Hello, everyone. My codename is DJ Rhythm and I am addressing you on behalf of DJ Melody. Melody has alot of exams to keep up with and I had to tear her away- I mean, "persuade" her to study for her important finals. She can be quite a handful sometimes, but she promised to study as long as I wrote up a post today. I frankly don't understand her concern with these silly things, yet I am obligated to keep my end of the bargain.
Now, let's see, the reason why I am here. Ah, yes! Mahou shoujo! Mahou shoujo is a very interesting genre that seems to incorporate a good many other genres to it. Some of them unusual to mahou shoujo, such as in Magic Knight Rayearth's use of mecha. Others not so unusual such as hentai anime La Blue Girl (I'm not enjoying those looks you're giving me). Yet, in between all those is something that's quite in tuned with the shoujo genre itself and not just mahou shoujo. Namely yuri along with some yaoi.
Yuri, for those who are unfamiliar with the genre, literally means "lily" and is a sub-genre of shoujo anime that explores a love relationship between two girls (yaoi is the same thing, only with boys). While yuri is not as popular a genre as yaoi is in the States (heaven only knows why), it is still very compelling notheless. The yuri theme always seems to put more drama into the plot of most mahou shoujo anime, yet not too many of them seem to end very happily; as is a common convention with yuri.
For mahou shoujo, from what I've noticed, it sometimes involves a friend very taken with another, yet the main the other is either too innocent, dull, or stoic to notice or return her affections; as is the case with Mew Mint and Mew Zakuro. Sometimes it's an established relationship yet somehow it ends rather tragically; as in Sailor Uranus' and Sailor Neptune's case (hint: watch the StarS season). Rarely is there a mahou shoujo where the main character is actually involved with another girl (I say "rarely" only because I've yet to see one and there might be one that I haven't seen).
At this point, I must take my leave. I have exams as well, so I must study and rest. If you have questions or comments, please feel free to express them down below. Please be well.
*~*DJ Rhythm*~*
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Monday, April 26, 2010
Absolute Twinkling Authority
A wand. A tambourine. Lipstick and a mirror. A staff. A pair of glowsticks. No, I'm not checking off a list of a things I'm going to sell at a garage sale. Nor is it stuff found in my purse (Well, maybe the tambourine and the glowsticks can be). These are everyday objects, when blessed with the power of magic, can be just as offensive as a sword or a knife.
Every mahou shoujo needs a weapon to fight and defend herself with. Though, these are usually young girls that are doing the fighting, not amazonian huntresses, so and everyday object is a very convenient thing to have. Most times it is a wand or scepter, like Cardcaptor Sakura's Clow Staff or Sailor Moon's Cutie Moon Rod. Other times they're things you would never even think to cringe at, like Angel Lily's (Wedding Peach) Saint Lipliner or Mew Lettuce's (Tokyo MewMew) castanets (I forget what they're called at the moment ^^; ). Sometimes they're things that make you tilt you head and go, "What the heck...?", like Puni Puni Poemi and her fish... wand.. thing.
Aside from protecting the magical girl, the weapon usually serves as a symbol of who she is and what she stands for. Like staffs and scepters of the Middles Ages, these weapons serve as a symbol of authority. When you see Mermaid Melody (no relation) pull her mic out, you know not only is she a an idol, but she'll sing her opponents dead... or deaf; which ever one comes first.
Me? My weapon of choice is a pair of winged glowsticks. I'm a raver after all, so I can't be to far from them. And of course, when you think "rave" you think awesome music, bright colors, and happy ravers; the people I've sworn to protect.
So for you, if you were a magical girl, what would your weapon be and what would it symbolize? I'd love to hear you thoughts!
