Anime: Emotions on a Rollercoaster

[InsaneCommander]

SM S 25

 

Spoiler

 

Of course, professor Tomoe started laughing maniacally as soon as he put his coat. He does that for anything so he was probably holding it for some time. He doesn’t seem to want to punish his subordinates when they fail. Kaolinite is still alive and Eudial was killed by one of the others. A pity it was Kaolinite and not Eudial opening the door of his house to receive Usagi and Chibiusa. Imagine what would have happened. (Edit: Eudial was the one who knew their secret identities)

 

Now I'm suspecting that these people have two personalities. Hotaru, the professor, Kaorinite…

 

The enemies continue to improve their tactics. Not enough to send more people to attack the Sailors at the same time, but that obviously will never happen.

 

Mimet (or whatever her name is, the one with a voice that makes Chibiusa sound like an elder) seemed pretty distracted and immature, but she is actually very competent and did well in her first fight, she even decided to take hostages. And talking about immaturity, poor Eudial:

 

Spoiler

 

The new monsters are much more efficient, swallowing the hearts, however they are getting more ridiculous.

 

Spoiler

 

The outer guardians’ reaction when Tuxedo Mask asked why they don’t want to work with the others:

 

Spoiler

 

SU is almost laughing, while the others look disappointed. But from what I understood, they are probably feeling guilty.

 

Btw, they lost a great opportunity with drunk Usagi. Imagine she trying to do the spiral attack drunk.

 

 

Edited March 12, 2021 by InsaneCommander

[Bartimaeus]

Spoiler

If it was instead Eudial at that front door, she would've undoubtedly had her blaster ready and waiting to blow them to smithereens - that's just the kind of girl she is.

 

Edited March 12, 2021 by Bartimaeus

[majestic]

@ArtistFormerlyKnownasKP Huh, what's with your name, had a fallout with your record label?

5 hours ago, InsaneCommander said:

Spoiler

SU is almost laughing, while the others look disappointed. But from what I understood, they are probably feeling guilty.

 

 

Spoiler

 

Yes, they are, and my interpretation is that Haruka and Michiru have a problem with being not nearly as convinced and sure of their world view as they pretend to be. They keep telling themselves that they'd do everything that is necessary to save the world, but when pushed to the limit they don't let each other die and stay back like they should, they just walk into the same trap for each other, even knowing it is there, on the minor chance that they might save their partner.

Haruka in particular, once Usagi shows up. Even tells her she doesn't believe in her idealistic way, but then asks Usagi to finish the job she started and effectively commits suicide over the loss of Michiru. Beause if Haruka was even nearly as certain of herself and her approach to dealing with the Death Busters as she pretended to be, she'd have taken Michiru's talisman and looked for the third one before removing her own. For all Haruka knows Usagi would immediately give the Death Busters their talismans if it meant saving someone Usagi loves.

Some watchers like to see Haruka's self-removal of her talisman as proving how much she's dedicated to saving the world, but I don't think that was the intention. She's not being a badass here, she's trying to escape from something she doesn't really want to do anyway, let alone without the person that was her life. For the entire season up until this point they've constantly been asked the question of whether or not they'd be able to let an innocent die for the cause. By the other girls, by themselves, by each other. Michiru's and Haruka's answers were always: Yes, we can, and yes, we will. You just watch us.

And when it finally came to answer that question with deeds, not words, they both failed. Right now, they can't and don't want to work with the other girls. But that's okay, you know, Sailor Moon is going to love them anyway. Because that's what she does.

The beauty of this is also in how we were shown how Haruka in particular struggles when it comes to potentially letting Usagi (and to a lesser extent, the others) die, and her relief when it wasn't Usagi who had a talisman. Just a really pure heart.

In contrast, Sailor Moon Crystal  goes from: Don't cross us, to Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune actually blasting Usagi with their attacks, to having Haruka assault Usagi by forcably kissing her, to "OMG GIRLS WE LOVE YOU WE ALWAYS WANTED TO FIGHT WITH YOU!*" in the span of four or so episodes. Ugh.

Plus the Witches 5 and Kaorinite are even more incompetent in Crystal. Here in S, they just need to find pure hearts, and  that they do semi-competently at times, or if nothing else are at least efficient. In Crystal Kaorinite and the Witches 5 are tasked with killing the Sailor Senshi and they even know who they are. Each of the witches is shown to be progressively more powerful than the next, and for absolutely no reason at all they go at the girls one by one.

*Paraphrased, but otherwise literally what they say. This is not me exaggerating for effect. 

 

Edited March 12, 2021 by majestic

[PK htiw klaw eriF]

5 hours ago, majestic said:

Huh, what's with your name, had a fallout with your record label?

Yes.

