Welcome to the Another Reboot

I recently finished watching the first four seasons of the original Sailor Moon anime. The one from the 90s that was recently re-dubbed with an excellent voice cast (don’t hate me for liking dubs, it depends on how well they’re done whether or not I’ll watch them). So, while I wait for the fifth and final season of the of the original show to be dubbed, I decided to check out the reboot version: “Sailor Moon Crystal”.

The first episode is a nearly prefect replica of the original series’s first episode, right down to the dialogue. Updates have of course been made. The animation is a lot cleaner and smoother, the 90s soundtrack and opening theme has been done away with, and the story moves a lot faster than the previous series. I think they even use the same voice cast that they for the re-dubbing.

All in all, a solid first episode.

However, if I had one complaint, as petty as it might be, it’s that the style is too pretty. Usagi is supposed to be fourteen in the series. She definitely doesn’t look fourteen. She looks like a mid-twenty something with way too much eye makeup. It’s a little distracting to be honest.

Original on the left. Reboot on the right.

Actually all the characters, even the boys, have been given a serious glow-up from the 90s version. I know animation and drawing styles change, but holy crap is it weird to go from seeing characters looking childish and with a little puppy fat (the original had their faces a more circular shape) to the sharp, doe-eyes that’s the new series’s style. It almost falls into the uncanny valley.

It’ll take some getting used to that’s for certain.

But that’s how these things go. Remakes, sequels, and reboots all require changes to draw in a new audience. Though I’ll definitely miss the 90s pop soundtrack of the original, the new soundtrack isn’t bad. At least the voice acting is still on point.

It’s not like Sailor Moon is the first show from my childhood to get a reboot or remake. There are tons of versions of Scooby Doo with a lot of different art styles (some better than others) and Bugs Bunny has gone from shorts, to full 30 minute TV shows, to a super hero reboot, to getting the baby treatment that the early 90s loved (remember “A Pup Named Scooby Doo” or the seriously awesome “Muppet Babies”?).

Once a show, story, or character has reached a level of iconic that even people who’ve never seen the original concept can recognize it, I should just expect to see a reboot or remake. Personally I prefer the reboot to the remake.

I know I’ve written about this before in my blog posts about “Child’s Play”, “Suspiria”, and “The Haunting of Hill House” (see here and here). But when a show or movie gets redone, I sometimes feel like sharing my thoughts on the changes. And if my only complaint is the different art style, then the new series likely improved everywhere else on the original.

I actually like the updates made to the Sailor Moon story that I’ve seen so far. It’s more streamlined and cuts down a lot of the filler from the originals. We get to meet all the main characters at lot faster. Plus they updated the ages of a few of the characters so their relationships aren’t quite as..cringe.

None of this nonsense.

I just can’t get over how unnatural the characters look. I mean this isn’t the first anime to have characters look different or jarring from how I expect. “XXX-Holic” has an art style which gives all the characters oddly proportioned limbs (manga does this too) and “Black Butler” characters really like wearing extremely patterned clothing.

I’ll either get used to the changes or I’ll stop watching the show. But if I want to share Sailor Moon with the next generation, then updates and reboots need to be done to keep the character and story in the pop culture consciousness. That’s why a lot of kids know The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Optimus Prime. And their character designs have changed a lot since their original airings in the 80s.

Plus it's cool to hear lines like "we'll live like Jack and Sally" or "Gotta get in tune with Sailor Moon/Cause that cartoon has got the boom anime babes" in the songs I listen to. Okay maybe the Barenaked Ladies didn't need to go that far in "One Week".

Do you have a show or movie that had a reboot or remake that you’ve loved or hated. Maybe there was one you saw and were fairly indifferent to. Just because a new piece of the cannon has been created, doesn’t erase the other incarnation(s). I mean I still re-watch the old Star Trek episodes and movies on occasion.

Until next week.

If you enjoyed this post (or it really pissed you off) please like, share, and/or leave a comment. I love hearing from my readers and I hope you guys like hearing from me.

