Escaflowne Ep 8 and Sailor Moon Crystal ep 14 Liveblog Chat Thingy!

Apologies all. I still haven't had time to watch last week's Escaflowne, nor will I be able to make this week's liveblog. Or, probably, next week's. The first week in February is looking good, though.

How to participate in the liveblog chat:

Option 1: Whenever you watch the episode, comment on this post as you watch with whatever responses you feel like posting!

Option 2: Go to http://webchat.freenode.net/. Enter a nickname, then for the Channels field enter ##rabbitcube, and finally fill in the Captcha and hit Connect! We'll be watching Vision of Escaflowne and commenting there starting at 2:00 p.m. EST. We will then be watching Sailor Moon Crystal at 2:30.

Escaflowne Episode 7 Liveblog Chat Thingy!

How to participate in the liveblog chat:

Option 1: Whenever you watch the episode, comment on this post as you watch with whatever responses you feel like posting!

Option 2: Go to http://webchat.freenode.net/. Enter a nickname, then for the Channels field enter ##rabbitcube, and finally fill in the Captcha and hit Connect! We'll be watching Vision of Escaflowne and commenting there starting at 2:00 p.m. EST.

Except I won't, because I'm hanging out with Viga and Linkara. If one of you who is there could post the chatlog in the comments here, I'd appreciate it; I'll update the post with my own comments once I've watched the thing. 

Three gorram weeks later, it's finally done! Chatlog with myself under the cut.

Escaflowne Episode 6 and SMC Episode 13 Liveblog Chat Thingy!

How to participate in the liveblog chat:

Option 1: Whenever you watch the episode, comment on this post as you watch with whatever responses you feel like posting!

Option 2: Go to http://webchat.freenode.net/. Enter a nickname, then for the Channels field enter ##rabbitcube, and finally fill in the Captcha and hit Connect! We'll be watching Vision of Escaflowne and commenting there starting at 2:00 p.m. EST. We will then be watching Sailor Moon Crystal at 2:30.

Chatlog below the cut!

Escaflowne ep 3 Liveblog Chat Thingy!

How to participate in the liveblog chat:

Option 1: Whenever you watch the episode, comment on this post as you watch with whatever responses you feel like posting!

Option 2: Go to http://webchat.freenode.net/. Enter a nickname, then for the Channels field enter ##rabbitcube, and finally fill in the Captcha and hit Connect! We'll be watching Vision of Escaflowne and commenting there starting at 2:00 p.m. EST.

Chatlog below the cut!

Escaflowne ep. 2 and Sailor Moon Crystal ep. 11 Liveblog Chat Thingy!

How to participate in the liveblog chat:

Option 1: Whenever you watch the episode, comment on this post as you watch with whatever responses you feel like posting!

Option 2: Go to http://webchat.freenode.net/. Enter a nickname, then for the Channels field enter ##rabbitcube, and finally fill in the Captcha and hit Connect! We'll be watching Vision of Escaflowne and commenting there starting at 2:00 p.m. EST. We will then be watching Sailor Moon Crystal immediately after. 

I will update this post with the chat log afterwards. Yes, for both, we'll be doing that from now on because I have something new planned for Wednesdays. And yes, I finally  updated the last two weeks, sorry about that.

Poll results are in! The new show for liveblog chat thingies is...

...at the bottom of this post. First, the results.

With a massive FIVE voters, we have:

• Penguindrum: 1
• Psycho-Pass: 2
• Escaflowne: 2

So I'm tossing in my vote as the tie-breaker. Tough call, since I've heard good things about Psycho-Pass, but Escaflowne is a classic.

So, I'll see you all this Saturday at 2 p.m. for the first episode of Vision of Escaflowne!

Sailor Moon Crystal Episode 10 Liveblog

Just a reminder: Starting with episode 11, in three weeks, SMC liveblogs will be posted on Saturdays, along with whatever other show we're watching at that time. At that point, Wednesdays will become Video Vednesdays, starting with episode-by-episode vlogs of The Legend of Korra season 4. See them now at my Patreon!

