Featured image: “Mahou Shoujo Lillie Magica” by Arken.
Art
Featured image: “Mahou Shoujo Lillie Magica” by Arken.
Month: May 2018
Master Manipulator: The ‘Revolutionary Girl Utena’ Rewatch, Part 11
The bird is fighting its way out of the egg. The egg is the world. Whoever wishes to be born must destroy a world. The bird is flying to God. The god is named Abraxas.
—Herman Hesse, Demian
Revolutionary Girl Utena, episode 11: “Carefully Cruel – The One Who Picks That Flower.” Directed by Kunihiko Ikuhara. Character designs by Chiho Saito. Be-Papas, 1997 (Nozomi Entertainment, 2011). Approx. 24 minutes. Rated “16+.”
Watch for free here.
We have now reached the penultimate episode of the first arc, the “Student Council Saga.” This is the third (fourth?) time I’ve watched this series, and I remain impressed by how well-constructed this first arc is. Although the ideas stay interesting, the animation and editing will take a hit in the next arc, and then the grand finale will be so dang goofy that mileage will vary, but this first arc, in spite of some flaws, is unquestionably good.
Since this is the second-to-last episode, it’s only fair to throw out a spoiler warning, though we have not, of course, been spoiler-free before now.
Continue reading “Master Manipulator: The ‘Revolutionary Girl Utena’ Rewatch, Part 11”
#WaifuWednesday
This #WaifuWednesday, I happened to stumble across a site called Honey’s Anime, the proprietor of which has a post on “Top 10 Magical Girl Characters.” These top 10 lists are maybe a little stupid because they’re wholly arbitrary, but I did notice that, in the midst of his list, he had Ryuko Matoi from Kill la Kill.
Although it’s an unusual title, I consider Kill la Kill a genuine magical girl show, being as it is an allegorical story about growing up, with monster fights and transformation sequences. It was an early production of Studio Trigger, which had been founded by the creators of the manic shounen classic Gurren Lagann. Kill la Kill has the same crazy pacing, the same bizarre humor, the same surreal imagery, and the same Looney Tunes-inspired animation as its predecessor, but can’t rise to the gravitas that Gurren Lagann ultimately develops, simply because Kill la Kill’s plot is too damn silly. Still, it’s easily one of the best magical girl titles ever made, and it might be the only one that attempts to give an explanation, ridiculous though that explanation is, of why magical girls tend to get naked in public.
Anyway, Ryuko, the heroine of Kill la Kill, is a rough and tough tomboy who’s travelling the world like Antonio Banderas in Desperado, searching for her father’s killer. She’s armed with half of a giant pair of scissors and wears a talking sailor suit. She’s remarkably lovable in her perpetual pissed-offedness.
Although decidedly less friendly than your average magical girl, Ryuko hangs out with an obsessive best friend, wears skanky clothing, transforms, battles hordes of monsters, and saves the world just like the best of them.
That Yellow Bastard: The ‘Revolutionary Girl Utena’ Rewatch, Part 10
In which Nanami takes over again.
The bird is fighting its way out of the egg. The egg is the world. Whoever wishes to be born must destroy a world. The bird is flying to God. The god is named Abraxas.
—Herman Hesse, Demian
Revolutionary Girl Utena, episode 10: “Nanami’s Precious Thing.” Directed by Kunihiko Ikuhara. Character designs by Chiho Saito. Be-Papas, 1997 (Nozomi Entertainment, 2011). Approx. 24 minutes. Rated “16+.”
Watch for free here.
I think it’s been almost a year since we’ve had one of these blow-by-blow reviews of the most ambitious epic in mahou shoujo history, but I have an excuse. It’s been a roller-coaster year for me. Also, I’m easily distracted. Speaking of which, squirrel. Continue reading “That Yellow Bastard: The ‘Revolutionary Girl Utena’ Rewatch, Part 10”
Art
Featured image by blamspam.
I find myself still slowly gathering volumes of Saint Tail, and it won’t be long now until I’ve finished the manga, though the anime still eludes me. I thought some Saint Tail art would be appropriate.