I have been telling my friends that there were only 2 anime series that made me feel interested in Takarazuka. I was forgetting one thing, not as obvious but even more important.
It happened 5 years ago when I was rewatching 'Samurai X' or 'Rurouni Kenshin'. Already having stable internet connection, unlike the first time I was watching it on TV, I could indulge in watching it with the original sound and check some info in the web whenever I wanted. That's why I could fully appreciate the Japanese art of voice acting and immediately fell in love with Suzukaze Mayo. Her voice was some kind of magic and I couldn't fail to check what kind of person she is. She turned out to be a former Takarazuka Top star, but that time it was nothing but a name to me.
Just a month later I started watching 'Sakura Wars' or 'Sakura Taisen'. I've read that the composer was inspired by the OSK all-female troupe, if I am not mistaken, so it's no wonder the soundtrack is full of josei-kageki-like songs - songs reminding those performed by all-female troupes (and there are quite a few in Japan, which is a topic I will develop in a separate post later).
But this isn't the first time I touched the 'female revue' esthetics. The first time was 'Sailor Moon'. And I'm not speaking of Haruka, the obvious Takarazuka-inspired symbol. I'm speaking of the Three Lights. Yes, Ogata Megumi is great, but the heart of 90s lies in these two songs.
- the very first one? I'm afraid no, I always started watching from the middle of the series
- no, the new one
- oh, is it already out?
- yes it is! so you haven't?
- I haven't
- and you better not
Actually I wasn't going to watch that at all. I was already sure that I wouldn't like it at all - the new version of what, in my mind, should be remade extremely carefully or should not be touched at all. But my friend phoned me and after telling me some most important news about her everyday life her next question was the one above.
And I could not sit still. I knew I didn't give a damn about it, I knew I better keep cherishing my memories of the series I was watching numerous times in my childhood, but I realised I could not miss what everyone will for sure discuss on every corner.
And so I embarked on watching the first episode of the remade 'Sailor Moon'. And I probably decided on my next avatar
graphics
Instead of starting my 'review', if I may call it a review, with the usual paragraph about story and characters, I start it with graphics. Why? That's what spoils half the fun, that's why.
On one hand, I see beautiful watercolour backgrounds and static images.
On the other hand is everything else.
If people say that the old BSSM series were faraway from the manga thin, elegant, sophisticated lines, I acknowledge that. Now they're trying to keep those features in the anime.
And occasionally they succeed.
But what looks good in manga does not necessarily look as good in an anime.
Mostly the animators end up making it look like a second-quality hentai shoujo. Moreover, it is supposed to take place in early 90s, remember?
I'm not mistaken. Those gradual shadows, frames created in no more than 5 minutes - probably by young inexperienced animators who tried to draw the contours holding brushes with their toes and those bold lines that look like my scribble when I am browsing my brushes in Corel Painter, silly-looking faces that were made so inadvertently, that absolutely unnecessary 3D... that's so cheap.
Tell me, is this supposed to look cool?
Now this is cool
music
Instead of putting 'story' somewhere at least on the second place, here comes music. Being a person who puts audio signals before everything else, the one thing I cannot forgive at all is that opening theme.
Revo
proves once again that he only writes pseudo-gothic-rock-songs with
guitar riffs - maybe he was having a hard day and the deadline was
already pressing, even though I know he's capable of much more.
My friend says the background music was composed by a person whose music she knows and who creates beautiful melodies which don't suit the scenes they're put in. Maybe.
Momoiro
Clover are as always cute and... and... is there any other word to
describe them? It's ok when such songs are used in some TV dramas with
popular actors, but I was pretty sure we have a different case here with Sailor moon.
Is this a shoujo anime main theme?
No, this is a shoujo anime main theme
voice acting
Instead of putting 'story' somewhere at least on the third place, I am judging on voice acting first. That's what pisses me off, again.
Mitsuishi's voice sounds like a not-very-young actress is trying to produce something cute out of her throat. The only moment that makes her voice recognizable is when she shouts her usual 'Moon Prism Power' or 'tsuki ni kawatte'. Hirohashi isn't as good as I expected her to be. Nojima is awful. Even more awful is Ya... ma... shi... Yamashita... Dai... Daisuke, right? I don't know him.
story
<insert text here>
conclusion
Any of the shortcomings I've listed could be forgiven if something else was great enough. However, in the new Sailor Moon there is nothing to enjoy, nothing special.
You know, on 'myanimelist' people can write recommendations, describing anime that someone may like if he/she watched this or that anime. The only recommendation for 'Sailor Moon Crystal' so far is 'Kill la Kill'. And there is a comprehensive reason for that:
both series features girls that are the main fighters and shows awesome transformation scenes
Is this a mahou-shoujo anime series with fascinating henshin, showing young ladies examples of true friendship and love overcoming all obstacles?