01[15:02] <Froborr> Now then.
[15:02] <@Sylocat> I still say that logo looks like Speedy Gonzales
01[15:02] <Froborr> TO THE MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOON
[15:02] <Arrlaari> Probably by teleporting, you guys
01[15:02] <Froborr> Are they actually going to animate the gravity difference?
[15:02] <@Sylocat> Ah yes, when we left off, they were about to launch a rescue mission for Tuxedo Fedora by going to the moon
01[15:02] <Froborr> That'd be pretty sweet.
[15:02] <Arrlaari> that's a thing y'all can do
[15:03] <FoME> That's a waning crescent.
[15:03] <@Sylocat> I was about to say, "At least she's going for herself, and not for the jerk," but then of course she thinks about him
01[15:03] <Froborr> I can never remember which way the shadow goes on the moon.
[15:03] <FoME> Right to left.
01[15:04] <Froborr> Good to know.
[15:04] <Arrlaari> Wouldn't it be like "West to east" or vice-versa?
01[15:04] <Froborr> Nope.
01[15:05] <Froborr> Huh, no ad at end of credits.
01[15:05] <Froborr> Wait.
01[15:05] <Froborr> Usagi has a father!?
[15:05] <@Sylocat> That's weird
01[15:05] <Froborr> I assumed her mome just reproduced parthenogenically, like most anime parents!
[15:05] <FoME> Yeah, we saw him in the episode where Tuxedo Mask kissed Usagi while she was asleep.
[15:06] <@Sylocat> Ah yes, we were distracted by Tuxedo Mask's jerkitude
01[15:06] <Froborr> I missed it, what did she say that freaked out her parents?
[15:06] <@Sylocat> I missed it too
[15:06] <Arrlaari> He asked if the crystal was from a boyfriend and she replied "something like that"
01[15:06] <Froborr> Wait, they waited like two weeks!?
[15:06] <@Sylocat> That's... a weird thing to freak parents out
01[15:07] <Froborr> Well, she's a bit on the yougn side for it, isn't she?
[15:07] <Arrlaari> In the original anime her dad freaked out a whole lot more
[15:07] <@Sylocat> Ah, he wasn't expecting her to say yes
[15:07] <@Sylocat> Ooh, nice teleport ring
[15:07] <@Sylocat> Standing in a fountain, nice aesthetic
[15:07] <FoME> And so Luna banishes them to the Moon.
01[15:08] <Froborr> Yep.
01[15:08] <Froborr> Somebody HAS to have made that mashup by now, right?
[15:08] <@Sylocat> Huh. You'd think.
01[15:08] <Froborr> Hmm.
[15:08] <FoME> I've seen plenty of fanart with the two of them.
[15:08] <Arrlaari> "There's no sound here" she says with her voice
01[15:08] <Froborr> Did they go to the Sea of Serenity in the original manga, or was that a reference to the English dub?
[15:08] <Arrlaari> ad
[15:09] <FoME> There's the ad.
[15:09] <@Sylocat> So, "Silver Millennium" is the name of the place?
[15:09] <Arrlaari> "Princess Serenity" is the original name
[15:09] <FoME> Apparently. I always figured it was reference to the time period.
[15:09] <Arrlaari> So it's probably a reference to that
01[15:09] <Froborr> Ah.
[15:10] <FoME> I'm back.
01[15:10] <Froborr> Arrlaari, back?
[15:10] <Arrlaari> I'm back
[15:10] <FoME> "Moon Castle." Wow. Really?
[15:11] <@Sylocat> Wait, a King Arthur reference?
[15:11] <@Sylocat> Really?
[15:11] <FoME> Except everyone except the queen has to pull it out, apparently.
[15:11] <@Sylocat> Oh, they get it out without her?
01[15:11] <Froborr> Best Sword in the Stone riff ever remains Shadow Hearts: From the New World.
[15:12] <@Sylocat> Wow... this is freaky
01[15:12] <Froborr> Wow, her mom was short.
[15:12] <FoME> One of the Silver Millennium VIs survived the Reapers.
01[15:12] <Froborr> Kitty Cans!
01[15:13] <Froborr> Also: I guess this is the final nail in my "the moon people were hideous blob monsters" theory.
01[15:13] <Froborr> Ah well.
[15:13] <FoME> Alas. I like that theory.
[15:13] <@Sylocat> Great, her forbidden love for Endouchemion made sure she could save the world in her next life
[15:13] <@Sylocat> Whoa, it's the bad guy from The Fifth Element
01[15:14] <Froborr> Huh. Are they implying they weren't native to the Moon, but *sent* there from elsewhere? Interesting.
01[15:14] <Froborr> Certainly makes more sense.
[15:14] <@Sylocat> "Keep his sanity?"
[15:15] <@Sylocat> So, do they rebuild the Moon Palace at any point in the manga?
[15:15] <FoME> The parts that weren't already turned to stone, anyway.
01[15:15] <Froborr> Please don't answer that question.
[15:15] <Arrlaari> Asking for spoilers, can't giv e'em
[15:15] <@Sylocat> Ooh, it's like Hyrule in Wind Waker
[15:15] <@Sylocat> (ah yeah, I forgot not to ask for spoilers... sorry)
[15:15] <FoME> "Help me Usa-Wan Kenobi, you're my only hope."
[15:16] <@Sylocat> Great... "girls crying saves the world," again
[15:16] <@Sylocat> I suppose it's better than "girls crying endangers the world,"
[15:16] <@Sylocat> Again, this sounds like music from Makoto Shinkai movies
[15:17] <FoME> A couple thousand years in low power mode chewed through the batteries.
01[15:17] <Froborr> LIGHT IS NOT A SOUND
[15:17] <FoME> Ad.
[15:17] <Arrlaari> ad
01[15:17] <Froborr> Also: you can't hear ANY sounds on the moon, because there is NO AIR
01[15:18] <Froborr> *implodes*
[15:18] <@Sylocat> Well, presumably they breathe with magic
[15:18] <FoME> Barring magic dialogue powers.
01[15:18] <Froborr> No, I had no problem with them talking in the previous scene, there's a bazillion explanations.
[15:18] <FoME> Back.
01[15:18] <Froborr> My problem is with the silly line after.
[15:19] <Arrlaari> ad over
[15:19] <@Sylocat> Why didn't they put the ad between the two commercial-break tags?
[15:19] <Arrlaari> And there's a transition clearly meant for ads
[15:19] <Arrlaari> shortly after the ad
[15:19] <FoME> Oh, Crunchyroll...
01[15:20] <Froborr> I am pretty sure Crunchyroll's ad placement is automated by a system that isn't very smart.
01[15:20] <Froborr> Especially since two people can get different ads for the same episode, as we've seen before.
[15:20] <@Sylocat> "Queen Metalia?" That's the villain name?
[15:20] <FoME> Yup.
[15:20] <FoME> We have an evil queen working for another evil queen.
[15:21] <@Sylocat> I wrote a bad fanfic fifteen years ago with a villain name like that
[15:21] <Arrlaari> Ah, they have been hinting at this a while. They never covered it in the older anime
[15:21] <@Sylocat> Wait, these four were good guys in their last lives?
01[15:21] <Froborr> Oho, plot twist, the generals served Tuxedo Fedora.
[15:21] <@Sylocat> Huh. The old anime didn't have that
[15:21] <Arrlaari> It's one of the most frequently mentioned changes
01[15:22] <Froborr> Odd choice storywise, having them remember only to immediately be mind-controlled.
[15:23] <@Sylocat> Wait, they're locating the bad guys' hideout with plate tectonics?
[15:23] <FoME> And the waste heat from their hideout.
[15:23] <@Sylocat> Ooh, it's like a much better version of "State of Fear"
[15:23] <@Sylocat> Ooh, a tennis boss fight!
[15:24] <@Sylocat> Dang, they only reflected one projectile
[15:24] <@Sylocat> Sailor V remembers them?
[15:24] <@Sylocat> Oh jeez, don't tell me they were coupled together
[15:24] <FoME> Oh, for crying out loud.
[15:24] <@Sylocat> For the love of...
01[15:25] <Froborr> Oh FFS
[15:25] <FoME> Love apparently trumps survival instincts.
[15:25] <@Sylocat> I no longer find their being brainwashed good guys to be an interesting plot twist
[15:25] <@Sylocat> Wait, Bella Swan snaps them out of it?
[15:25] <@Sylocat> Hey, here's an idea: Each scout goes after one of the guys who WASN'T her boyfriend
01[15:26] <Froborr> Man, that is a POTEN status-cure spell she has.
[15:26] <Arrlaari> ad
[15:26] <FoME> Ad.
[15:26] <Arrlaari> That is easily the worst ad placement I've seen on crunchyroll
[15:26] <FoME> Usagi apparently has the Elements of Harmony lodged in her wand.
01[15:27] <Froborr> Well, I mean, the elements of harmony are PRETTY OBVIOUSLY based on exactly the kind of magical girl team Sailor Moon epitomizes.
[15:27] <Arrlaari> ad over
[15:27] <FoME> Ad done.
[15:27] <@Sylocat> Yeah, except the Elements are actually AIDED with the powers of love and self-respect, rather than hindered by them
01[15:28] <Froborr> I'm still annoyed that it lined up as neatly as Sailor Moon + 4 Senshi hook up with Endymion + 4 Generals.
01[15:29] <Froborr> Ah, and of course now we get the Evil Brainwashed Boyfriend maneuver.
01[15:29] <Froborr> Ehhh.
[15:29] <FoME> Mamoru is kind of the archetypical Evil Brainwashed Boyfriend
01[15:29] <Froborr> The last couple of episodes have been... not great.
[15:30] <Arrlaari> At least they found time for a fight after exposition today
[15:30] <@Sylocat> I dare to hope that the brainwashed boyfriend arc will have a better moral than, "Your love will snap him out of it."
[15:30] <@Sylocat> (don't confirm or deny that)
[15:30] <FoME> This whole setup was based on an idea Naoko Takeuchi had after she could employ it in the original manga.
01[15:30] <Froborr> I suspect that is exactly what will happen, alas. I guess it's slightly better than "a sharp knock on the head cures all brainwashing."
[15:31] <@Sylocat> Yeah... I mean, the four generals counterparting the scouts COULD HAVE been a reasonably interesting idea, but then it led to them nearly getting killed over it
[15:32] <@Sylocat> (I mean, even if it had been played well, there would still have been loads of better ways to go about finding them boyfriends, but still)
[15:33] <Arrlaari> Due to the overall pace, brainwashed Mamoru was hanging around for quite a few episodes in the older show. The way it played was pretty funny but I'l refrain from describing it for now.
01[15:33] <Froborr> I'm annoyed because it goes against my Usagi/Everything With a Pulse ship.
[15:33] <@Sylocat> Yeah... I wanted a lesbian orgy, for many reasons a couple of which were actually wholesome
[15:33] <Arrlaari> Even the cats, Froborr?
[15:33] <FoME> That ship's supported much more in the original anime.
[15:34] <Arrlaari> Yeah, by this point three of the four generals were dead and Zoicite had been in love in Kunzite (the dub made Zoicite a girl, which was not much of a stretch because he had been played as a hyper femme stereotype)
[15:35] <FoME> Oh, the dub. "Darien? Who is that? I am Prince Darien!"
01[15:35] <Froborr> ...
01[15:35] <Froborr> I can't decide if that line is terrible or brilliant. Likely both.
[15:35] <@Sylocat> IIRC, Zoisite and Kunzite were also a couple in the Japanese version... it was one of the original Yaoi things
[15:35] <Arrlaari> Or the Legend of Brad
[15:36] <FoME> The Legend of Brad: Princess Twilight
[15:37] <@Sylocat> Oh, THAT Brad
[15:37] <@Sylocat> I was wondering who you meant
01[15:37] <Froborr> ???
[15:37] <Arrlaari> It'll be far too long until we can really talk about Brad in Froborr's presence
01[15:38] <Froborr> So confused.
[15:38] <@Sylocat> "Brad" was the nickname the fans gave Flash Sentry before we knew his name
01[15:38] <Froborr> Oh.
[15:38] <Arrlaari> It concerns characters introduced in the third season of the old show
[15:38] <Arrlaari> Sylocat we are talking about a different Brad than that
[15:38] <@Sylocat> Oh... sorry
[15:39] <Arrlaari> I actually don't know about Flash Sentry
[15:39] <@Sylocat> When you said "Princess Twilight," I thought... yeah
[15:39] <FoME> No, that's the one I had in mind.
[15:39] <FoME> Forgot about any Brads in a Sailor Moon context.
[15:39] <Arrlaari> The idea of Brad only occurs in the english dub
[15:39] <Arrlaari> That's all I can say
[15:40] <FoME> Oh. OH! Right. That. Yeah, can't say anything more there.
01[15:40] <Froborr> o...k...
[15:40] <@Sylocat> That was confusing
[15:41] <FoME> Yeah, that was mostly because of my free association. Sorry about that.