~DJ Melody
Every mahou shoujo needs a weapon to fight and defend herself with. Though, these are usually young girls that are doing the fighting, not amazonian huntresses, so and everyday object is a very convenient thing to have. Most times it is a wand or scepter, like Cardcaptor Sakura's Clow Staff or Sailor Moon's Cutie Moon Rod. Other times they're things you would never even think to cringe at, like Angel Lily's (Wedding Peach) Saint Lipliner or Mew Lettuce's (Tokyo MewMew) castanets (I forget what they're called at the moment ^^; ). Sometimes they're things that make you tilt you head and go, "What the heck...?", like Puni Puni Poemi and her fish... wand.. thing.
Aside from protecting the magical girl, the weapon usually serves as a symbol of who she is and what she stands for. Like staffs and scepters of the Middles Ages, these weapons serve as a symbol of authority. When you see Mermaid Melody (no relation) pull her mic out, you know not only is she a an idol, but she'll sing her opponents dead... or deaf; which ever one comes first.
Me? My weapon of choice is a pair of winged glowsticks. I'm a raver after all, so I can't be to far from them. And of course, when you think "rave" you think awesome music, bright colors, and happy ravers; the people I've sworn to protect.
So for you, if you were a magical girl, what would your weapon be and what would it symbolize? I'd love to hear you thoughts!
~DJ Melody
Magic Knight Rayearth: Review #1
Hello my magnificently wonderful mahou shoujo lovers! Boy, am I pooped. I woke up super early this morning. It was raining really hard and it was thundering and lightning outside. I'm a super light sleeper, so it couldn't get back to sleep until the storm stopped. Blogging is the only thing keeping me awake in this computer class as I've already taken my history exam (I'm pretty sure I aced it ~.^).
Okay, I know if the very first entry that I stated that I would be reviewing some mahou shoujo anime as a main premise to this blog. I have not been procrastinating, yet it's be a little hard to get a hand on anime when i have so little money in my pocket *weep*. So, out of the goodness of her heart, one of my best friends gave me something magical! But, it's kinda old though, so bear with me *sweatdrop*
As the first subject of review I chose the classic Magic Knight Rayearth by CLAMP. I had not seen it before due to the Sailor Moon's overshadowing popularity. I had often heard it was very good and had really wanted a chance to see it. I feel a little guilty about watching the anime without having read the manga in it's entirety.
It's my usual routine to help me judge an anime more efficiently. I hope you guys don't mind ^_^;.
Magic Knight Rayearth is about a three girls, on a field trip with their separate schools, are sucked into a crumbling land known as Cephiro and are asked to save it. To do so they have to become the Legendary Magic Knight, obtain the three Mashin (Rune-Gods), and save the Pillar know as Princess Emeraude (Emerald, I think is the proper translation) from the evil clutches of High Priest Zagato.
The plot line is a basic mahou shoujo plot, but it was the art on the DVD box that intrigued me. Though I could tell it was the manga art (CLAMP= Amazing) as opposed to the anime art, it still made me really want to watch it. I popped the DVD and settled in to enjoy the first disc. Among the first things I noticed, was the character and for some reason, I felt Umi had been cheated. Everyone in the crowd seemed to have a whole head while she, unfortunately, did not. I ventured on guessing that was probably why she was so cranky all the time (though it made me wonder what Sailor Moon's Rei Hino's excuse was). Also, to be honest, Hikaru looked a lot like a character of the same name from Angelic Layer, though the cuteness factor did not waver in the least. The world of Cephiro, on the other hand was beautiful. From the waterfalls to the trees, it seemed to just scream utopia.
The randomness of the girls' arrival into Cephiro irked me a little. Yet, I eventually understood that it only demonstrated further the lands urgency to have their presence there. I did enjoy the contrast of characters and how they resembled there names so well without adhering strictly to their meaning: Umi, meaning sea, seems to be a very cool and calculating thinker, though gets riled up at a moments notice; Fuu, her name having a wind reference, is always very calm and uplifting and has that cute sweetness that most otaku (fan) boys love (the glasses and RPG knowledge seem to only add to this); Hikaru, meaning light and possesses fire abilities, is a rough and tumble tomboy who is full of energy and naive cuteness, though this hardly gets in the way of telling the other two girls what to do and them listening to her.