[InsaneCommander]

7 hours ago, majestic said:

 

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Beause if Haruka was even nearly as certain of herself and her approach to dealing with the Death Busters as she pretended to be, she'd have taken Michiru's talisman and looked for the third one before removing her own. For all Haruka knows Usagi would immediately give the Death Busters their talismans if it meant saving someone Usagi loves.

Some watchers like to see Haruka's self-removal of her talisman as proving how much she's dedicated to saving the world, but I don't think that was the intention. She's not being a badass here, she's trying to escape from something she doesn't really want to do anyway, let alone without the person that was her life. For the entire season up until this point they've constantly been asked the question of whether or not they'd be able to let an innocent die for the cause. By the other girls, by themselves, by each other. Michiru's and Haruka's answers were always: Yes, we can, and yes, we will. You just watch us.

 

Yes, that would be the best way to deal with it,

Spoiler

finding the third talisman before removing the ones they already know. But it is understandable that they acted like that because nobody is perfect. They fight better than the others, at least with more focus, and they can't be good at everything.

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And when it finally came to answer that question with deeds, not words, they both failed. Right now, they can't and don't want to work with the other girls. But that's okay, you know, Sailor Moon is going to love them anyway. Because that's what she does.

I think they will eventually love her too.

Spoiler

When Usagi was in the cave, Haruka pulled her very close with concern when the motorcycle daimons appeared.

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In contrast, Sailor Moon Crystal  goes from: Don't cross us, to Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune actually blasting Usagi with their attacks, to having Haruka assault Usagi by forcably kissing her, to "OMG GIRLS WE LOVE YOU WE ALWAYS WANTED TO FIGHT WITH YOU!*" in the span of four or so episodes. Ugh.

Plus the Witches 5 and Kaorinite are even more incompetent in Crystal. Here in S, they just need to find pure hearts, and  that they do semi-competently at times, or if nothing else are at least efficient. In Crystal Kaorinite and the Witches 5 are tasked with killing the Sailor Senshi and they even know who they are. Each of the witches is shown to be progressively more powerful than the next, and for absolutely no reason at all they go at the girls one by one.

*Paraphrased, but otherwise literally what they say. This is not me exaggerating for effect. 

Who writes this?

 

Edited March 12, 2021 by InsaneCommander

[HoonDing]

 

[InsaneCommander]

Damn it Usagi!
 

Spoiler

 

If she remembered that she saw Kaorinite in Hotaru's house, then maybe they could have made a surprise visit and received an invitation/challenge to this:

Usagi would have gladly joined them, just like that time she visited Ail and An and forgot everything when they offered her some cake.

 

 

Edited March 12, 2021 by InsaneCommander

[majestic]

  

5 hours ago, InsaneCommander said:

Who writes this?

Naoko Takeuchi, by the looks of it. Crystal is rather close to the manga.

 

2 hours ago, InsaneCommander said:

Damn it Usagi!
 

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If she remembered that she saw Kaorinite in Hotaru's house, then maybe they could have made a surprise visit and received an invitation/challenge to this:

Usagi would have gladly joined them, just like that time she visited Ail and An and forgot everything when they offered her some cake.

 

 

The Professor and his team is just so awesome.

[majestic]

Oh, right, I forgot to add:

Finished Phantom Blood now.

Spoiler

Was a bit surprised that Battle Tendency has a different JoJo. Did not expect Joestar-san to die. Is Speedwagon going to call Joseph Joestar Joestar-san too?

What else to say. The longer I watch JoJo's Bizarre Adventure the more I enjoy it. So far that's similiar in the way I enjoyed Dark Matter. It's goofy and fun, who cares about the rest.

The attack names are total memes, obviously, but everyone knows that already. Heh.

I also finished the first Cardcaptor Sakura episode, and the second one. I'm enjoying this one a lot, and that after only two episodes. Sakura is totally endearing and her best friend Tomoyo turns into a complete fangirl the moment she finds out that Sakura is actually a magical girl. I wonder if that keeps up, because currently she's chasing Sakura everywhere with her camcorder and documents her fights, and she insists on giving Sakura pretty costumes to fight the monsters in.

Tomoyo comes from a very successful business family and has her family's servants and bodyguards drive her around. Inlcuding a van full of costumes to choose from pre-battle. It's hilarious and adorable, and the dialogue is fun. Sakura remarks that there probably aren't many elementary school girls that have body guards drive them around, and she comes back with "Yeah, but elementary school girls that can use magic are probably even rarer", that had me laughing for a good while.

The english dub is a little less fun, somehow. Video timecoded for your conveniece, as usual.

Jesus Christ that dub is bad, do yourself a favor and watch this one with subs.