Kill la Kill episode 23 and Sailor Moon Crystal episode 10 liveblog chat thingies!

When Kill la Kill ends in a few episodes, I'm going to start posting Legend of Korra Season 4 vlogs. Patreon backers at $5 or higher can see them as I record them instead--the first two are done already and I'll be adding one a week! Backers at $2 or higher (including those at $5!) get to see Near-Apocalypse articles early too!

How to participate in the liveblog chat:

Option 1: Whenever you watch the episode, comment on this post as you watch with whatever responses you feel like posting!

Option 2: Go to http://webchat.freenode.net/. Enter a nickname, then for the Channels field enter ##rabbitcube, and finally fill in the Captcha and hit Connect! We'll be watching Kill la Kill and commenting there starting at 2:00 p.m. EST today. Sailor Moon Crystal will be at 2:30 EST.

Chatlog below the cut!

Sailor Moon Crystal Liveblog: Episode 9

In case you missed my announcement, in a few weeks I'm going to start posting weekly video responses on Wednesdays instead of text liveblogs. None of the liveblogs are going away, they're just all going to be on Saturday instead of split between two days.

Curious about the videos? Subscribers to my Patreon can see them right away--the first is going up today!

[14:45] <Sylocat> Ah yes, when we last left off, he was making himself useful for once
[14:45] <Arrlaari> Quick reminder: Tuxedo Mask was unable to follow very simple instructions
[14:46] <FoME> "Stay here while the people with actual magic fight."
[14:46] <FoME> Evidently, this was some kind of flashback laser.
[14:47] <Sylocat> Wait, did anyone involved with this production, or even the manga authors, think it would be a surprise that Usagi was Serenity?
[14:47] <Sylocat> This is being shot and scored like a plot twist
[14:47] <FoME> It kind of was twenty years ago.
01[14:48] <Froborr> Most current anime viewers weren't born when the first series aired.
[14:48] <Sylocat> I suppose
[14:48] <Arrlaari> When I was watching the 4kids dub I thought it was pretty obvious
[14:48] <FoME> Ad.
[14:48] <Sylocat> Even so, it was so obvious...
[14:48] <Arrlaari> likewise
[14:48] <Sylocat> Alrighty then...
[14:48] <Sylocat> Paused at the title card
[14:49] <FoME> Oh hey, not an ad for Crunchyroll.
[14:49] <Sylocat> What's it advertising instead?
[14:49] <Arrlaari> Also, I should note that in the old cartoon, "is Sailor V the princess?" was resolved with her immediately saying "Naw, I'm just Sailor Venus"
01[14:49] <Froborr> Heheh, watching with adblock is funny, it just flickers instead of showing the ad.
01[14:49] <Froborr> Three flickers, hmm.
[14:49] <Arrlaari> So I was surprised when in this show, Sailor V actually straight up lied about it
[14:49] <Sylocat> Ooh, I never counted the flickers
[14:49] <FoME> A show on Fox. And now the cloud. And now a different show.
[14:50] <FoME> Back.
[14:50] <Arrlaari> back
[14:50] <Sylocat> Or does Sailor V actually think she's the princess?
[14:50] <Arrlaari> The conversation with Artemis last episode clearly indicated that she knows what's up
[14:50] <FoME> And everyone's showing complete disregard for gravity.
[14:50] <Sylocat> Ah yeah, I forgot
[14:50] <Sylocat> Oh great, THIS triggers a BSoD
[14:50] <Sylocat> Or... not. Okay.
01[14:51] <Froborr> Sailor Moon is evolving!
[14:51] <Arrlaari> I really wish they hadn't cut Tuxedo Mask's "crying doesn't solve anything" line from the first episode in a version of the show where crying solves things even more often than in the old show
[14:51] <Sylocat> Or Digivolving
01[14:51] <Froborr> She became PRINCESS.
[14:52] <Sylocat> Sailormon Digivolve to... Princessofthemon!
01[14:52] <Froborr> And then she reverses time, like you do.
[14:52] <FoME> Nope. Just memories.
01[14:52] <Froborr> Okay, yeah, Sylocat's gag is better.
[14:52] <Sylocat> Now there's a show I haven't seen in way too long
01[14:52] <Froborr> Never watched it.
[14:52] <Sylocat> You should at least see the third season, Digimon Tamers
01[14:53] <Froborr> FIRST PRINCE OF THE EARTH?
[14:53] <Sylocat> It's one of the best things ever, even the dubbed version was great
[14:53] <FoME> That was a very good one, yes.
01[14:53] <Froborr> Just how far in the past are we?
[14:53] <Sylocat> Oh yikes, Romeo and Juliet...
[14:53] <FoME> "God's law"? What, are nephilim a thing?
01[14:53] <Froborr> Or just angry mobs, I guess?
[14:53] <Sylocat> Oh, and SHE was there
[14:54] <Sylocat> Okay, we get it
01[14:54] <Froborr> Wait, no, she is a Pokemon, her tears have healing powers.
[14:55] <Sylocat> Ah, good point, there
01[14:55] <Froborr> "It's the legendary silver crystal! It was hiding in her face!"
[14:55] <FoME> Now we just need to clone her...
[14:55] <Sylocat> So yes, the power of girls crying is the power that will save the world
[14:55] <Arrlaari> Those two are awfully quick to celebrate the MacGuffin appearing in the hands of their enemy
[14:56] <Sylocat> Good thing girls cry alot AMIRITE
[14:56] <Sylocat> Whoa, Force Lightning
[14:56] <FoME> Well, Usagi does, though that's been underplayed in this version of the show.
[14:57] <Sylocat> Oh, is this the part where he gets brainwashed and turns evil?
[14:57] <FoME> Um, no. That's not a crystal. That is a man.
[14:57] <Sylocat> So he becomes EVEN MORE of a "Bad Boy™?"
01[14:57] <Froborr> Ah, of course, the old hostage-for-MacGuffin gambit.
01[14:57] <Froborr> With optional hostage brainwashing.
[14:57] <FoME> Ad.
[14:57] <Arrlaari> ad
01[14:57] <Froborr> Eh, I'm guessing it won't handle it as well as Fushigi Yuugi.
01[14:57] <Froborr> Which is not to say that Fushigi Yuugi handled it *well*, mind you.
01[14:58] <Froborr> Just better than I expect this to.
01[14:58] <Froborr> I'm not sure that it CAN be done well.
[14:58] <Sylocat> I still haven't seen Fushigi Yuugi
01[14:59] <Froborr> It's rather like Cardcaptor Sakura, in that it is a quite good 26 episode series stretched to 50- or 70-something episodes .
[14:59] <Arrlaari> Ad over.
[14:59] <Sylocat> Ouch
[14:59] <FoME> Same.
01[14:59] <Froborr> Fushigi Yuugi Genbu Kaiden, the prequel manga, is a lot better though.
01[15:00] <Froborr> Mostly because of a WAY better teen-girl-from-our-world. Miaka kinda sucked.
[15:00] <Sylocat> I notice they Katakana-ize "Princess"
[15:00] <Sylocat> Instead of saying "-Hime"
[15:00] <FoME> "Du you remember the violent deaths of everyone you ever knew and loved yet? How about now?"
[15:00] <Arrlaari> Huh, they didn't mention that Venus was the lead bodyguard in the old show
[15:01] <Arrlaari> Jupiter is punching a sword
[15:01] <FoME> And winning.
01[15:01] <Froborr> I still choose to believe that this is metaphoric deformation at work, and they were horrifying blob monsters when they lived on the moon.
[15:01] <Sylocat> Maybe he was "First Prince of the Earth," in the same sense as "First Officer," rather than "First Chronologically"
[15:01] <FoME> Or "heir to the throne."
01[15:01] <Froborr> Oh, that's the sense I was assuming.
01[15:02] <Froborr> First Prince is the heir to the throne, just like First Prince Philionel de Seyruun.
[15:02] <Sylocat> And it took m that long to figure it out
[15:02] <Sylocat> Oh, now Usagi is hitting the Identity Crisis
[15:02] <FoME> Now I want to see Tuxedo Kamen perform a Pacifist Crush...
01[15:02] <Froborr> Man, Phil would squeeze Tuxedo Fedora's brains out through the top of his head.
