‘Magical Girl Raising Project,’ Episode 2

Magical Girl Raising Project. Episode 2, “Collect Magical Candies!” It’s so new I’m not even sure who’s making it. 24 minutes. Not rated. Available on Crunchyroll.

I’ve decided after reading the audience comments on Crunchy that I’m going to say spoiler warning, but seriously, if the end of this episode surprises you, you’re not paying attention.

I wrote my preliminary thoughts about the new, ongoing series Magical Girl Raising Project over here after seeing episode 1. The show’s synopsis on Crunchyroll promises a magical girl death battle. However, the first episode, after its initial glimpse of blood and gore, is pretty tame, and this second episode is surprisingly low-key as well. It gives the impression that, instead of revelling in violence from the get-go, it’s planning to build gradually and then, in the final episode, go full Battle Royale.

Never go full Battle Royale. Continue reading “‘Magical Girl Raising Project,’ Episode 2”

New Review Today

Featured image: “Cristal Sorceress” by nauraljuice.

I might have to swipe feature more art by this naturaljuice guy. I like the cut of his jib.

But, in any case, I’ve been busy of late job-hunting and applying for school. I revised chapter 19 of Jake and the Dynamo last night because I’d rushed it out, so it needed a little more proofreading. Today, I’m working on chapter 20, but I don’t expect to have it in final form by Monday.

I should, however, be able to get up a new review by the end of the day today, so stay tuned.

Art … Especially Good Art

Featured image: “Natural Caster” by naturaljuice.

And we’ve got a thunderstorm in my area, so that’s all I have time for tonight.

JAKE AND THE DYNAMO Chapter 19

JAKE AND THE DYNAMO

CHAPTER 19: DEMONS AND DELINQUENTS

FIRST
PREVIOUS
NEXT

 

The giant bat flapped his wings as he circled overhead. Lightning cracked, so for a moment he appeared as an ominous silhouette against a sky full of white fire. “We have you right where we want you, Barfing Boy,” he cried in a squeaky voice, “and your magical girlfriend can’t save you!” He laughed. “Where is your Princess now?”

The bystanders in the street cowered. An elderly lady lifted her umbrella cane and pointed it at Jake with a shaky hand. “Look! It is him! It’s Barfing Boy!”

Next to the old woman stood a young man with a big potbelly hanging over his sweatpants. Under his chin, his upper neck was hairy, as if he’d forgotten to shave that part. His T-shirt was too small to cover the last few inches of his enormous stomach, and in pink letters it proclaimed, “Magical girls do it in fancy outfits on live TV.”

“And look!” he cried as he pointed at Dana. “Barfing Boy is two-timing Pretty Dynamo! Woo-hoo!”

The onlookers gasped. Jake slapped a hand to his forehead. Continue reading “JAKE AND THE DYNAMO Chapter 19”

‘Magical Girl Raising Project’: It’s Another One of THOSE Shows

Here we go again!

Magical Girl Raising Project, episode 1: “Welcome to a World of Dreams and Magic.” Genco, Studio Lerche. Available on Crunchyroll.

In my naïveté, I wanted to believe that the magical girl genre’s Goth phase, begun in 2011 by Puella Magi Madoka Magica, had come to an end with Yuki Yuna Is a Hero, which I discussed here.  Yuki Yuna replies to Madoka by giving it the finger, an audacious move that earned my admiration.

And, after all, the last few years after Yuki Yuna have seen titles like Wish Upon the Pleiades and Nurse Witch Komugi R, not all of which are good or likeable or decent, but which at least suggest that creators in the genre are looking back to a previous era when magical girls were about love and hope rather than about dying in a pool of blood after having been tricked by an amoral power. Perhaps, I told myself, the Day Break Illusions are behind us. Continue reading “‘Magical Girl Raising Project’: It’s Another One of THOSE Shows”

J&tD Still Set to Update Monday

Featured Image: “SteamGirls Redux” by StMan

I’ve been quite busy this week, so I haven’t spent the time on the blog that I’d like. I’ve spent the day today rewriting chapter 19 of Jake and the Dynamo, which is still set to post at the usual time of midnight tomorrow night.

In the near future, I think I’ll be adding a news roundup for Fridays to go along with the web novel and irregular reviews.

JAKE AND THE DYNAMO Chapter 19 to Appear Monday

Featured image: “Star Guardian Lux and Magical Girl Quinn” by Hichiyan.

… and I’ll see if I can get chapter 20 of Jake and the Dynamo out the week after that.

This thing’s been on hiatus because everything’s hit me at once over here. Life intervened, etc., etc.  But I’m going to push to get chapter 19 shipshape by Monday one way or the other.

My editor, who’s been very enthusiastic about the project, was “meh” about the rough of chapter 19, which is why I wanted to put it away for a while and then come at it fresh. But I think it’s been long enough. He was also initially kind of “meh” about Chai Square, and I don’t know about anyone else, but I, at least, am happy about how that part ultimately turned out.

Brace yourselves.

Art

Artist unknown.

Adolescence as Bodily Invasion: A Review of ‘Alien Nine’

Alien Nine, story and art by Hitoshi Tomizawa. CPM Manga, 1999. 3 volumes. Rated Age 16+.

Alien Nine is that deceptive kind of manga I like, the kind that starts out looking cute and then grows darker and grimmer. Although its premise suggests a target audience of children and it has a simple and cutesy style, this actually appeared in a seinen magazine, that is, one for adult men. Originally running from 1998 to 1999 and filling three volumes, it in 2003 saw a one-volume sequel, Alien Nine: Emulators. There is also a four-episode OVA adaptation. The OVA only managed to cover half the story before it ran out of money, but is nonetheless a cult classic.

This is such a common trick that I'm surprised anyone is surprised anymore.
This is such a common trick that I’m surprised anyone is surprised anymore.

The story revolves around three twelve-year-old girls obliged to protect their elementary school from hordes of goofy little aliens by trapping those aliens and then maintaining them in a vast zoo (or prison) on the school grounds. After introducing this absurd premise, Alien Nine grows steadily more gruesome and violent as the aliens grow more dangerous, until it descends into angst and body horror. By depicting creature-catching as less than it’s cracked up to be, it may be considered a subversion or deconstruction—or whatever the kids are calling it these days—of Pokémon and similar brands.

Continue reading “Adolescence as Bodily Invasion: A Review of ‘Alien Nine’”

Another Teaser?

I didn’t quite finish my review of Alien Nine, so you’ll have to wait another day for your dose of rollerblades and eldritch abominations. I really want to unpack the concepts here, so I’ll take a little time with this one.