Wednesday, September 10, 2014

Sailor Moon Crystal: Episode 5 Chatlog

Sorry this is going up so late. Should be back on schedule starting tomorrow.

Also Saturday's post has been updated with the Kill la Kill liveblog.

01[14:45] <Froborr> Okay, SMC queueing up and I'm past the pre-watching ad.
01[14:46] <Froborr> Also I learned that just because something looks like a red pepper flake doesn't mean it isn't a small, flat piece of Thai pepper, roughly 2-7 times as spicy.
01[14:47] <Froborr> (The Scoville scale is... not precise.)
[14:50] <Arrlaari> That's rough, buddy
[14:51] <Arrlaari> ("That's rough, buddy" is my favorite line in Avatar: the Last Airbender)
01[14:54] <Froborr> It's good, but "I can't believe the captain remembered my birthday!" is even better.
01[14:54] <Froborr> Less widely applicable, though.
[14:54] <Arrlaari> Froborr, after SMC will you have time to continue the conversation from last week, or will you have somewhere to be in short order?
01[14:54] <Froborr> Afraid not, sorry.
01[14:55] <Froborr> Next time?
[14:55] <Arrlaari> I suppose so
[14:55] <FoME> Bad news: Hulu did not offer the ad-skip option this time.
01[14:55] <Froborr> I've got ads too.
[14:56] <Arrlaari> Crunchroll ads
[14:56] <@Sylocat> Alrighty then... lemme know when you hit them, &c.
[14:56] <Arrlaari> Which are both provided by and advertising for Crunchyroll
01[14:57] <Froborr> I've never understood that.
01[14:57] <Froborr> Why would you advertise your own service to people who are alrady using the service?
[14:57] <FoME> I switched to Crunchy. Hopefully Arrlaari and I will be somewhat synchronized.
[14:57] <Arrlaari> They're advertising the subscription
01[14:58] <Froborr> Oh, that sort of makes sense, I guess.
[14:58] <Arrlaari> Generally the overt feature profferred is access on mobile devices, but the implicit feature offer is no advertisements
[14:58] <Arrlaari> Also, higher resolution streams
[14:59] <@Sylocat> Ready?
01[14:59] <Froborr> Yep.
[14:59] <FoME> Whenever you are.
[14:59] <@Sylocat> Click
[15:00] <@Sylocat> So, judging from the episode title, here is where we meet Sailor Jupiter
[15:00] <FoME> And the last bit of the last episode.
[15:00] <@Sylocat> Usagi zaps her back!
[15:00] <@Sylocat> Wow
01[15:01] <Froborr> Annnd Usagi has another crush.
01[15:01] <Froborr> ...Did she just steal her umbrella?
[15:01] <FoME> Nope. Roses, not rabbits.
[15:01] <Arrlaari> No, they each have their own umbrella
[15:01] <@Sylocat> No, her umbrella was red
[15:01] <FoME> Also, "smelled nice?" Really, Usagi?
[15:01] <Arrlaari> Speaking of roses, remember the brief close up on Mysterious New Girl's earrings
01[15:02] <Froborr> Arrlaari, STOP.
01[15:02] <Froborr> DON'T TELL US WHAT IS IMPORTANT, THAT IS A SPOILER
[15:02] <@Sylocat> I like how in the opening credits, they distract her from staring at Tuxedo Jerk
[15:02] <FoME> Ties in with the theme of not needing to be saved.
[15:03] <@Sylocat> Which is good
[15:03] <FoME> Ad.
[15:03] <Arrlaari> ad
01[15:03] <Froborr> Me too.
[15:03] <@Sylocat> Gotcha
[15:03] <Arrlaari> ad ended
[15:03] <FoME> I'm done.
01[15:03] <Froborr> I'm still going.
01[15:03] <Froborr> I had a second ad.
[15:03] <@Sylocat> Ouch
01[15:04] <Froborr> You know, Tuxedo Fedora is a giant creeper, but Usagi going around sniffing people is a bit... uhh...
01[15:04] <Froborr> BackQ!
[15:04] <FoME> Ah, that strange human emotion called love.
01[15:04] <Froborr> That is not how fittings work, Naru!
[15:05] <@Sylocat> Uh oh...