01[15:03] <Froborr> This show would be SO MUCH BETTER if we just substituted Prince Phil for Mamoru.
[15:03] <Sylocat> So, are they going to brainwash him, or was that another thing that only happened in the first anime?
[15:03] <FoME> Every show would be better with Prince Phil.
01[15:04] <Froborr> Possibly not The West Wing.
[15:04] <FoME> Possibly.
01[15:04] <Froborr> Although maybe West Wing Season 8, starring Idris Elba as Chief of Staff Stacker Bellicose.
01[15:04] <Froborr> (Look it up.)
[15:04] <Sylocat> ...How much of that was a dream?
[15:05] <Sylocat> I thought you didn't like Pacific Rim
[15:05] <FoME> The death definitely was. I think the rest actually happened.
01[15:05] <Froborr> I don't.
01[15:05] <Froborr> But Pacific Rim-West Wing mashup is awesome.
[15:05] <Sylocat> True 'nuff
[15:05] <Sylocat> Usagi's harem isn't happy without her
01[15:06] <Froborr> Clearly not.
[15:06] <FoME> They're coming off as almost unhealthily dependent
01[15:06] <Froborr> She's taken her true blob-monster form!
01[15:06] <Froborr> Or just her hair, anyway.
[15:07] <Sylocat> Can't she just make out with them and forget about Tuxedo Fedora?
[15:07] <Sylocat> Wait, this sounds like TENMON music
01[15:07] <Froborr> None of her previous makeouts with them have gotten her to forget him, alas.
[15:07] <Sylocat> No, it's too upbeat to be TENMON music
01[15:08] <Froborr> Oh my god, just kiss already.
[15:08] <Sylocat> Lesbian orgy time
[15:08] <FoME> "You don't need to walk the same path as your past life, but we're all here to help you do that."
[15:08] <Sylocat> I would like that for a variety of both wholesome and unwholesome reasons
01[15:09] <Froborr> "Let's go to the Moon," suggested the cat.
01[15:09] <Froborr> This is a a thing that happens.
[15:09] <FoME> An essential component of the monomyth.
[15:09] <Sylocat> Well, she is named "Luna"
01[15:10] <Froborr> "They were all my precious treasures."
01[15:10] <Froborr> Poly princess confirmed.
[15:10] <FoME> Minako doesn't get a full face shot.
[15:10] <Arrlaari> Luna has a Serious Cat face
[15:10] <Arrlaari> ad, but credits after
[15:10] <Sylocat> I still don't know why the boy cat is called "Artemis"
01[15:10] <Froborr> Only Minako's right eye is determined.
[15:11] <Arrlaari> Are there any male moon dieties to name him after?
[15:11] <Arrlaari> I'm reasonably certain that there aren't
[15:11] <Sylocat> Well, there's Shalim
[15:11] <Sylocat> But that's a little obscure
[15:11] <Sylocat> And I suppose Artemis can be a boy's name, just look at Artemis Fowl
01[15:12] <Froborr> There's quite a few in Native American mythology.
[15:12] <Sylocat> (though even in those books, villains sometimes tease Artemis about having a girl's name)
01[15:12] <Froborr> And, I mean, Tsukuyomi?
[15:13] <FoME> Given his voice, if Artemis had a male name, he'd collapse into a singularity of masculinity.
01[15:13] <Froborr> What would that even be?
[15:13] <Arrlaari> Jonny Bravo, but a cat?
01[15:13] <Froborr> I'm imagining, like, a fist, with a beard, wearing a fedora.
01[15:14] <Froborr> Or a gun made out of whiskey. Only a cat.
[15:14] <Sylocat> Evil the Cat, from Earthworm Jim?
01[15:14] <Froborr> Er, no.
[15:14] <Sylocat> Probably not
01[15:14] <Froborr> The accent.
[15:14] <Sylocat> Ooh, maybe Bob the Goldfish's bodyguards
[15:14] <FoME> A space from which no whiskey escapes.
01[15:15] <Froborr> Anyway, yeah, that episode was kinda meh?
01[15:16] <Froborr> But hopefully next episode is kicking ass and taking names ON THE MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOON
01[15:16] <Froborr> (Sorry. Had to.)
[15:16] <Sylocat> Yeah... I mean, I know it's one of the seminal classics of girl-power fiction, but still...
[15:16] <Sylocat> And yes, apparently the mascots are finally making themselves useful
[15:16] <FoME> The general consensus of the fandom is that compared to the original anime, this one SUCKS.
[15:16] <Arrlaari> I like that shot of the two cats in sci-fi bottles
01[15:16] <Froborr> I mean, the episode that introduced Sailor Jupitor was seriously great!
01[15:17] <Froborr> And compared to the little bit I've seen of the first series, this is at least actually having things happen?
[15:17] <Arrlaari> I'm really feeling like this take is suffering for want of room for anything but the core plot
[15:17] <Sylocat> Eh, I like this one fine...
01[15:17] <Froborr> Like, there's a story to it?
[15:17] <Sylocat> Yeah, there should be a happy medium between the pacing of the first anime and the pacing of this one
[15:17] <Arrlaari> The first series had a lot of monster of the week episodes
01[15:18] <Froborr> I mean, when it comes down to it, this is a sentai show. Characterization is not going to be its strong suit. So focusing on the core plot and just trying to keep moving is probably a good move.
[15:18] <Arrlaari> Although after the Jaedite arc, the emphasis shifted to the victim of the week - the negaverse general would prey on some Admirable Person and the scouts would save their Noble Dream from his machinations
[15:19] <Arrlaari> Well, there was that one episode where the victim of the week was kind of a jerk
[15:19] <Sylocat> I do remember liking the focus on the victim of the week rather than on the monster of the week
01[15:19] <Froborr> Yeah, that does sound like an interesting approach.
[15:20] <Sylocat> I think it was one of the main inspirations for Buffy
[15:20] <Arrlaari> It was, and they kept it for every subsequent season
01[15:20] <Froborr> Though I think I still prefer just not having -of-the-week.
01[15:20] <Froborr> And yeah, Sailor Moon is DEFINITELY a huge inspiration for Buffy. Buffy is basically just a magical girl anime with less stock footage.
[15:20] <Arrlaari> The thing is, this episode was mostly exposition. So was the last episode. The PV suggests the next episode will also mostly be expository
01[15:21] <Froborr> Yeah, and that *is* a problem, the last really good episode was Sailor Jupiter.
[15:21] <Sylocat> Eh, I'm fine with exposition and flashbacks, so long as the characters aren't sitting around being whiny brats about it
[15:21] <Arrlaari> I'd be fine with the exposition and flashbacks if they weren't three consecutive episodes
[15:22] <FoME> I'd say the whining was justified this episode.
01[15:22] <Froborr> Not really?
[15:22] <Sylocat> I mean, I'd rather have "girls crying saves the world" than "girls crying causes problems," but still.
01[15:23] <Froborr> She has something to be upset about--having an entire life of traumatic memories shoved in her brain--but she seems more upset about Jackass McPedoNecroRapeophile being kidnapped.
[15:23] <Arrlaari> Even if you don't like him, Mamoru is the dude Usagi has a crush on and he just got kidnapped by demonstrably merciless actors
[15:23] <Sylocat> True enough... No Accounting For Taste, after all
[15:23] <FoME> I think the memories were the five-ton lead weight that broke the camel's back.
[15:23] <FoME> It's just that Mamoru's at the forefront of her mind.
01[15:23] <Froborr> Well, and if these were people you'd have a point. But they're characters, and writers are not historians.
[15:24] <Sylocat> I didn't mind the Identity Crisis sequence, I just wish she'd done less angsting over Prince Endoucheymion
