition at 12 volumes. Volume 6’s cover already has me squeeing. ^_^

The story is the same…but it’s not the same. I have no idea if anything was rewritten, but I have now read it multiple times in both English and Japanese I can no longer say it’s the same story I read the first time. Is it me, or does it make more sense this time? I flash back and forth between the anime, manga and live-action series when I’m relieved that Mercury kills Nephrite instead of Beryl, but sad because he’ll never eat her terrible cookies. No, the story can never be the same again. But that’s okay, because sucking people’s energy out through a VHS tape was a stupid idea anyway. ^_^

So while I may never really understand why Mamoru is walking around Azabu-juban in a tux in the late afternoon, or why Ami, who is a genius, never asks a meaningful question, or why no one listens to Rei when she says, “I have a bad feeling about this” even though she is psychic, I don’t care. I never cared and now I’m just so pleased to see that after 20 years Takeuchi-sensei will get the Sailor Moon she wanted the first time around. I’ll be fascinated to see what other differences await.

Ratings:

Art – 8 Visibly better. So much has improved in 20 years.
Story – 7 Still silly. It’s never going to be not silly. So what?
Characters – 9
Yuri – 0
Service – This is so hard to parse. Mamoru in a tux is ostensibly service for the original readership of girls, but the costumes have ridiculously short skirts. Let’s call it a 5

Overall – Oddly, 9. Did I ever like it this much or am I getting soft in my old age?

There are not enough thanks in the world for Okazu Superhero Dan P. who is the sponsor of this and so many other reviews here. Thank you so much, Dan! If you’d like to become a Okazu Hero, just pick an item from my Yuri Wish Lists on Amazon or Amazon JP and you too will become my hero!

Yes, yes, I cannot wait to see the Outers…again….





Yuri Anime: Aoi Hana Blu-ray Box Set (青い花 Blu-ray BOX)

January 21st, 2014

Last week, my computer died. Blue Screens of Death and repeated systems failures…it was so nostalgic. I hadn’t had a computer do that since, oh, 2003 or so. I’m pretty sure what finally broke the camel’s back was this BD set. ^_^ The BD software I had came with the computer. It was ass from the get-go and when I put this Blu-ray in, I think it died trying to play it. One OS reinstallation later, and a new bit of BD software and we’re good to go. I learned something important while my computer was dying. When your computer is crashing, you really learn what is important to you. Thankfully, I keep pretty good backups. Let this be a reminder to you to back your computer up. ^_^

The Aoi Hana Blu-ray Box Set (青い花 Blu-ray BOX) is absolutely for super-fans of the series or obsessive videophiles. It has nearly no extras of any kind, just a small pamphlet with character bios and art from the individual disc covers (most of which we received in the pamphlet released as an extra with the English-language box set from RightStuf. )

What you do get is beautiful visuals made even more beautiful. The quality of the light through the leaves as A-chan walks to school, or the way the sun filters through windows is, honestly, mesmerizing.

No new video content is included and as this is a Japanese release only, there are no subtitles. But, after watching the anime so many times and reading and re-reading the first volume, I was able to understand the words without difficulty. It’s not particularly complex dialogue, you have to admit.

Let me take a moment and talk up iDeer. When I was rebuilding my hard drive, I looked for a slim media player that would play DVD/BD and data files. iDeer has a trial, so I was able to take it for a spin. Not only did it play my American BDs and Japanese BDs well, it had no trouble with DVDs or .avis.  They’re having a sale right now and I’m totally behind paying for what I use, so I coughed up a mere $50 for the “lifetime” (hahahahah!) updates. So far, it’s been about a million times better than any previous DVD/BD player software I’ve had. Faster, no cloggy home screens, easy to understand menus. I hate wasting time with tech when all I want to do is watch a thing. If you like futzing, this might be too easy for you. ^_^

So, other than the small technicality that trying to play this set originally killed my computer (which was totally the fault of the software, not the disk) this box set was fantastic. Gorgeous in every way and a lovely addition to my collection.

Ratings:

Art – 10 That’s why you’d get it
Story – 10
Characters – 10
Yuri – 8
Service – 3

Overall – 10

Everything else remains as it has always been, with the addition of the extra lovely art.

Thanks to James W. for making this review possible!





Puella Magi Madoka☆Magica Homura Revenge! Manga, Volume 1 (魔法少女まどか☆マギカ ほむらリベンジ!)

January 19th, 2014

Just when you begin to think there’s really not much more to say about Madoka and Homura, you pick this manga up and find that you were wrong. Puella Magi Madoka☆ Magica Homura Revenge!, Volume 1　(魔法少女まどか☆マギカ ほむらリベンジ!) had some interesting elements.