01[15:05] <Froborr> That is not how logic works, Naru!
[15:05] <FoME> Pretty sure logic doesn't enter into it.
[15:06] <@Sylocat> Of course not, they're teenage girls taking about weddings (amirite guys)
01[15:06] <Froborr> Ah, I knew Buffy had to show up sooner or later.
[15:06] <@Sylocat> Hmm, Makoto's a bit harsh in this one
[15:06] <FoME> Makoto the Vampire Slayer? I'd watch it.
[15:07] <@Sylocat> Usagi the stalker
01[15:07] <Froborr> ...Damn, Makoto.
[15:07] <@Sylocat> Ooh, Ninja Makoto
01[15:07] <Froborr> They weren't kidding about the super-strength, I like her.
01[15:08] <Froborr> So she's basically a cross between Sakaki and Chiyo-chan.
01[15:09] <Froborr> So Usagi's just gonna eat part of her lunch without offering anything in return?
[15:09] <@Sylocat> Ooh, she's the female equivalent of the broody dangerous loner
[15:09] <@Sylocat> No wonder Usagi is crushing on her
[15:09] <FoME> Usagi offers self-esteem.
[15:10] <@Sylocat> Ami is jealous of her video game skills
01[15:10] <Froborr> Ami's all, "No way, there's only room for one video game prodigy in this town."
[15:10] <@Sylocat> Huh?
[15:10] <@Sylocat> Ah, so Makoto has a crush
[15:10] <@Sylocat> "Mako"
01[15:10] <Froborr> Oh, crap, I dunno.
[15:10] <@Sylocat> Please, Naru is Mako
[15:11] <FoME> I thought it was Usagi.
01[15:11] <Froborr> I'm pretty sure I'm legally required to hate animated characters named Mako.
[15:11] <@Sylocat> Ew
[15:11] <@Sylocat> Oh, Makoto was just giving the shy, awkward answer, rather than actually believing that
[15:12] <@Sylocat> Wait, what?
[15:12] <Arrlaari> ad
01[15:12] <Froborr> Yeah, that was kinda gross.
01[15:12] <Froborr> Ad.
[15:12] <FoME> Ad.
[15:12] <@Sylocat> Ew, some major social commentary on there
[15:12] <Arrlaari> ended
[15:12] <FoME> I'm good.
01[15:12] <Froborr> I got a second ad again.
01[15:13] <Froborr> Why is David Tennant or a lookalike in an American show?
01[15:13] <Froborr> back
[15:13] <Arrlaari> We're all getting two runs of a much shorter ad than Froborr is
01[15:13] <Froborr> Rei senses tingling!
[15:13] <@Sylocat> Ooh, Rei can detect the others?
[15:13] <FoME> "No scientific proof" says the magical girl...
[15:13] <@Sylocat> "Scientific proof?" She's a sailor scout
01[15:14] <Froborr> Sure, so there's empirical evidence of magical girls.
01[15:14] <Froborr> That dosen't mean there's evidence of ghosts.
[15:14] <@Sylocat> Good point, Froborr
[15:14] <FoME> Indeed.
[15:14] <@Sylocat> Ouch
[15:14] <FoME> Not a happy sound, that.
01[15:14] <Froborr> Evil mannequin is creepy.
[15:14] <@Sylocat> Now, if this were Buffy, the grooms abducted would already be dead, except for one recent one
01[15:15] <Froborr> Is this the first time the villains have targeted men?
[15:15] <@Sylocat> But this is Sailor Moon, so presumably they're just being held in stasis
[15:15] <FoME> Same rationale as the Matrix, I suppose.
01[15:15] <Froborr> Ah, she has a Past.
[15:15] <@Sylocat> Oh... I see
[15:16] <@Sylocat> This is... wow
[15:16] <@Sylocat> Oh no... is he going to rescue HER now?
01[15:16] <Froborr> There is so much psychosexual stuff going on in this episode I can barely even start to unpack it.
[15:16] <FoME> No, you're not dreaming. Your stalker knows your secret identity.
01[15:17] <Froborr> Yes, Usagi, go with the strange man at your window, that's not a COMPLETELY TERRIBLE IDEA.
[15:17] <@Sylocat> Usagi thinks she's dreaming, I think
01[15:17] <Froborr> No seriously, the stuff going on here with gender roles and sexual anxieties is ridiculously warped.