The plot, so far, has built to a point where I want to keep with it. No it's not life-changingly compelling, but I'm still entertained with it nonetheless. I'm slightly disappointed that it lacks in henshin sequences, since the girls are always in their Magic Knight garb, but I love the attacks, especially Fuu's Healing Wind! It's sooo cool!
Well, that wraps up this review. Class is almost over with and I gotta get to my next exam. I'll watch a few more episodes later and give another thought. In the meantime, give me a few choice mahou shoujo anime to look into or even a comment or two. I'd love to hear from you and might be inspired to write more! Have an awesome day.
~DJ Melody
Okay, I know if the very first entry that I stated that I would be reviewing some mahou shoujo anime as a main premise to this blog. I have not been procrastinating, yet it's be a little hard to get a hand on anime when i have so little money in my pocket *weep*. So, out of the goodness of her heart, one of my best friends gave me something magical! But, it's kinda old though, so bear with me *sweatdrop*
As the first subject of review I chose the classic Magic Knight Rayearth by CLAMP. I had not seen it before due to the Sailor Moon's overshadowing popularity. I had often heard it was very good and had really wanted a chance to see it. I feel a little guilty about watching the anime without having read the manga in it's entirety.
It's my usual routine to help me judge an anime more efficiently. I hope you guys don't mind ^_^;.
Magic Knight Rayearth is about a three girls, on a field trip with their separate schools, are sucked into a crumbling land known as Cephiro and are asked to save it. To do so they have to become the Legendary Magic Knight, obtain the three Mashin (Rune-Gods), and save the Pillar know as Princess Emeraude (Emerald, I think is the proper translation) from the evil clutches of High Priest Zagato.
The plot line is a basic mahou shoujo plot, but it was the art on the DVD box that intrigued me. Though I could tell it was the manga art (CLAMP= Amazing) as opposed to the anime art, it still made me really want to watch it. I popped the DVD and settled in to enjoy the first disc. Among the first things I noticed, was the character and for some reason, I felt Umi had been cheated. Everyone in the crowd seemed to have a whole head while she, unfortunately, did not. I ventured on guessing that was probably why she was so cranky all the time (though it made me wonder what Sailor Moon's Rei Hino's excuse was). Also, to be honest, Hikaru looked a lot like a character of the same name from Angelic Layer, though the cuteness factor did not waver in the least. The world of Cephiro, on the other hand was beautiful. From the waterfalls to the trees, it seemed to just scream utopia.
The randomness of the girls' arrival into Cephiro irked me a little. Yet, I eventually understood that it only demonstrated further the lands urgency to have their presence there. I did enjoy the contrast of characters and how they resembled there names so well without adhering strictly to their meaning: Umi, meaning sea, seems to be a very cool and calculating thinker, though gets riled up at a moments notice; Fuu, her name having a wind reference, is always very calm and uplifting and has that cute sweetness that most otaku (fan) boys love (the glasses and RPG knowledge seem to only add to this); Hikaru, meaning light and possesses fire abilities, is a rough and tumble tomboy who is full of energy and naive cuteness, though this hardly gets in the way of telling the other two girls what to do and them listening to her.
The plot, so far, has built to a point where I want to keep with it. No it's not life-changingly compelling, but I'm still entertained with it nonetheless. I'm slightly disappointed that it lacks in henshin sequences, since the girls are always in their Magic Knight garb, but I love the attacks, especially Fuu's Healing Wind! It's sooo cool!
Well, that wraps up this review. Class is almost over with and I gotta get to my next exam. I'll watch a few more episodes later and give another thought. In the meantime, give me a few choice mahou shoujo anime to look into or even a comment or two. I'd love to hear from you and might be inspired to write more! Have an awesome day.