[15:25] <Arrlaari> Endymion seems to have been a stand-up dude. In the Mythic Past he probably didn't kiss her while she was asleep at all.
[15:26] <Sylocat> Ah, so it's the same problem that turned him into an Angsty Brooder that also turned him into a psychically-senses-when-she-secretly-wants-her-boundaries-violated Bad Boy
[15:27] <Sylocat> (not that she's vocalized any boundaries for him)
[15:27] <FoME> Must be something in the water.
[15:27] <Sylocat> Amnesia, the infallible fountain of angst
01[15:27] <Froborr> "Don't kiss people who are currently incapable of consent" really isn't a boundary you should have to vocalize.
[15:27] <Sylocat> Oh, I know, believe me
01[15:28] <Froborr> Also, y'know, she's in MIDDLE SCHOOL and he's like 30.
[15:28] <Arrlaari> He's in high school
[15:28] <Sylocat> I think he's in high school, it's said
01[15:28] <Froborr> Close enough.
[15:28] <Sylocat> He LOOKS 30, but then again Usagi looks 22
01[15:29] <Froborr> Well yeah, but that's art style.
[15:29] <Sylocat> I was attempting to make a funny
01[15:30] <Froborr> We have to assume she looks like a middle schooler to the others, just as we have to assume they all actually have dark hair and eyes because they're Japanese.
01[15:30] <Froborr> Anyway, I'm gonna head out.
01[15:30] <Froborr> Any final comments?
[15:30] <Sylocat> Where did the tradition of Aryan-looking anime characters come from?
01[15:30] <Froborr> They're not Aryan-looking.
[15:31] <Sylocat> Well, you know what I mean
01[15:31] <Froborr> Pale, broad face, and large eyes is a Japanese standard of beauty that long predates contact with the West.
[15:31] <Arrlaari> They are protrayed "blank" and white people interpret blank art as white
[15:31] <FoME> Lots of mental stuff today. Memories recovered on both shows.
[15:31] <Arrlaari> In Japan, it is Japanese, and not white, which is the unmarked category
01[15:31] <Froborr> The rest is just giving them a wide variety of hair and eye colors to make them easier to tell apart, whcih IIRC correctly goes back to Tezuka and Mushi Pro.
[15:32] <Sylocat> Ah... so it arose out of animation convenience
[15:32] <Sylocat> I'm not sure why I didn't automatically assume that
[15:32] <FoME> See you all next week.
[15:33] <Arrlaari> Unmarked categories have powerful sway over the unconcious assumptions people make
[15:33] <Sylocat> See you
01[15:33] <Froborr> Yep, laters!
01[15:33] <Froborr> And yeah, agreed on the unmarked signifiers.
[15:33] <Sylocat> Well, if she's blonde, blue-eyed, and has milky pink skin, I think even ever-oblivious white people can be forgiven for thinking she's meant to look white
01[15:33] <Froborr> Dangerously powerful and subtle little buggers.
01[15:34] <Froborr> I really need to dig up that picture of Gwen Stefani surroudned by Japanese schoolgirls, where the "white" woman is the darkest-skinned person in the shot...
[15:35] <Sylocat> I mean, I know white people take whiteness as the default blank slate, but it's a little baffling to see that in other cultures too
[15:35] <Arrlaari> It is plausible that Japan tends to identify itself with Europe more than with Asia. Japan was able to make itself an imperial power and conquer Korea, and therefore their modern culture shares a lot of the consequences of having your state conquer and rule over foreigners in modern history
[15:35] <Arrlaari> On the other hand, they have very long cultural ties to China and Korea that predate the modern imperialist time
01[15:36] <Froborr> True, but on the other hand having milky-white skin is a very old standard of beauty in Japan.
[15:36] <Sylocat> As started with Geishas
01[15:36] <Froborr> So again, I'm not persuaded that "pale skin = white" to a Japanese viewer.
[15:36] <Arrlaari> Probably for the same reasons as in Europe - their skin tans when they work outside, so not being tanned was evidence that you didn't labor outdoors
[15:37] <Arrlaari> That's why tanning became fashionable during the industrial revolution - suddenly it was evidence you had time to not be laboring in a factory all day
01[15:37] <Froborr> In fact, if you look at anime characters who ARE specifically American... they tend to be tan, blonde, blue-eyed, and loud.
[15:37] <Sylocat> Well, except for the tan, that summarizes a whole lot of anime characters too... but I get that you mean "loud" in a more specific way
01[15:38] <Froborr> Yeah, it's the same reason that in Europe, as long as calories were expensive, fat was beautiful. Soon as calories became cheap and nutrients expensive, thin became beautiful.
[15:38] <Arrlaari> They tend to be given a particular regional accent that connotes loudness
[15:38] <Arrlaari> In addition to being genuinely as loud as most anime characters are
01[15:38] <Froborr> I actually went to a great panel at AUSA about racial stereotypes in anime, it was fascinating.
[15:39] <Arrlaari> What are the Russian signifiers?
01[15:39] <Froborr> They covered that! I'm trying to remember...
[15:39] <Sylocat> Whereas, in America, thin has always been beautiful because half our moral system revolves around self-denial (as opposed to actual selflessness or generosity)
[15:39] <Arrlaari> We
[15:40] <Arrlaari> We also have enjoyed agricultural plenty due to having a lot of stolen farmland on hand
[15:40] <Sylocat> I remember how Azumanga Daioh portrayed English-speakers... that was epic
01[15:40] <Froborr> Fur/heavy clothing, I remember that. Temper that gets them into trouble.
01[15:41] <Froborr> The English are super-cultured and exotic, while Americans are loud, narcissistic, and plaster flags all over themselves.
[15:41] <Sylocat> The latter comes far closer to actually applying
[15:41] <Arrlaari> tbh, the flag thing really happens sometimes
01[15:42] <Froborr> Chinese men are depicted as either sneaky and duplicitous, or foolish, with no in between, while Chinese women are basically the same as the Western "dragon lady."
[15:42] <Arrlaari> The English thing makes sense, since the Japanese empire was modeled on the British Empire
01[15:42] <Froborr> And I mean, these are stereotypes, the panel went out of its way to point out exceptions as well.
[15:42] <Arrlaari> Which makes sense - the UK and Japan are both densely populated islands
[15:43] <Arrlaari> So when the Japanese government was deciding how to make their country great, the nation that had similar circumstances and the biggest empire running was an obvious model
[15:43] <Sylocat> With some of these, it depends whether they're actually set in Japan, or in a generic fantasy world whose various cultures just happen to closely resemble Earth cultures of various time periods
01[15:43] <Froborr> Oh, and Filipinos are depicted with *exactly* the same stereotypes as American media uses for Mexicans, and for much the same reason.
[15:43] <Sylocat> ...What anime have Filipinos in them?
[15:43] <Arrlaari> There's also the half-French boyfriend material trope
[15:44] <Sylocat> That one is surprisingly universal
01[15:44] <Froborr> Hence Pedro in Excel Saga, which American viewers watch and immediately go, "Ah, he's the Mexican stereotype," while Japanese viewers instantly recognize him as a Filipino stereotype (which he is explicitly stated to be in the manga IIRC).
[15:44] <Arrlaari> Isn't that type a Parisian stereotype within France itself?
[15:44] <Sylocat> Ah yes, Excel Saga... I should give that show a second chance