Just like Hollywood which has run out of ideas and has to film movies based on Bible stories (just kiddin' but there is always some truth in every joke), Japanese anime industry has run our of ideas so much it has to make movies and anime based on long-forgotten or not-forgotten but still old stories. Captain Harlock on your screens in beautiful but empty 3D, a series of RuroKen with young cute actors, what next?
A new Sailor Moon.
I haven't read the original manga, you know. You may think I therefore have no basis to say so. But Sailor Moon means more than anything else to those born in 80s and 90s in Russia. Dozens of episodes changes, directors come and go, the story bends as they like and art does so, but Peach Hips and all the other seiyuus - able to sing, by the way - and heartbreaking music, and sincerity of the narration cannot be replaced by something else after 20 years have passed by.
Their time is gone.
Hey, Japan. How about creating something equally splendid basing it on a modern concept instead?
when a child I used to say I have no favourite colour, I didn't like to choose my favourite movies or books, and choose something I prefer in general. I still believe that every thing on Earth has its good and bad points, advantages and shortcomings.
I believe the same now, but surely I can name a few types that are of greater interest for me 'lady' type
why I call this type 'lady' is that 'twas called like this on a website themed 'learning Japanese via anime and manga'. there were some 8 or 10 types of characters who 'uttered' phrases in particular 'situations'. for example, greeting a person would be polite 'hello' for a girl, 'welcome back, master' for a butler, some exclamation for a delinquent or an archaic expression for a samurai. 'lady' was an elegant girl looking like a real lady from a rich family, who used polite expressions with not-so-polite grammar forms indicating her sense of supremacy. whom I remembered as soon as I got to know this type was Kanzaki Sumire from 'Sakura Wars'. I wonder if Tomizawa-sama is especially good at voicing 'lady' type? though Hino Rei isn't the lady as she was depicted on the website, and didn't speak like one, I believe she was of this type, too 'lady' type, another one
I would think that 'tis my subjective opinion if not for the fact that my friend agreed with me. apart from 'ladies' who are truly ladies, and 'ladies' who behave with the same arrogance, there are also young girls who can be extremely polite and seem to be very kind, but have something in them that makes me think they have 'second nature'. sometimes I would use words like 'varmint', 'guileful' and 'canny' to describe them - better to say, mixture of these, but creating a positive meaning as the result. such is Alicia from 'Aria', for example. close to her is Todoroki from 'Working' who is far from being cunning, but behaves similarly. if this can tell you anything, I would name interjections like 'ara-ara' of Alicia's and other exclamations as their signature to be continued
almost everybody who is really interested in Takarazuka ends up searching for Takarazuka influences on famous people and other works of art. of course, BSSM is amongst the most mentioned ones
well, not Sailor Moon herself, of course. some people remember Rei being a fan. well, I do not, so let me omit Rei-chan. well, I can only say she does not really look to me like the type who is into it...
well, of course the most obvious influence is Haruka-Michiru couple. my most hated two
haha, yep! I wonder if there is at least one more person in this world who dislikes them as I do. and I am pretty sure this hatred towards Haruka is strange for most Takarazuka fans, because apparently Haruka was created with an otokoyaku image which she maintained successfully - in the eyes of all the fans whose opinion on her I have heard so far
Well, the reasoning is quite simple. For me, otokoyaku image is so precious because of those peculiarities Haruka does not have at all. In my mind she was a cruel person following the principle 'the end justifies the means' which I have never been fond of. Perhaps her 'brutal' image consisting of this behaviour, love for sports and cars and of course - wearing men clothes, was considered to be enough to call her an otokoyaku. This Haruka from anime lacked the major qualities of the real ones - elegance and grace in her look were doubtful, modesty and proper behaviour in society were not her distinction, and purity was completely absent - these I mean, which are enshrined in the TMS motto. And of course she had nothing of what I love so much in my favourite otokoyaku siennes - sense of humour, warmth in eyes and smile, caring attitude, tenderness, and - strangely - individuality. Do not tell me that Haruka's man-like behaviour was her individuality. All otokoyaku are assumed to do this, but the real siennes are different and have their personalities. I am not trying to say Haruka was nothing more than a 'delinquent', but the fact that she was like a man does not make her otokoyaku-like. In other words, otokoyaku requires only certain qualities of a man's image, but she somehow picked up the wrong ones.
The possible objection may be that the manga version of Haruka was different. Oh yes, she was. I am in no position to say anything about that image of hers because I did not read it. But! I have at least some considerations. So, the HaruMichi couple is considered to be an example of mature people? Am I right, 16 years old students - mature and emancipated? Well, I know a lot of anime heroines are much younger, but they were not presented by the author as grown up 'fully fledged' women. And Naoko-sensei did make an emphasis on these qualities of them.
And BTW Haruka wore skirts in manga and illustrations. Oh, I am sorry, is it wrong to name this a criteria for otokoyaku? It may be, but to me she no longer looked as an otokoyaku when in skirt. Compare her with Maria from 'Sakura Wars' who had her famous black suit consisting of a jacket and a skirt
In the end, this all may be a figment of imagination of mine simply because I disliked Haruka.......?
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