~DJ Melody
Sunday, April 25, 2010
A Sparkling History
Hello to all my wonderful readers out there! The weather sure is windy where I am. Way to windy, in fact. I was on my way from a friend's house not too long ago and, when I wasn't looking, that mean ol' Mr. Wind came and.. well... needless to say there's a block's worth of middle school boys who caught a risque shot of my technicolor panties *sniffles*. Nature is so unkind sometimes.
Though, after I fumed over a bowl of vanilla ice cream (with caramel sauce), I simmered down. I had too, there's alot to be done this week. I have my finals coming up and I have to study super hard so I can pass. Between enemies and equations, life's gotten super complicated for me. But ne'er you fear world, DJ Melody is always watching!
Speaking of school, history has got to be my all time favorite subject. After remembering those silly dates, I love to here the story of how certain things came to be, like countries, ideas, inventions, people... the list goes on! But, I bet you can't guess my favorite kind of history. Give you a hint: It's twinkly, sparkly, and will smack you in the face if you go against the paths of Justice!
I'm absolutely talking about the history of the magical girl. Like most people, things, and ideas, we had to come up from somewhere you know *teehee*. I, like the inquisitive history buff that I am, gave the internet a look see and found an awful lot of interesting things. Wikipedia has yet to let me down.
Before my research, I never knew that all of mahou shoujo spurred from the witty antics of Samantha Stevens of the US's Bewitched series that was popular during the '60s and '70s. Mitsuteru Yokoyama, know for classics such as Giant Robo and Princess Comet, was so fascinated by it's popularity in Japan that he was inspired to make Sally the Witch. I won't spoil the plot for you, but for the anime contributed a lot to how we precieve the mahou shoujo genre today. It intialy gave the current magical girl the custom to use her powers for to help those around her. Prior to that, Fujio Akatsuka's Himitsu no Akko-chan, or Akko-chan's Secret, introduced the canon of a the "special object" that gives her her nifty powers.
Since then, new mahou shoujo series brought different things to the table, like Cutie Honey and the henshin (transforming) sequence or Sailor Moon and the trademark sentai* (taskforce). Over time, the magical girl was no longer just a girl with magical powers helping people and fulfilling a dream, she was a fighting machine taking on the world, sometimes with the help of friends. Mahou shoujo went from being simple disguised flight stewardesses and doctors to princesses and goddesses that protected entire kingdoms, universes, or even dimensions. Makes me feel so proud to be apart of such an exclusive line *beams*.
There are other sites other than Wikipedia that talk of the genre's history. For instance, Henshin: The Mahou Shoujo Genre was a site I used to frequent on my spare time before it was taken down. The new domain is here, and is intergrated with some other articles i'm sure you'll love. Anime Academy has a shoujo page where it brings some other interesting facts about the behind the scenes of shoujo anime as well as other nifty things. Suburban Conspiracy has a great article on Sailor Moon's influence on the perception of America's view on the mahou shoujo genre. It's a super read.
Yikes, I gotta fly, I can't spend too much time educating you guys, there's and algebra test I've gotta study for. If you guys have any comments or anything you'd like me to add, email me, I'd love to hear from you!
~DJ Melody
Though, after I fumed over a bowl of vanilla ice cream (with caramel sauce), I simmered down. I had too, there's alot to be done this week. I have my finals coming up and I have to study super hard so I can pass. Between enemies and equations, life's gotten super complicated for me. But ne'er you fear world, DJ Melody is always watching!
Speaking of school, history has got to be my all time favorite subject. After remembering those silly dates, I love to here the story of how certain things came to be, like countries, ideas, inventions, people... the list goes on! But, I bet you can't guess my favorite kind of history. Give you a hint: It's twinkly, sparkly, and will smack you in the face if you go against the paths of Justice!
I'm absolutely talking about the history of the magical girl. Like most people, things, and ideas, we had to come up from somewhere you know *teehee*. I, like the inquisitive history buff that I am, gave the internet a look see and found an awful lot of interesting things. Wikipedia has yet to let me down.
