#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.

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Utena in the shower
Not an image from this episode, but hey.

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.

Walpurgisnacht 2018

Featured image swiped from the Suushuu image board.

I’m now in the final home stretch on finishing my degree, so one of my goals is to be posting more regularly from now on.

Anyway, it is the Feast of Walpurgisnacht again already, historically believed to be the night of a witches’ sabbath and still celebrated tongue-in-cheek in parts of Europe. Here at deus ex magical girl, it is a time of year to celebrate cute witches. This year, it also marks the date when there is one month left until the official release date of Jake and the Dynamo.

This year, we’re going to display some crossover fan art, which I ripped off from the image board linked above. I’m a bit embarrassed that I can’t instantly identify all of the characters in these.

Jake and the Dynamo Releases on June 1st!

And on another note, Roffles Lowell, the official illustrator for Jake and the Dynamo, sent along this little sketch after I announced that the book was set to release on June 1st.

I believe that’s a picture of Dana having finally conquered Chelsea in Magical Girl Rumble.

How to Spot an SJW Marvel Story

I have heard a lot second-hand about Diversity and Comics. I haven’t paid close attention to him simply because American superhero comics aren’t my bag. In this particular video, he gets into the mechanics of how to write a good story, and why political correctness hampers that.

I see now why this guy is popular (and why he is hated so much by some writers and illustrators at Marvel). He really understands how stories work, and his criticisms are calm, incisive, and fair.

‘Jake and the Dynamo’ Volume 1 Releases June 1st!

I now have the contract in hand, so this is the official announcement: the first volume of the Jake and the Dynamo series will release from Superversive Press on June 1st, 2018.

This is a revised and updated version of the book, including additional scenes and a subplot and chapter not present in the blogged version, as well as improvements stemming from the incisive editing of writer and editor L. Jagi Lamplighter. The book also contains a never-before-published bonus novelette.

This part is still not definite, but it will probably also contain previously unpublished illustrations by Roffles Lowell.

Manga Review: ‘Saint Tail’

On a mission from God.

Saint Tail, vols. 1 and 2, written and illustrated by Megumi Tachikawa. Published in Japan by Kodansha Ltd., 1995. Translated by Anita Sengupta. Tokyopop, 2001.

I was unable to complete this in time for Easter Sunday, but, fortunately, Easter is fifty days. So here we go.

The kaitou, or thief, is such a popular figure in Japanese pop culture that kaitou may be considered its own genre. This is probably thanks in large part to the wildly successful Lupin III franchise, which is written to be a sequel of sorts to the stories of Arsène Lupin by Maurice Leblanc. Magical girls had crossed paths with gentleman thieves in franchises such as Minky Momo and Sailor Moon, so a magical girl who is also a gentleman thief—or lady thief, rather—is an obvious next step.

What is perhaps not so obvious is that the magical girl lady thief should be a devout Catholic who steals in service to God, but such is the premise of Saint Tail, and the basic concept of Saint Tail also got recycled, but given a hard twist, in Phantom Thief Jeanne, which we’ll discuss in a later post. Continue reading “Manga Review: ‘Saint Tail’”

Holy Saturday

God is dead.

I’m Catholic, in case that wasn’t obvious, and we’re now in the midst of the Easter Triduum. The fifty days of Easter begin tonight with the Vigil.

Last year, in Deus ex Magical Girl fashion, we celebrated Easter with the egg-obsessed Shugo Chara. This year, I intend to keep that tradition alive by celebrating with the pseudo-Christian magical girl story Saint Tail, which I think I’m finally ready to review, just in time for Easter. Stay tuned.

Crossing My Fingers

I just cranked out and submitted a short story all in one sitting, which was probably not smart, but it had to be done. I’m kinda proud of the story, so I’ll hunt for another venue if it comes back to me.

Also, happy Good Friday.