Kill la Kill and Sailor Moon Liveblog Chat Thingies

How to participate in the liveblog chat:

Option 1: Whenever you watch the episodes, comment on this post as you watch with whatever responses you feel like posting!

Option 2: Go to http://webchat.freenode.net/. Enter a nickname, then for the Channels field enter ##rabbitcube, and finally fill in the Captcha and hit Connect! We'll be watching Kill la Killand commenting there starting at 2:00 p.m. EST today. Then we'll take a short break, and at 2:30 pm EST we'll watch Sailor Moon Crystal (half an hour earlier than usual, so a VERY short break!).

Kill la Kill chatlog below the cut! 

Kill la Kill Episode 20 Liveblog Chat Thingy

My Little Po-Mo vol. 2 is now on sale! See my books page for details.

How to participate in the liveblog chat:

Option 1: Whenever you watch the episode, comment on this post as you watch with whatever responses you feel like posting!

Option 2: Go to http://webchat.freenode.net/. Enter a nickname, then for the Channels field enter ##rabbitcube, and finally fill in the Captcha and hit Connect! We'll be watching Episode and commenting there starting at 2:00 p.m. EST today.

Chatlog below the cut!

Sailor Moon Crystal Liveblog: Episode 8

01[15:00] <Froborr> Oh right, Sailor Bwee.
[15:01] <Arrlaari> Mercury has uwee
01[15:01] <Froborr> BWA
[15:01] <FoME> What.
01[15:01] <Froborr> That voice coming out of a little cat is HILARIOUS
[15:01] <FoME> Agreed.
[15:01] <Arrlaari> Yeah
01[15:02] <Froborr> I know they won't, but it'd be pretty cool if it turned out our main character *wasn't* the destined princess, but was instead just one of her elite guard.
01[15:04] <Froborr> Moon's tiara is all "No way, I can TOTALLY out-crescent her!"
[15:04] <FoME> Sailor Moon's tiara evolved again. Must be a Bug-type.
01[15:05] <Froborr> And once again Usagi is all, "So hot, must add her to my harem."
[15:05] <FoME> And V's been spying on them through the arcade machine. That's not creepy.
[15:05] <Arrlaari> "Oh, I wasn't hallucinating"
[15:06] <Arrlaari> "I really was being lectured by my hero through a video game at my favorite arcade"
[15:06] <Arrlaari> "that is a relief"
01[15:06] <Froborr> It's a good thing that Usagi wasn't playing that Starfighter game next to Sailor V, she would've gotten recruited into COMPLETELY the wrong adventure.
[15:07] <FoME> Lol
[15:07] <FoME> Ad.
01[15:07] <Froborr> Ad.
[15:07] <Arrlaari> ad
01[15:07] <Froborr> lol
[15:07] <Arrlaari> It's as if we are all using the same website
[15:07] <Arrlaari> 10 seconds remain
[15:07] <FoME> For this ad.
01[15:07] <Froborr> I just started a second 30 second ad.
[15:07] <Arrlaari> Repeat of same ad
[15:07] <Arrlaari> Mine is also 30s
[15:07] <FoME> It's as if we are all using the same website.
01[15:08] <Froborr> back
[15:08] <FoME> Likewise.
01[15:08] <Froborr> Arr?
[15:08] <Arrlaari> yes
[15:08] <Arrlaari> same as you all
[15:08] <Arrlaari> I didn't pause when it ended, did you all hold up?
01[15:09] <Froborr> Yes.
[15:09] <Arrlaari> whoops
01[15:09] <Froborr> Ah, this is the Explain the Plot Episode.
[15:09] <Arrlaari> I'm now paused at 7:59
[15:09] <FoME> With Sailor Exposition
01[15:09] <Froborr> I'm at 7:49.
[15:09] <FoME> 8:02
01[15:09] <Froborr> Hitting 7:59... now.
01[15:10] <Froborr> So, if she destroyed the moon kingdom and killed evryone... who sealed her?
[15:10] <FoME> Some of them died after sealing her.
01[15:10] <Froborr> Fair enough.
[15:11] <Arrlaari> I like to think she's named Metallia because of the vicious metallic dust that covers the moon now
[15:11] <FoME> "Regolith" doesn't have quite the same ring for eldritch abominations, does it?
01[15:11] <Froborr> Wait, why is "Artemis" a male cat?
[15:11] <Arrlaari> Actually it totally does
[15:12] <Arrlaari> Artemis & Luna
[15:12] <FoME> @Froborr: The fandom has made that joke many times.
01[15:12] <Froborr> Endymion, eh?
01[15:13] <Froborr> The mythical shepherd and astronomer that was the mortal lover of the moon goddess Selene. Slightly more obscure than I gave this show credit for.
[15:13] <FoME> I can't help but note that no one's called her "Minako" yet. It's always "Princess" or "V-chan." That's kind of sad.
01[15:14] <Froborr> She's kind of encouraged that, though? She's defintiely playing the sempai role to the hilt.
[15:14] <FoME> True.
01[15:14] <Froborr> Not to mention, the way she's worried about them regaining their memories suggests she KNOWS she isn't the princess.
[15:14] <Arrlaari> It's notable to me that you connect the sempai role to the princess role
01[15:15] <Froborr> Well, they're both social superiors, one by birth and one by experience.
[15:15] <FoME> Ad.
01[15:15] <Froborr> Ad/
01[15:15] <Froborr> Also: "we"
[15:15] <Arrlaari> Ad
01[15:16] <Froborr> Are ALL cats part of a vast ancient lunar conspiracy?
[15:16] <FoME> I wouldn't be surprised.
[15:16] <Arrlaari> Two rounds of the 30s ad here
01[15:16] <Froborr> How Lovecraftian of them.
[15:16] <Arrlaari> same as you guys, right? So there's no need for anyone to pause at the end, right?
[15:16] <FoME> Back.
[15:16] <Arrlaari> I guess not
[15:16] <Arrlaari> what
[15:16] <Arrlaari> a THIRD run
01[15:16] <Froborr> And I had a 10 second ad followed by 30 and now another 30.
[15:17] <Arrlaari> I got 3x30 that is merciless
01[15:17] <Froborr> back
[15:17] <Arrlaari> done
[15:17] <FoME> Lovecraft vs. Lovecraft. Metallia vs. cats. Who will win?
01[15:17] <Froborr> Cats.
[15:18] <FoME> Obviously. They have much better PR.
01[15:18] <Froborr> Also thus far Metallia doesn't appear particularly Lovecraftian, tbh.
01[15:18] <Froborr> She's not particularly eldritch.
[15:18] <FoME> Point. More generic "shadow demon"
01[15:19] <Froborr> Um, yes, DUH it's a trap!
[15:19] <FoME> Wow. So much for that secret identity.
01[15:20] <Froborr> Wow, so, why didn't they just have Kunzite show up from the start and kill everyone?
01[15:20] <Froborr> He seems kind of OP relative to the other generals.
[15:20] <Arrlaari> Killing the humans means they can't be exploited for energy
01[15:20] <Froborr> True.
[15:21] <FoME> You don't kill sheep to shear them.
[15:21] <Arrlaari> This move looks like it works like Power Word: Kill in that it's wholly ineffective against strong targets
[15:21] <FoME> Huh. No power-up incantation for Venus.
01[15:21] <Froborr> And the same song as Mercury and Moon--no unique transformation music like Mars and Jupiter.
[15:22] <FoME> Jupiter can fly, apparently.
01[15:22] <Froborr> BTW Jupiter can fly.
[15:23] <Arrlaari> BY THE WAY: TEAMWORK
01[15:23] <Froborr> "precious friends," is that what the kids are calling it these days.
[15:24] <FoME> This is why you don't try to heal shields, Usagi.
[15:24] <FoME> Ad.
01[15:24] <Froborr> Ad.
[15:24] <Arrlaari> ad
[15:24] <Arrlaari> It worked great against the other guy - was that zoicite?
[15:24] <Arrlaari> The one who had to get rescued by Beryl
[15:24] <FoME> True. And yes.
[15:25] <FoME> Back.
01[15:25] <Froborr> Still mid-ad.
[15:25] <Arrlaari> Artemis' Serious Cat voice is a pretty good surprise
01[15:25] <Froborr> THIRD ad.
[15:25] <Arrlaari> done
01[15:26] <Froborr> back
[15:26] <FoME> I just noticed the bunny ears on Usagi's new tiara. They're kind of hilarious.
01[15:26] <Froborr> Tuxedo Mask's all, "Kissing a conscious girl? I don't know how to handle that!"
[15:27] <FoME> I liked the "Thanks for the save, now get out here while the adults fight."
01[15:27] <Froborr> Yeah, it was pretty great.
01[15:27] <Froborr> Sadly, I am virtually certain he survived.
[15:27] <Arrlaari> And masculinity anxiety claims another life
[15:28] <Arrlaari> Alas, that would have read much better if I had been just slightly faster
[15:28] <FoME> Seems like gravity can now be ignored when the plot demands it now.
01[15:28] <Froborr> Indeed.
[15:28] <Arrlaari> Anime jumping
[15:28] <FoME> I'm going to say Jupiter is using some kind of maglev with the Earth's field.
01[15:29] <Froborr> Plus everyone except Tuxedo Bats is a superhero, and he's Batman.
[15:29] <FoME> But can he breathe in space?
01[15:29] <Froborr> Only one way to find out!
01[15:29] <Froborr> Actually, given that they had a civilization ON THE MOON, presumably none of them need air.
[15:30] <Arrlaari> One assumes the moon used to be a lot more pleasant an environment
[15:30] <FoME> "Oxygen? You mean you're still using that? How quaint."
01[15:30] <Froborr> It'd be pretty cool if we eventually found out that the dream-memory-things are actually being translated into human terms by the process of reincarnation, and in their past lives on the moon they were all hideous blob monsters.
[15:31] <FoME> And Endymion still fell in love with one.
01[15:31] <Froborr> Wait, Endymion was from Earth?
01[15:31] <Froborr> I mean, in the myth, obviously, but in the show as well?
[15:31] <Arrlaari> FoME just slipped up
01[15:32] <Froborr> Grr.
[15:32] <FoME> Yeah. I keep forgetting that the twenty-year old spoilers are still spoilers for you.
[15:32] <FoME> My bad.
[15:32] <Arrlaari> You mentioned that Endymion was more obscure than you expected to see. It turns out Naoko Takeuchi is way into old Greek & Roman stuff
01[15:32] <Froborr> Huh, interesting.