[15:17] <@Sylocat> Which does itself carry some disturbing
[15:17] <@Sylocat> Holy shit...
[15:18] <@Sylocat> This is horror-movie-caliber stuff
[15:18] <@Sylocat> "Loving words?" The mannequin skipped straight past the loving words
01[15:19] <Froborr> Yeah, no coincidence the one scout for whom we have evidence of past romantic/sexual experience is the one playing the victim.
[15:19] <@Sylocat> Wow... that's an OP attack right there
[15:19] <Arrlaari> Is sylocat ahead of us?
[15:19] <@Sylocat> Am I? I'm on 17:15 right now
01[15:19] <Froborr> No, he's behind us.
[15:19] <Arrlaari> Huh
[15:19] <@Sylocat> Where's everyone else?
01[15:19] <Froborr> But only by about 10 seconds or so.
[15:20] <FoME> Ah. The fire. Well, the petals are kind of flammable.
[15:20] <FoME> 17:55
[15:20] <@Sylocat> Ah... only 6 seconds behind
[15:20] <@Sylocat> Ooh, a Heroic BSOD
[15:20] <@Sylocat> Ew
[15:21] <@Sylocat> "We all have someone we're destined to be with?"
01[15:21] <Froborr> "I believe in love, which is why I'm collecting the Sailor Scouts as my personal harem!"
[15:21] <@Sylocat> Heheh
[15:21] <@Sylocat> So, I take it they're setting up the Naru/Nephlite romance arc? (don't answer that)
[15:21] <FoME> She didn't even need prompting.
[15:21] <@Sylocat> Wait, how did she know what to say?
01[15:22] <Froborr> Ooh, lightning effects are nice.
[15:22] <@Sylocat> She DOES have a Past
[15:22] <FoME> Huh. That's a new one.
[15:23] <@Sylocat> Wait, she can immobilize him with a Flower Hurricane?
01[15:23] <Froborr> Wow, okay, so we know who the DPS character is.
[15:23] <@Sylocat> Eeyup... now all we need is the Tank
[15:23] <@Sylocat> Ooh, can Tuxedo Jerk be the Tank?
[15:24] <FoME> Jupiter and Thunder and Courage. Quite the portfolio.
01[15:24] <Froborr> Huh, just noticed Ami's costume is sleeveless.
[15:24] <Arrlaari> ad
01[15:24] <Froborr> Ad.
[15:24] <FoME> Ad.
[15:25] <@Sylocat> It's the end of the episode, though, so it's okay
[15:25] <FoME> Thought as much.
01[15:25] <Froborr> She's presumably got Wood as well, given Flower Hurricane and the fact that that's the element associated with Jupiter in Chinese alchemy.
[15:25] <@Sylocat> So, yeah... some very weird sexual undertones in this one
01[15:25] <Froborr> Back.
01[15:26] <Froborr> But switching off because I'm not bothering with the ending credits of suck.
[15:26] <@Sylocat> Yeah, the ending credits are horrible
01[15:27] <Froborr> So, the way I'm choosing to read this is that the sexually predatory women were actually illusions, created by a man to further his scheme.
[15:27] <@Sylocat> Uh oh... next episode looks like bad news
[15:27] <@Sylocat> I agree... and to be fair, there is some definite textual evidence for that reading
01[15:27] <Froborr> They thus acted out the typical horror movie scenario of targeting the sexually active girl (or closest thing there is to one, the girl willing to express a sexuality).
[15:28] <Arrlaari> And then at least one man ensnared by that illusion became a sexually predatory puppet of that scheme
01[15:28] <Froborr> Yep.
[15:28] <@Sylocat> Ooh, good point
01[15:28] <Froborr> And keep in mind that Nephrite is an alien presence, not a real human man.
[15:28] <FoME> Sounds better than the "Nephlite the cynical pimp" reading, that's for sure.
[15:29] <@Sylocat> It might even have been intentional
[15:29] <Arrlaari> Also, Tuxedo Mask notices trouble and his go-to solution is "get Sailor Moon to come and fix it"