Before my research, I never knew that all of mahou shoujo spurred from the witty antics of Samantha Stevens of the US's Bewitched series that was popular during the '60s and '70s. Mitsuteru Yokoyama, know for classics such as Giant Robo and Princess Comet, was so fascinated by it's popularity in Japan that he was inspired to make Sally the Witch. I won't spoil the plot for you, but for the anime contributed a lot to how we precieve the mahou shoujo genre today. It intialy gave the current magical girl the custom to use her powers for to help those around her. Prior to that, Fujio Akatsuka's Himitsu no Akko-chan, or Akko-chan's Secret, introduced the canon of a the "special object" that gives her her nifty powers.
Since then, new mahou shoujo series brought different things to the table, like Cutie Honey and the henshin (transforming) sequence or Sailor Moon and the trademark sentai* (taskforce). Over time, the magical girl was no longer just a girl with magical powers helping people and fulfilling a dream, she was a fighting machine taking on the world, sometimes with the help of friends. Mahou shoujo went from being simple disguised flight stewardesses and doctors to princesses and goddesses that protected entire kingdoms, universes, or even dimensions. Makes me feel so proud to be apart of such an exclusive line *beams*.
There are other sites other than Wikipedia that talk of the genre's history. For instance, Henshin: The Mahou Shoujo Genre was a site I used to frequent on my spare time before it was taken down. The new domain is here, and is intergrated with some other articles i'm sure you'll love. Anime Academy has a shoujo page where it brings some other interesting facts about the behind the scenes of shoujo anime as well as other nifty things. Suburban Conspiracy has a great article on Sailor Moon's influence on the perception of America's view on the mahou shoujo genre. It's a super read.
Yikes, I gotta fly, I can't spend too much time educating you guys, there's and algebra test I've gotta study for. If you guys have any comments or anything you'd like me to add, email me, I'd love to hear from you!
~DJ Melody
*(The sentai (sen-tye) concept is featured in many animes. It usually consists of two or more characters joining together, with similar powers, trying to defeat a similar foe. Of course this idea is not just limited to just mahou shoujo. Favorite shounen anime, Yoroiden Samurai Toruupaa (Ronin Warriors) and popular tokusatsu (live action shows, literally means "special effects") series Super Sentai (Power Rangers) use this concept extensively. Some others that use it comically are Dragon Ball Z (The Ginyu Force), Excel Saga (Municipal Force Daitenzen), Bleach (Karakura Superheroes).)
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Mahou Shonen: The Magical Boy
You know what I love just as much as raving and mahou shoujo manga? Video Games! I love to play video games. My specialty are the dance/music/rhythm games. From Bust-A-Groove to Just Dance! I love to listen to the different songs. I also like to move my body, so Dance Dance Revolution and Para Para Paradise are my two most favorite games.
However, once in a while, I like to couch potato around with a good RPG. One I've gotten really fond of the Kingdom Hearts series. I buy one the first week it comes out. I was playing half-way through Kingdom Hearts II when I thought out loud, "What the- Sora's a magical girl! In disguise!" When the people on my bus stopped looking at me oddly, I began to draw references from the game to the mahou shoujo genre:
However, once in a while, I like to couch potato around with a good RPG. One I've gotten really fond of the Kingdom Hearts series. I buy one the first week it comes out. I was playing half-way through Kingdom Hearts II when I thought out loud, "What the- Sora's a magical girl! In disguise!" When the people on my bus stopped looking at me oddly, I began to draw references from the game to the mahou shoujo genre:
*__MAHOU SHOUJO CHECKLIST__*
Magically Enchanted Wand/Weapon---->
Keyblade
Magically Enchanted Wand/Weapon---->
Keyblade
Magical Henshin--->
No phrase, but has the ability to switch from one costume to another depending on the world or power he chooses (i.e. proud form)
Magical Animal Sidekick--->
Donald and Goofy (though Goofy's not exactly "magical")
Signature/Finishing Attack--->
Sealing the keyhole of every world. There's no phrase, but when the cut scene comes on, you know what he's gonna do.