The story begins with Homura (as we are first introduced to her in the TV series) full of dread and hope at starting another cycle of the story. Only this time, something is very, very different. After Homura has introduced herself to the class, Madoka stands up, shouts her name and comes running up to her. Homura has no idea what to make of it – this has never happened before.

Madoka explains that she remembers everything – like everything everything. And this time, she too is determined to save everyone before tragedy overtakes them. She suggests that what they need to do is pinpoint the moments when things went wrong for Mami and Sayaka and if they change those  moments just enough they can ward off the seemingly inevitable end.

What they don’t account for is Kyuubey’s interference. He’s always pretended non-involvement, but realistically, he needs the conflict to continue. He’s not getting himself involved in the fight between the magical girls and the witches, but he is willing to fight Homura and Madoka to retain the status quo.

The reworking of this story actually added  a new edge to the plot. Is it enough that both Madoka and Homura are fighting against the pre-set script? Frankly, I’m not sure. Not with Kyuubey forcing rule changes. But I’m going to read the next volume and hope that the committee that is churning out Madoka-franchise stories had a decent ending in mind for this one.

Ratings:

Art – Same as all the Madoka art. Blobby heads, stylized violence, more details to the backgrounds than the characters. 6
Story – 7 Pretty good opening, but sort of slips into old patterns as it goes on.
Characters – Mami, Sayaka and Kyouko are already caricatures of themselves before the book starts. I’m not sure we’ll ever get them back.
Yuri – 1 Homura’s feelings take a back seat to the plot, we just have to assume she feels the same way about Madoka.
Service – 2 Not too bad. Even the guro is toned down.

Overall – a strong 7, but my opinion could change if the next volume bites.

Typically, Madoka and Homura are playing by rules that Kyuubey doesn’t honor. The original story was a logic problem. I wonder what this one will be?





Sailor Moon Anime News – The Good, the Bad, the Amibiguous

January 10th, 2014

sm20Okay, we finally have some news about the Sailor Moon anime.

First, the bad news: Yesterday, Comic Natalie reported that the upcoming Sailor Moon anime would be delayed again, this time pushed back until July 2014. Originally announced in spring 2013, this will be the second delay. I’m nether surprised nor upset by this. It was obvious that they were trying to squeeze in the thing for the 20th anniversary year and it wasn’t working.

Then came the good news: Umezawa Atsutoshi, the producer for the new series, went on record with news that the anime will not be a remake, but a reboot. (Like, Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood.)

Here’s the ambiguous: We still haven’t heard anything about voice actresses. It is absolutely possible that the delay is to accommodate the schedule of actresses we’d like to see return to their roles, it’s equally as possible that with a reboot, they’ll just choose new voice actresses…especially as some of them have retired or semi-retired, while others were always working.

More importantly, those of us around in the late 1990’s remember Takeuchi-sensei saying that she was never really happy with the anime. The staff was mostly male, they rewrote a lot, and just generally dragged her story out into an even more formulaic kiddy series than it was in the manga. The one thing that bothered her most and, admittedly, a lot of fans as well, was the treatment of the Starlights. (Of course, most western fans will have only seen them if they have watched fansubs.) She insisted they were women cross-dressing and the anime shifted that to them being gender switching. Either way they choose for the news series, someone is bound to be upset.

Our initial gut feeling is that the reboot will be more faithful to the manga – which is, in itself, a double-edged sword. We spend less time with the bad guys in the manga, and are subsequently less like to know about Lead Crow and Aluminum Siren (and that magical moment when they saw the rose petals swirl around Haruka and Michiru.) The manga has some serious problems, including a very messy ending. And the anime has some good elements, so a stricter manga adaptation might not be what we expect or desire.

It’s probably safe to say that Okazu readers are also concerned that Haruka and Michiru might not be at least as couple-y as they were, much less the more we’d like to see. (Although, in interviews, Takeuchi-sensei did say they were a couple and things have changed for the better in regards to LGBTQ representation in anime, so there’s always a slim possibility that we’ll see them more overtly a couple.)

Here’s what I think. If you are already a fan of Sailor Moon, right now, take all your expectations and dreams and desires for the series, carefully tuck them away in a little box in your heart where they cannot be destroyed. Then, watch whatever it is we get, with no expectation or desires and enjoy it or not for what it is, rather than what it isn’t. Manage your expectations and you won’t be disappointed. ^_^

At the moment we know they are still working on an anime that is going to be a clean reboot of the story. Right now they are focusing on the launch of the 美少女戦士セーラームーン THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY MEMORIAL TRIBUTE album, with a live event in February.

It’s good, it’s bad, it’s ambiguous and the rumor mill churns on. Here’s to July 2014.