Welcome to the Love of Animation

This week, I was saddened to learn about an arson attack committed at the Japanese animation studio Kyoto Animation. 33 people were killed with another 30 injured. Most of the victims were young women in their 20s and 30s.

Though I'm not super familiar with the animation studio's work, I was heart broken to hear about the incident and hope that the perpetrator is brought to justice. From what I understand, he is currently in police custody.

Following the news, a lot of people who couldn't pay their respects in person took to social media to talk about their feelings on the attack and how the studio's animated series and movies touched their lives.

Animation is a beautiful art. One that I think doesn't always get the appreciation it deserves.

There's something magical in the seamless world building created in animation. I never question the reality that Sen finds herself exploring in Spirited Away nor the appearance of the monsters in Moana. Everything fits in without looking fake or unreal. Contrast this with some CGI (particularly early CGI) and I'd take the animated world versus an unrealistic live action one.

Unfortunately some animated series from the US, also known as cartoons, are often only associated with children's entertainment, which isn't a good idea. I wouldn't want a child watching South Park or Futurama.

Gravity Falls is definitely one of the best animated series I've seen in a while that is also family friendly.

I have distinct memories of watching anime (Japanese animation) as a teenager and having someone ask me why I was still watching cartoons at my age. At first I was insulted by the comment, and then horrified by the idea that a young child would watch Black Cat (a fairly violent anime that was in fact geared towards teenagers).

However, I can't fault people for thinking that animation is only for kids. A lot of animated movies are meant for general audiences, especially if they have the Disney logo (or are of the knock off Disney variety) and cartoons, especially if they were made by Hanna-Barbera, were well known to be made on a shoe-string budget for kids. Once the 80s rolled around and regulations loosened on advertising to kids, cartoons were used as a 20 to 30 minute ad for kids to nag their parents into buying the accompanying toys (see anything made by Hasbro).

That doesn't change the fact that people who have since grown up, still look back on the animated works of their youth with fondness. This is likely why we've seen a recent surge in reboots of older series and/or live action remakes. Disney is currently raking in the cash by creating life action remakes of all the 90s movies I grew up with. Personally, I prefer the original animated versions, but there are a few of the remakes I don't mind. I admit that I'm curious as to the changes they made to Mulan (will it be closer to the original story from China?) and Halle Bailey seems like a great fit for the role of Ariel.

I'm not even going to touch the number of sequels that have come out this year.

Animation is some of the first art we're experienced to. Some of my favorite memories are of waking up early to watch Rugrats, Scooby Doo, or Bugs Bunny before my parents woke up. One of the first movies I saw in theaters was The Lion King and it blew my young mind away.

I'm currently writing this blog post while watching Spirited Away. It's one of my all time favorite movies (though Castle in the Sky will always be my number one Studio Ghibli film). I don't think I'd enjoy it nearly as much if it weren't animated. The world building, backgrounds, and characters all seem so tangible animated.

Castle in the Sky is beautiful and I recommend it to everyone.

The tragedy at Kyoto Animation is heart breaking and I hope the people who were injured are able to recover. They touched a lot of people's lives through their work.

If you enjoyed this post (or it really pissed you off) please like, share, and/or leave a comment. I love hearing from my readers and I hope you like hearing from me.

Until next week.

Welcome To Alternative Culture

Because Normal Is Vastly Overrated...

This past weekend I went to BronyCon. I honestly did not know what to expect. It was my first Con and I had a lot of fun. It's an interesting story about how I found myself surrounded by fans for a show called "My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic".

My ex significant other (yes they are an ex now, we haven't gotten around to changing our profiles yet on social media) had been a big fan of the music movement surrounding the Brony movement. They were also a fan of the show. For my readers who do not know, a Brony is typically an adult male fan of the show "My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic". However the term Brony is occasionally applied to any adult who is a part of the fandom.

The fandom is huge. I have gotten into the music as well and there are a ton of fan made songs for the show. They are really good and the performers are excellent to watch life. I really like the alternative rock songs myself.  