While there is some more, these are a few essential things that coins a magical girl as a magical girl. You cannot tell me I'm reading too much into it, cause I know you can see it as well. That's why I can see you grinning. And don't you get me started on Ichigo from Bleach (the guy walks around with a stuffed animal that nags him endlessly). However, there is actually a magical boy genre, mahou shonen (ma-ho sho-nen). It's not as popular as mahou shoujo, but there are a few well known ones such as Yu-Gi-Oh, DNAngel, Tokyo Babylon, and .//hackSIGN. And you can't forget those loving boyfriends that stand beside their mahou shoujo girlfriends. Like Tuxedo Mask/Chiba Mamoru from Sailor Moon, Aoyama Masaya from Tokyo MewMew, or even Doomoto Kaito from Mermaid Melody. They all supporting the main heroine one way or another and had their only little super power that helped out.
Even though it is amusing to imagine a boy in a frilly skirt and a wand when you think mahou shounen, like their female counter parts, they'll show you who's boss; quick fast, and in a hurry! Wand or no wand!
No phrase, but has the ability to switch from one costume to another depending on the world or power he chooses (i.e. proud form)
Magical Animal Sidekick--->
Donald and Goofy (though Goofy's not exactly "magical")
Signature/Finishing Attack--->
Sealing the keyhole of every world. There's no phrase, but when the cut scene comes on, you know what he's gonna do.
While there is some more, these are a few essential things that coins a magical girl as a magical girl. You cannot tell me I'm reading too much into it, cause I know you can see it as well. That's why I can see you grinning. And don't you get me started on Ichigo from Bleach (the guy walks around with a stuffed animal that nags him endlessly). However, there is actually a magical boy genre, mahou shonen (ma-ho sho-nen). It's not as popular as mahou shoujo, but there are a few well known ones such as Yu-Gi-Oh, DNAngel, Tokyo Babylon, and .//hackSIGN. And you can't forget those loving boyfriends that stand beside their mahou shoujo girlfriends. Like Tuxedo Mask/Chiba Mamoru from Sailor Moon, Aoyama Masaya from Tokyo MewMew, or even Doomoto Kaito from Mermaid Melody. They all supporting the main heroine one way or another and had their only little super power that helped out.
Even though it is amusing to imagine a boy in a frilly skirt and a wand when you think mahou shounen, like their female counter parts, they'll show you who's boss; quick fast, and in a hurry! Wand or no wand!
Manga: The Bible to Any Series
Hi there, mahou shoujo sophisticates and newbies. I hope you all are enjoying the spring weather! I love the spring. It usually means summers around the corner and I absolutely love the summer! Sand, surf, no school, and best of all: monthly raves! Ah, can't get enough of those!
Speaking of which, you know what else I can't get enough of? Manga! Magical girl manga to be exact. Beautiful art always pulls me in and a wonderful plot line keeps flipping through those pages. When I'm not saving the world from evil or dancing to a good groove, my nose is nostril deep in one of those cliff-hangers! Not only are they entertaining, but they give me combat education. I need to stay in tip-top shape, even when there are no baddies to be fought! (At least, that's the excuse I'm gonna stick too. *nod*)
You'd be surprise what kind of work goes into constructing a manga; scripting, planning, drafting- it's loads of hard work (Not that I'd know first hand). It's also a of work to adjust from series to watching the actual anime*.
It's super exciting to see your favorite characters move and interact on screen. It's also fun to hear their voices and go "That's totally how she sounded to me in my head!" Yet, there is a super important thing that oldies and newbies should understand: an anime is never ever supposed to be exactly like the manga. While it is irksome to see minor (or major) plot change, one must remember that it's an adaption of the story based on the manga. I'm sure there's tons of copyright laws that go into that reason as well as wanting to change some things in order to fit them into time slots, but understand that there are reasons for some changes, unless...