Sailor Moon Crystal Liveblog Chat Thingy: Episode 7

Sorry this is up so late. Plans were disrupted by the need to go to the ER. I'm fine, but probably going to need surgery in the not too distant future, so I'm opening up calls for the week or so of guest posts I'm likely to need. 

Also, I finally updated the Kill la Kill chat post from Saturday with the log.

01[14:55] <Froborr> Hullo.
[14:55] <FoME> Hi.
01[14:55] <Froborr> So it looks like I've got one ad after the opening credits, one before the ending credits, and only one actually during the show, which is good.
01[14:55] <Froborr> On the other hand, given the way crunchyroll usually works for me, those'll each be three consecutive ads.
[14:56] <@Sylocat> Okay, pre-loading...
[14:56] <@Sylocat> Great, two episodes in a row named after the guy
[14:56] <FoME> I've got the same setup.
[14:56] <@Sylocat> Ah well... the last one got better at the end.
01[14:56] <Froborr> Yeah, I'm not enthused by this episode title.
01[14:57] <Froborr> That's true.
[14:58] <@Sylocat> (I linked you all to Nostalgia Chick's "hottest animated guys" list, right?)
[14:58] <FoME> Yup.
01[14:58] <Froborr> Yep.
[14:58] <Arrlaari> Yeah
[14:58] <Arrlaari> She doesn't have a lot to say about this guy because she didn't really watch the show
[14:58] <@Sylocat> I know, but several of the other picks say a lot
[14:58] <@Sylocat> Okay, 1 minute
[14:59] <@Sylocat> (and he's still less obnoxious than in the first anime)
[14:59] <@Sylocat> (not that that's a high bar to clear)
[14:59] <@Sylocat> Click
[15:00] <@Sylocat> Is that Speedy Gonzales in Toei's logo?
[15:00] <@Sylocat> Oh, we pick up right where we left off
01[15:00] <Froborr> No, it's Puss in Boots.
[15:00] <FoME> It's not a transformation. There's an actual tuxedo. That's kind of hilarious.
[15:00] <@Sylocat> Hahaha
01[15:01] <Froborr> That WOULD explain why he's a non-teleporting loser.
[15:01] <@Sylocat> "How could I not have noticed?"
[15:01] <Arrlaari> There was a transform in the old anime and tbh I think this fits him better
[15:01] <FoME> It's a very good question!
[15:01] <@Sylocat> Even SHE thinks she should have figured it out
01[15:02] <Froborr> Though to be fair, she's met his secret identity, what, twice?
[15:02] <Arrlaari> The obvious explanation is that she had a negative first impression of his civilian identity and a positive impressioin of his costumed identity and motivated reasoning
[15:02] <@Sylocat> Good points all
[15:02] <FoME> Indeed. Also, ad.
01[15:02] <Froborr> Also he may be doing a posture thing like Christopher Reeves as Superman.
01[15:03] <Froborr> Ad here, too.
[15:03] <@Sylocat> Of course, he slouches like Supes
[15:03] <FoME> I'm back.
01[15:03] <Froborr> Still an ad here.
01[15:03] <Froborr> Back.
[15:03] <Arrlaari> Also, it's notable that apparently flimsy masks do spoil immediate recognition. People are often not recognized when they start or stop wearing  glasses.
[15:03] <Sylocat> Phew
[15:04] <Sylocat> Right... it's a "Nuking the Fridge" moment, where something that is actually plausible strikes the viewers as wrong
[15:04] <FoME> Tuxedo Mask and the Crystal Skull? There's a mental image.
[15:04] <Sylocat> (did I miss the "ad over?")
[15:05] <FoME> Yes.
01[15:05] <Froborr> Yeah, you did.
[15:05] <Arrlaari> It's more of an issue for long-running stories where there's an opportunity for close examination
01[15:05] <Froborr> Hmm, no superpowers, dead parents, obsession, entitled asshole... so Batman, basically.
[15:05] <Sylocat> Except not rich
[15:05] <Sylocat> So he's got that going for him
01[15:05] <Froborr> True.
01[15:06] <Froborr> On the other hand he's quite a bit more rape-y than Batman, so.
[15:06] <FoME> "I'm looking for the MacGuffin because it will resotre my lost memories." "My cat told me to." Oh, Usagi.
[15:06] <Sylocat> Ah, so THAT's why the episode is named after him
[15:06] <Sylocat> Well, depends on the Batman writer
01[15:06] <Froborr> True, ASBAR Bats is basically a child-molesting kidnapper.
01[15:07] <Froborr> Usako?
01[15:08] <Froborr> Wait, does Sailor V outrank Luna?
[15:08] <FoME> "Rather inexperienced"? She was the first one! Other than V.
[15:09] <Sylocat> Until last episode, Kyubey outranked Luna AFAIWC
[15:09] <Arrlaari> ko at the end of a word generally indicates child, so "Usako" is a rabbit child. Diminutive nicknames are coded romantic, both here and in Japan.
01[15:09] <Froborr> Oh, I like how Metalia has a forehead star, like a dark mirror of a Sailor Scout.
[15:09] <Sylocat> Wait, I'd forgotten that Luna was actually in contact with Sailor V
[15:09] <Arrlaari> I don't remember seeing that before this episode either
01[15:09] <Froborr> Wait, the Dark Kingdom is on Earth?
[15:10] <FoME> Actual regret from Beryl?
01[15:10] <Froborr> I just assumed they were on some other planet or alternate dimension or something!
[15:10] <Arrlaari> Yeah, near "D-point" same as in the old anime
01[15:10] <Froborr> Beryl's human!?
[15:10] <Sylocat> I assume "Legendary Silver Crystal" sounds more badass in Japanese
[15:11] <FoME> Beryl was human once. Now? It's up for debate.
01[15:11] <Froborr> The evil rental store is called "Dark."
01[15:11] <Froborr> They're not even trying anymore.
01[15:12] <Froborr> Okay, he knows who she is and is just trolling, right?
[15:12] <FoME> Oh dear god what.
[15:12] <Arrlaari> At no point have Sailor Moon villains been known for suble deception
[15:12] <Sylocat> Ooh, I have a video rental place here like that
[15:13] <Sylocat> Hahah
01[15:14] <Froborr> Blaaarrrrghh
01[15:14] <Froborr> Ad.
01[15:14] <Froborr> Also, ewwww he is SMELLING her HANDKERCHIEF.
01[15:15] <Froborr> Gross.
[15:15] <FoME> Likewise.
[15:15] <Sylocat> I hope that's not supposed to be symbolic
[15:15] <FoME> Ironically, Crystal plays up the "miracle romance" angle far more than the version where that was in the theme song.
[15:15] <Arrlaari> I think he's kissing it, which is framed to mirror Usagi kissing his watch
01[15:15] <Froborr> Possible, Arrlaari.
01[15:15] <Froborr> Back.
[15:15] <FoME> As am I.
01[15:16] <Froborr> Significantly less gross if true.
[15:16] <Sylocat> And now I'm only 15 seconds behind rather than 2 minutes
[15:16] <Sylocat> I'm surprised they haven't figured out that something's wrong with their classmates
[15:17] <Sylocat> They rent out DVDs in CD cases?
01[15:17] <Froborr> Lots of video stores used to use their own boxes.
[15:17] <FoME> And the arcade machine has a DVD slot now.
01[15:17] <Froborr> Makes it harder to steal and resell the product.
[15:17] <Sylocat> Sailor V can talk through the game! Just like Dr. Zola in Captain America: TWS!
[15:18] <Sylocat> "Why did I tell her all that?" Because she's the main character, moron
[15:18] <Sylocat> This episode has taken a left turn into scarytown
01[15:20] <Froborr> Man, that multi-target status-cure spell of hers is potent stuff.
[15:20] <FoME> And then Sailor Moon was a legendary Pokémon.
[15:20] <Sylocat> Wait, it's that easy to do a mass remedy now?
[15:20] <Arrlaari> Moon Healing Escalation is primarily an exorcism move
[15:21] <Arrlaari> In the old anime it was introduced to defeat humans who had been transformed into Youma without vaporizing them
[15:21] <FoME> Wow. This is certainly a deviation from previous versions of Zoicite.
01[15:21] <Froborr> It'd be awesome if Sailor V showed up now instead of Tuxedo Mask.
01[15:21] <Froborr> ...Nope. Darn.
[15:21] <Sylocat> No such luck
01[15:21] <Froborr> I guess Zoisite is weak to Fighting type moves?
[15:22] <Sylocat> Makes sense, I suppose
[15:22] <FoME> He is a Dark-type, after all.
[15:22] <Arrlaari> From the comments: "It's nice to see Tuxedo Mask throwing punches instead of roses" and yet the old anime Tux had seen a lot more action by this point in the plot than this Tux
[15:22] <Sylocat> Ahahah
[15:22] <Arrlaari> That has something to do with how many more episodes the old show had, admittedly
[15:23] <Sylocat> Wow, he almost becomes less of a douche
[15:23] <FoME> Secret identies? What are those?
[15:23] <Sylocat> Where are the other... ah, there they are
01[15:23] <Froborr> Oh shit, guess I called it again!
[15:23] <Sylocat> Wait, that was LUNA?!
[15:23] <Sylocat> Oh, no, it was Sailor V
01[15:23] <Froborr> Man, I'm on a roll today.
[15:24] <Sylocat> Yes, yes you are
[15:24] <Arrlaari> So, Sailor V appeared to assist the other senshi in the middle of Episode 33 of the old anime
[15:24] <Sylocat> She pronounces it "Sailor Vwee?"
[15:24] <FoME> "V" is a weird sound in Japanese.
[15:25] <Sylocat> I assumed it was just the Katakana "Bii"
[15:25] <Arrlaari> They have real difficulty with sounds that don't appear in their own language
01[15:25] <Froborr> Doesn't actually exist, for starters.
[15:26] <Arrlaari> I do like how when Tux goes for a second punch, Zoicite is just like "nope"
01[15:26] <Froborr> Yep. Basically Tuxedo Mask's only power is that he's too much of a loser to be worth noticing, so he gets a surprise round.
[15:27] <FoME> Rogues are never as good on the second round.
01[15:27] <Froborr> Eh, they're fine as long as they can get flanking.
01[15:28] <Froborr> Anwyay, any final thoughts?
[15:28] <Arrlaari> They are really burning through the main plot of this show and a lot of the secondary characters are suffering for it
[15:28] <FoME> They're trying to cram several dozen episodes of romantic development into less than ten, and it shows.
[15:29] <Arrlaari> By this time in the old anime, Naru had got a major subplot and Umino got a couple of focus episodes
[15:29] <Sylocat> How much of that was in the manga?
[15:29] <Arrlaari> I don't know the manga well enough to say
[15:29] <FoME> Nor I.
[15:30] <Arrlaari> Although I recall reading that Naru's subplot wasn't in the manga
01[15:30] <Froborr> I'm sure we'll find out in the comments.
[15:31] <FoME> The enormous stabby crystal was familiar, though.

