Yay, exams are finally over and I can go back to posting normally! I hope you enjoyed DJ Rhythm's blurbs and thoughts on yuri. She usually knows more stuff about that than I do. Probably because she's so much older and worldly than I am. At least, that's what I keep being told.
Anywho, I just finally finished watching Magic Knight Rayearth and I must say, it was extremely odd. Don't get me wrong, it was enjoyable, it was just... odd. I think it was the use of mecha as Rune-Gods that threw me off. And boy were there alot of mecha! I keep trying to remind myself that I was watching a mahou shoujo and not Gundam 00. Yet, the mechanical fights were certainly something! I enjoyed them immensely.
As for the characters, I seemed to have grown very fond of only a few of them and the others I didn't very much care for. For example, I loved the diversity of those that came to invade Cephiro. Yet, the constant heroic antics of the boys for the Magic Knights became somewhat bothersome and boring. I know, I know, it's what they do, but I couldn't help being bored with it. Eagle was so awesome and kicked so much butt! Alcyone and Princess Emeraude I could've done without. I'm not a big fan of being so haplessly in love that you don't care about the world around you, especially the way they used the whole frail damsel-in-distress motif.
Oh, and before I forget, is it just me or does Lantis and Prince Endymion (Sailor Moon) look alot alike to you:
Lantis
Prince Endymion
*scratches head* It was bugging me the whole time and I wondered if anyone else noticed the similarities. Either way, we all know who the cooler one is, of course! *draws hearts around Lantis*
Anywho, I gotta go, but if you have any comments, please make your voice heard! you know I'd love to hear anything you have to say! :3
~DJ Melody
Showing posts with label Magic Knight Rayearth. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Magic Knight Rayearth. Show all posts
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Unrequited Love: The Yuri Element in Mahou Shoujo
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*~*
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*~*
Monday, April 26, 2010
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
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