They're completely, totally outrageous changes that change the plotline altogether. Yeah, I'm sure you know the kind: The Starlight Hermaphrodite Fiasco as well as the Sailor Cousins/Lovers argument usually pops up in the mind of most mahou shoujo lovers (namely Moonies). When that happens, the anime ceases to be based on the manga and becomes an absolute monstrosity of the producer and everyone else who is involved with the projects. While some manga-ka do not mind the changes, some are actually very disheartened by the change (Takeuchi-san was very annoyed by the Starlight's change in... er... gender *ahem*)
"What is the point to this?" is what your faces are telling me. The point is, if you watch and love a particular manga series, do the manga-ka a favor and by the manga. They worked hard on those characters and they want you to love them as they were meant to be. Not to mention you'd find a whole lot of super awesome stuff that the anime may haver never delved into. This info may better explain some sort of tidbit you were wondering about but ended up getting lost in the manga because they never really covered it. My rule: The bible to all anime series is the manga they were based upon, if they were based upon a manga.
Thanks for reading and give you comments on why you would agree, or disagree, with the reasoning. Be sure to try and shout a henshin (transformation phrase) today; you may be a magical girl (or boy. they exist you know ^_~)
~DJ Melody
*(For those who don't know anime (ah-nee-may) is the animated stuff you watch and the manga (mon-gah) is the stuff you read. Some manga get popular enough to get there own series, though not all anime series come from manga. Some manga get so popular that they start making the anime right in the middle of the manga's series, cool huh?)
Speaking of which, you know what else I can't get enough of? Manga! Magical girl manga to be exact. Beautiful art always pulls me in and a wonderful plot line keeps flipping through those pages. When I'm not saving the world from evil or dancing to a good groove, my nose is nostril deep in one of those cliff-hangers! Not only are they entertaining, but they give me combat education. I need to stay in tip-top shape, even when there are no baddies to be fought! (At least, that's the excuse I'm gonna stick too. *nod*)
You'd be surprise what kind of work goes into constructing a manga; scripting, planning, drafting- it's loads of hard work (Not that I'd know first hand). It's also a of work to adjust from series to watching the actual anime*.
It's super exciting to see your favorite characters move and interact on screen. It's also fun to hear their voices and go "That's totally how she sounded to me in my head!" Yet, there is a super important thing that oldies and newbies should understand: an anime is never ever supposed to be exactly like the manga. While it is irksome to see minor (or major) plot change, one must remember that it's an adaption of the story based on the manga. I'm sure there's tons of copyright laws that go into that reason as well as wanting to change some things in order to fit them into time slots, but understand that there are reasons for some changes, unless...
They're completely, totally outrageous changes that change the plotline altogether. Yeah, I'm sure you know the kind: The Starlight Hermaphrodite Fiasco as well as the Sailor Cousins/Lovers argument usually pops up in the mind of most mahou shoujo lovers (namely Moonies). When that happens, the anime ceases to be based on the manga and becomes an absolute monstrosity of the producer and everyone else who is involved with the projects. While some manga-ka do not mind the changes, some are actually very disheartened by the change (Takeuchi-san was very annoyed by the Starlight's change in... er... gender *ahem*)
"What is the point to this?" is what your faces are telling me. The point is, if you watch and love a particular manga series, do the manga-ka a favor and by the manga. They worked hard on those characters and they want you to love them as they were meant to be. Not to mention you'd find a whole lot of super awesome stuff that the anime may haver never delved into. This info may better explain some sort of tidbit you were wondering about but ended up getting lost in the manga because they never really covered it. My rule: The bible to all anime series is the manga they were based upon, if they were based upon a manga.
Thanks for reading and give you comments on why you would agree, or disagree, with the reasoning. Be sure to try and shout a henshin (transformation phrase) today; you may be a magical girl (or boy. they exist you know ^_~)
~DJ Melody
*(For those who don't know anime (ah-nee-may) is the animated stuff you watch and the manga (mon-gah) is the stuff you read. Some manga get popular enough to get there own series, though not all anime series come from manga. Some manga get so popular that they start making the anime right in the middle of the manga's series, cool huh?)