However a lot of people find it odd that Bronies or really any fandom (other than sports) exist. I don't because fandoms have existed for a long time (see Trekkie for reference). They're really just another medium for people to express themselves with. A creative outlet to escape from reality.

And sometimes it goes against what is the current culture (I repeat see the history of Trekkie for details). It's different and a little odd, but that doesn't mean it's a bad thing. It makes life interesting.

Most people still view comic books and cartoons as being strictly for children, yet people continue to enjoy them well into their adult years (the existence of ComicCon is proof of this). The question is why. Why are shows, stories and other mediums typically geared towards children able to create huge followings that span generations?

I think the simplest answer is: the story. All of these things exist because people enjoy the story. Either because they loved it as a child or have found stumbled upon it as an adult. They find it engaging. That's why I love anime, manga (Japanese comic books) and comic books. There's the conflict, the adventure and the ability to watch characters grow from facing their challenges. It pulls on a person's emotions and makes them beg for more. Even going so far as to help a person struggling with their own challenges.

How many young girls identified with Hermione from Harry Potter because she was a cool bookish heroine? How many young men admired the heroics of Captain Kirk and wanted to be able to be that cool calm leader?

You might still think the idea of a Brony is weird. Yet they are a pretty awesome bunch of people to hang out with and talk to. I especially enjoyed watching some of our military take on the question about what kind of army the world of My Little Pony would have (by far my favorite panel after the voice acting and Who's Line game). Still have doubts?

Watch the show.

I'm serious. I didn't get it either until I watched the first few episodes of the show. That's when it clicked. The show is good and sends a good message. Yes its geared toward preteen girls, but that doesn't mean it's unintelligent.

If you enjoyed this post or it really pissed you off, please like, share, or leave a comment. I love hearing from my readers. Until next week!

Welcome To Fan Perils

Happy Forth of July weekend everyone! Yes, Independence Day was on Friday. I got to set off legal fireworks for my glorious audience and have a wonderful dinner prepared for by my sister. She is an excellent cook and made a truly American meal of pulled pork and corn on the cob on the grill.

Yesterday I was with my roommate and their sig fig (significant other). We got along well and traded anime and Youtube shows to watch. Attack on Titan is my current passion (got my sister involved) and we were trying to get my roommate more into it. We had several adventures and trolled a few people online. I also proved what a nut case I am about my favorite characters.

*Warning Fan On Rampage!

Speaking of favorite characters, I saw Transformers 4 today. Once I left the theater incredibly pissed off. If it wasn't for my agreement to go see them with one of my friends, I would have skipped it. I am angry and not just because the teenaged girl was only ere for eye candy and completely useless. Honestly if you want good Transformers watch Transformers Prime (everything we ever believed about Starscream is true!) or invest in the comics (at least Prowl is in them).

*End Of Fan Rant

Sorry I just really needed to get that out of my system. If you haven't noticed yet, I am a bit of a fan for certain works of fiction. It's a good way to relax and get involved with other people. I mean I did join an anime club and have finally started doing some cosplay. Believe it or not fanfiction also helps with the stress and practice writing fiction for an audience.

It just sucks when someone (Michael Bay) messes with your fandom. I just hope TMNT turns out okay.

To be fair not everyone understands fans like me (and I'm not even one of the really crazy ones), but we all have passions. My Japanese cousins tend to think that I'm a crazy otaku (it's more of a joke now than anything) and I'm okay with that. It's an outlet much like sports fanatics. In fact the word fan comes from the word fanatic. Most of you probably already knew that.

It's what I need to keep me entertained. It expands and influences my imagination. How else am I supposed to make reality stranger than fiction. I have to improve upon things that have already been thought of.

If you enjoyed this post, or it really pissed you off please share or leave a comment. I love hearing from my readers (even the international ones I'll use google translate even if it is a horrible service) and hope you guys enjoy reading about my struggles (and hopefully learning from them). Until next week.