Edit: Oh, right, and Steven Universe:

Spoiler

Lars and the Cool Kids was probably the first episode I didn't care for. The ending was nice, but everything else was... not really.

 

Edited March 12, 2021 by majestic

[Bartimaeus]

this sounds like the very worst parts of the original sailor moon english dub

[InsaneCommander]

39 minutes ago, majestic said:

 The Professor and his team is just so awesome.

They are. I even feel disappointed when one of them is gone.

SM S 32

Spoiler

Finally! They finally decided to try to steal more than one heart at the same time.

 

[Bartimaeus]

@majestic

Missed your SU update: while I don't mind that episode one way or the other particularly*, I would say the very next one is probably my very least favorite episode of the season (and if not that one, then it's probably competing with only one or maybe two others for the spot). The good news is, there's a pretty good run of more interesting episodes (besides like maybe one) after that.

*...Although only in retrospect: episodes like these are what the fandom somewhat derisively labeled "townie episodes" (episodes that didn't really have anything to do with the main characters outside of Steven and instead focus more on town characters), and I recall some of them being more a little more frustrating than others during my original watch of the show. In retrospect, most of them work a lot better and make more sense than you might think...but, you know, that's in retrospect - i.e. not to a new watcher.

[majestic]

  

3 minutes ago, InsaneCommander said:

They are. I even feel disappointed when one of them is gone.

SM S 32

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Finally! They finally decided to try to steal more than one heart at the same time.

 

 

 

Soon you will revel in the glory that is Sailor Moon SuperS. Are you excited yet?

Edited March 12, 2021 by majestic

[majestic]

1 minute ago, Bartimaeus said:

Missed your SU update: while I don't mind that episode one way or the other particularly*, I would say the very next one is probably my very least favorite episode of the season (and if not that one, then it's probably competing with only one or maybe two others for the spot). The good news is, there's a pretty good run of more interesting episodes (besides like maybe one) after that.

*...Although only in retrospect: episodes like these are what the fandom somewhat derisively labeled "townie episodes" (episodes that didn't really have anything to do with the main characters outside of Steven and instead focus more on town characters), and I recall some of them being more a little more frustrating than others during my original watch of the show. In retrospect, most of them work a lot better and make more sense than you might think...but, you know, that's in retrospect - i.e. not to a new watcher.

Hm.

Spoiler

Yes, that Onion episode was strange. Pearl's lampshading that he should have just replicated Ranger Guy didn't help. Why exactly is Onion able to use the magic doodad? I wonder if that is a point for later and there are magic gizmos that everyone can use, or maybe Onion is magic too, but otherwise not really that entertaining.

The advantage of 10 minutes episodes though. They're over quick when they're not particularily good. Sailor Moon SuperS feels like a slog in comparison.

[Bartimaeus]

Yeah, that episode is...well, it's just not that great - but yes, thankfully just 10 minutes-long. And now you're onto episode 16, which is significantly better, to say the least!

[InsaneCommander]

And...

Spoiler

The new Witch died in her second episode. Only 6 left, so I'm guessing the other two will have the same fate. They will need 4 episodes for the main bosses.

 

I watched some episodes of Sakura Card Captors 20 years ago. It didn't interest me back then.

After I started watching SM I have been adding other animes to a list. Jojo is probably next, unless it has lots of episodes. After SM I think I'll try to clean this list watching the ones with just 10-20 episodes. I still have to watch One Punch Man's second season and I was told Goblin Slayer is good. Legend of Galactic Heroes is also on the list, but this one seems to have a lot of episodes.

[PK htiw klaw eriF]

2 minutes ago, InsaneCommander said:

Jojo is probably next, unless it has lots of episodes

It does, after season 1 each part is at least 39 episodes. It's probably best* to watch each part as it's own series, because they are somewhat independent and do have a new cast of characters for every part.

*Unless you can't get enough of Dio

1 hour ago, majestic said:

The longer I watch JoJo's Bizarre Adventure the more I enjoy it.

That's how it goes, you start watching because it's a meme but keep watching because it's actually a fun and enjoyable show. It never really makes sense though.

You really didn't expect Jonathan dying by SPACE RIPPER STINGY EYES?

[majestic]

31 minutes ago, InsaneCommander said:

I watched some episodes of Sakura Card Captors 20 years ago. It didn't interest me back then.

I've seen two episodes. If the entire show is just her capturing a card each episode without little else happening then it will probably not be interesting for me either, but so far there's enough fun stuff going on.

Steven Universe episode 16:

Spoiler

Lessons learned: Gems regenerate. Killing one probably requires damaging the gem in some way, and Steven is like me when an old school friend went to a Karate school for a while. I wanted to see some Street Fighter level high kicks, and all they learned were basic stances. That was disappointing.