Miracle Salutations!
Hello, Aloha, Hola, Salut, and Konnichiwa! Melody's my name, DJ Melody, and being a magical girl, well, that's my game. I'm a MiracleRaver to be exact, but details about that come after this. This is about what I can do for you, the wonderful, stupendous, finely-groomed reader!
(Okay, maybe that was laying it on a little thick)
Have you ever picked up an anime DVD looked at the cover and were frightened out of your skin at the doe-eyed cutie with a atrociously pink tu-tu and glittering wand looking back up at you? Did you cringe at all the cute and pink on that label? A wise man once said we fear the things we don't understand. So, if you understand why it is, then you no need to fear it, correct? Well, folks, that's where I come in. I'm your personal guide through the Magical Girl Realm. I'm a Certified Mahou Shoujo Participant and can answer any and all of your questions of the genre and it's anime.
Why I'm doing this wonderful favor for you, my wonderful readers? Simple really! I want to share my love for all thing cute, large eyed, and sparkly with you. Especially with all my fellow shoujo lovers out there.
Now, to be a little specific, while most mahou shoujo ramblings will be very random and, hopefully, informative, I will mainly try to give a review about a certain magical girl anime; once after the first few episodes and once after I finish the series. The first one will be a reflection on the characters and the plot initially, the second will be a reflection on how the characters afterwards and a thought of the series in it's entirety.
I'll also try to blog about some misunderstood concepts, or answer any question that you may have regarding the topic! I really love to receive the occasionally email or letter on my desk *teehee*!
Along with email, I encourage everyone to leave comments and opinions on any subject matter, as long as it's sound (not drug induced) and educated. I don't mind disagreements, however, bad words and outright rudeness is something I will not tolerate. Do not push me! *puffs cheeks* I've yet to work out a method as to where you can email me without me recieving spam (leaving it out for everyone to see doesn't make me feel good at all.), but please do not be shy with the comments.
I hope you enjoy yourselves here and until next post: Bye-bye, Adios, Au Revoir, Shalom, and Ja ne!
(Okay, maybe that was laying it on a little thick)
Have you ever picked up an anime DVD looked at the cover and were frightened out of your skin at the doe-eyed cutie with a atrociously pink tu-tu and glittering wand looking back up at you? Did you cringe at all the cute and pink on that label? A wise man once said we fear the things we don't understand. So, if you understand why it is, then you no need to fear it, correct? Well, folks, that's where I come in. I'm your personal guide through the Magical Girl Realm. I'm a Certified Mahou Shoujo Participant and can answer any and all of your questions of the genre and it's anime.
Why I'm doing this wonderful favor for you, my wonderful readers? Simple really! I want to share my love for all thing cute, large eyed, and sparkly with you. Especially with all my fellow shoujo lovers out there.
Now, to be a little specific, while most mahou shoujo ramblings will be very random and, hopefully, informative, I will mainly try to give a review about a certain magical girl anime; once after the first few episodes and once after I finish the series. The first one will be a reflection on the characters and the plot initially, the second will be a reflection on how the characters afterwards and a thought of the series in it's entirety.
I'll also try to blog about some misunderstood concepts, or answer any question that you may have regarding the topic! I really love to receive the occasionally email or letter on my desk *teehee*!
Along with email, I encourage everyone to leave comments and opinions on any subject matter, as long as it's sound (not drug induced) and educated. I don't mind disagreements, however, bad words and outright rudeness is something I will not tolerate. Do not push me! *puffs cheeks* I've yet to work out a method as to where you can email me without me recieving spam (leaving it out for everyone to see doesn't make me feel good at all.), but please do not be shy with the comments.
I hope you enjoy yourselves here and until next post: Bye-bye, Adios, Au Revoir, Shalom, and Ja ne!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