01[15:30] <Froborr> I think there's even more evidence for it, too: it's only when Makoto's willingness to express her sexuality is validated by another woman that she gains the strength to break free of the puppet-of-the-patriarchy holding her.
[15:30] <FoME> Tuxedo Mask is Princess Celestia. Usagi is Twilight Sparkle. It all makes snese.
01[15:30] <Froborr> True, although Tuxedo Ass remains a problematic figure given his stalker-like behavior and outright sexual assault last episode.
[15:30] <@Sylocat> Heh... suddenly I have hope for this show
[15:30] <Arrlaari> Celestia did way more than Tuxedo Mask
[15:30] <FoME> Not sense, mind you. Snese.
[15:30] <@Sylocat> Yeah... don't compare Tuxedo Fedora to Celestia
[15:31] <FoME> My apologies.
[15:31] <Arrlaari> TBH so far this Tuxedo Mask is even more passive than the famously useless old anime Tuxedo Mask
01[15:31] <Froborr> Lol, that's pretty funny Arrlaari.
[15:31] <@Sylocat> I prefer him passive to having to swoop in every episode to rescue her
01[15:31] <Froborr> Yeah, that would definitly be worse, I have to say.
[15:32] <Arrlaari> Old anime Tux had a once-per-encounter interrupt that he used pretty regularly. This guy just watches from the shadows
[15:32] <@Sylocat> Maybe I'm remembering it wrong, but in the old anime, didn't he have to swoop in basically every episode? I remember that rose landing on the battlefield being a recurring icon
[15:32] <FoME> No, that was part of the episode formula.
[15:33] <@Sylocat> Even when he'd been brainwashed and was evil.
[15:33] <FoME> Which is to say, no, you're not misremembering it.
[15:33] <@Sylocat> (or, a "bad boy," as some fans termed it)
01[15:33] <Froborr> So, I've got to jet, but, final thoughts?
[15:33] <FoME> I've noticed something, but explaining it would be a massive spoiler.
[15:33] <@Sylocat> I assume we've all seen Nostalgia Chick's "list of 10 hottest animated guys (as voted by viewers)?"
01[15:34] <Froborr> Hold onto it until it's no longer spoiler-y then?
[15:34] <Arrlaari> I haven't heard of Nostalgia Chick
[15:34] <FoME> Will do.
01[15:34] <Froborr> Sylocat: It seems likely that I would have, but I have no recollection of doing so.
[15:34] <@Sylocat> I do look forward to reading it once it's no longer a spoiler, FoME, don't worry
01[15:34] <Froborr> Arrlaari: You need to watch Nostalgia Chick, she's great.
[15:34] <@Sylocat> Hang on, I'll link it
[15:35] <@Sylocat> http://blip.tv/nostalgia-chick/nostalgia-chick-top-ten-hottest-animated-guys-5953324
[15:35] <@Sylocat> It says a lot about how our society socializes young women

3 comments:

  1. More meta-commentary. Hope I'm not annoying you.

    "01[15:16] There is so much psychosexual stuff going on in this episode I can barely even start to unpack it.
    [15:16] No, you're not dreaming. Your stalker knows your secret identity.
    01[15:17] Yes, Usagi, go with the strange man at your window, that's not a COMPLETELY TERRIBLE IDEA."

    Reminder that Usagi is the author self-insert character.

    "[15:21] <@Sylocat> So, I take it they're setting up the Naru/Nephlite romance arc? (don't answer that)"

    That was first-anime filler.

    So the second big change from the manga is that another character who was supposed to die...did not die.

    ...I don't have much else to say this week. I'll probably ramble on once Sailor Venus is introduced.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. No, quite the opposite! I'm enjoying these.

      Delete
    2. Thanks, that means a lot.

      Delete

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