 

Edited March 13, 2021 by majestic

[Bartimaeus]

Spoiler

Boomerang blade, boomerang blade!

 

[PK htiw klaw eriF]

I saw the Minako episode of Super S. Despite some things it was one of the better ones if only because the focus was on something besides Usagi and Chibi-Usa fighting over Mamoru's attention.

Minako trying to have two dates at once was actually in character and funny.

[majestic]

Just sat on the couch doing nothing much with Netflix running and for some reason it suddenly played the third episode of Cardcaptor Sakura. Not sure how that happened. I'll mark the spoilers but  really nothing that happens here is of any consequence, you're free to read.
 

Spoiler

 

This one has a water based monster that attacks penguins and their caretaker at the aquarium. Sakura and Kero aren't exactly sure how to catch water.

Sakura makes pancakes for Haruka Yukito who in turn asks if she wants to get some food with him. Tomoyo stalks them with her camcorder because she simply has to film Sakura's first "date", and of course she's nosy and curious when her best friend is out with a boy, even though it's painfully obvious that Yukito just wants to say thank you because Sakura spent her allowance on the ingredients for the pancakes... and he's like 17, and Sakura is 9 or 10, and this thankfully wasn't written by Naoko Takeuchi.

Watery (the Clow Card) attacks them, but Yukito provides the perfect clue for Sakura. They wanted to order ice cream before the attack.

I'm also not entirely certain that Yukito likes girls. Nothing on screen would indicate anything yet, but... why else would they let Haruka voice him? That's like assuming the character that's played by Michelle Rodriguez or Sean Bean dies.

 

That "feelgood" tag the anime has on Netflix is well earned. Compared to Sailor Moon so far it's a bit more shōjo, but that's not something I mind... never did, not even when I at least was in the same age group as the regular shōjo target audience.

 

[InsaneCommander]

13 hours ago, majestic said:

I've seen two episodes. If the entire show is just her capturing a card each episode without little else happening then it will probably not be interesting for me either, but so far there's enough fun stuff going on.

All I remember is she trying to capture monsters and her friend making clothes for her to use while she does that. But I must have watched just a few episodes and it was a long time ago.

1 hour ago, majestic said:

and he's like 17, and Sakura is 9 or 10, and this thankfully wasn't written by Naoko Takeuchi.

[majestic]

Overhead death strike!

Spoiler

And a beach party. Garnet has a gem on her hands. At one point both hands glow. +1 for the Garnet is two gems theory. I'll consider that more of less confirmed for now. Mental note: Gem seen was red. If she ever shows another color then that's final confirmation (assuming this theory is correct and the second gem shows up before the reveal episode).

 

Edited March 13, 2021 by majestic

[Bartimaeus]

@majestic

Spoiler

By the way, do you have a favorite Gem yet? I watched the show with three other people, and about midway into the season, everyone had a favorite (although interestingly, these favorites did not remain true for everyone over the entire show's duration - mine did): two people's favorites were Amethyst, one person's was Garnet, and one person's was Pearl's.

 

17 hours ago, ArtistFormerlyKnownasKP said:

I saw the Minako episode of Super S. Despite some things it was one of the better ones if only because the focus was on something besides Usagi and Chibi-Usa fighting over Mamoru's attention.

 

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Minako trying to have two dates at once was actually in character and funny.

Heh, I saw the original English dub of a scene from that episode a while ago, as well as some other random bits and pieces of SuperS and Sailor Stars. From just the clips I've seen, you'd almost think SuperS and Sailor Stars were just as good as the first three seasons...but I guess it's a bit of selection bias, .

Edited March 13, 2021 by Bartimaeus

[PK htiw klaw eriF]

5 minutes ago, Bartimaeus said:

@majestic

  Reveal hidden contents

By the way, do you have a favorite Gem yet? I watched the show with three other people, and about midway into the season, everyone had a favorite (although interestingly, these favorites did not remain true for everyone over the entire show's duration - mine did): two people's favorites were Amethyst, one person's was Garnet, and one person's was Pearl's.

 

Heh, I saw the original English dub of a scene from that episode a while ago, as well as some other random bits and pieces of SuperS and Sailor Stars. From just the clips I've seen, you'd almost think SuperS and Sailor Stars were just as good as the first three seasons...but I guess it's a bit of selection bias, .

So far what makes SuperS lackluster in comparison to the other seasons is that it is  retreading old ground and the henchmen are um thinly veiled sexual predators. Moreover it follows S, which bar none have the best villains, and gives us a carnival of boring dip****s. Like the Professor wasn't complicated and didn't need to be, just by being wacky he was more fun to see and something you looked forward to, the new villain is basically Queen Beryl again.