Kill la Kill and Sailor Moon Crystal Liveblog Chat Thingy!

How to participate in the liveblog chat:

Option 1: Whenever you watch the episodes, comment on this post as you watch with whatever responses you feel like posting!

Option 2: Go to http://webchat.freenode.net/. Enter a nickname, then for the Channels field enter ##rabbitcube, and finally fill in the Captcha and hit Connect! We'll be watching Kill la Kill and commenting there starting at 2:00 p.m. EST today. Then we'll take a short break, and at 3:00 pm EST we'll watch Sailor Moon Crystal.

Chatlog below the cut!

Kill la Kill Liveblog Chat Thingy!

How to participate in the liveblog chat:

Option 1: Whenever you watch the episode, comment on this post as you watch with whatever responses you feel like posting!

Option 2: Go to http://webchat.freenode.net/. Enter a nickname, then for the Channels field enter ##rabbitcube, and finally fill in the Captcha and hit Connect! We'll be watching the episode and commenting there starting at 2:00 p.m. EST today.

Chatlog below the cut!

Sailor Moon Episode 6 Liveblog Chatlog

[15:01] <Arrlaari> Last time on Sailor Moon: we got a new toy. Usagi Get Equipped with: Moon Wand
01[15:01] <Froborr> lol
01[15:02] <Froborr> Credits over, ad.
[15:02] <Arrlaari> Indeed
[15:02] <Arrlaari> I'm getting the short crunchyroll devices ad
[15:02] <Arrlaari> 2x12 seconds, and it's done
[15:02] <Arrlaari> Yours?
01[15:02] <Froborr> Not me.
01[15:03] <Froborr> back
[15:03] <Arrlaari> I guess Crunchyroll divides the US into regions for ad sales
01[15:03] <Froborr> Oh no, please don't be a Tuxedo Fedora focus ep.
01[15:03] <Froborr> WTF "Who are you?"
01[15:03] <Froborr> Didn't he show up at her HOUSE last episode?
[15:04] <Arrlaari> He doesn't know who the figure in that dream we just saw is
01[15:04] <Froborr> "Who are you, girl I'm stocking and making out with when she's unconscious?"
01[15:04] <Froborr> Oh.
01[15:05] <Froborr> Okay, he totally posed for that picture.
01[15:05] <Froborr> That's not a news photo, that's his headshot he uses to apply for roles in local TV productions.
01[15:06] <Froborr> Are they watching TV on a crystal ball?
01[15:06] <Froborr> Like, they're using the ball to remote-view a TV that's showing the news?
01[15:06] <Froborr> That's AMAZING.
01[15:08] <Froborr> That's pretty legit power for a magical girl show.
[15:08] <Arrlaari> I like how the planet whose destruction gets imagined is Jupiter. That's what you get for asking questions!
01[15:08] <Froborr> LOL, point.
01[15:08] <Froborr> I'm always amused by these super-advanced alien civilizations that have nothing between "slightly worse than most handguns" and "planet-killer."
01[15:09] <Froborr> Silly Scouts, don't you know ALL cats are from the moon?
[15:09] <Arrlaari> Ad soon
01[15:09] <Froborr> Likewise.
01[15:09] <Froborr> Ad.
[15:10] <Arrlaari> Same as before?
01[15:10] <Froborr> No, now it's for a new Batman show.
01[15:11] <Froborr> back
[15:11] <Arrlaari> I gotta say, seeing that same crunchy ad twice every break gets old
01[15:11] <Froborr> Yeah, I hate that.
01[15:11] <Froborr> How does everyone suddenly know what the Legendary Silver Crystal is?
01[15:11] <Froborr> ...oh, mind control, that's how.
[15:11] <Arrlaari> Tuxedo Mask told them
01[15:12] <Froborr> Oh, so that's where that room is.
[15:13] <Arrlaari> I tell you what, they didn't have this swanky secret base in the old cartoon
[15:13] <Arrlaari> Hm, "taskete" translated as "save" is a poor choice here
01[15:14] <Froborr> Yeah, "help" would have been a lot less obnoxious.
[15:14] <Arrlaari> It's often used in that sense but in this case it's clearly used for "help" which is being very generous
01[15:15] <Froborr> Aw, Mars and Jupiter's transformation have been de-badassified.
01[15:15] <Froborr> Wait, why is Usagi losing energy?
[15:16] <Arrlaari> I dunno any more than you tbh
01[15:17] <Froborr> Damn skippy you don't have special abilities, you non-teleporting loser.
[15:18] <Arrlaari> I dunno what Usagi is talking about she is not at all in the same no-powers boat as Mamoru
01[15:18] <Froborr> Yeah, she has the Tiara of Death and the awful crying thingy.
01[15:19] <Froborr> I was not expecting a confrontation with Queen Beryl this early!
01[15:21] <Froborr> Is this the first time seeing her full sequence since ep 1?
[15:21] <Arrlaari> I think they've made time for it at least once since then
[15:21] <Arrlaari> Not sure
01[15:23] <Froborr> That's an interesting effect for a move with "Healing" in the name.
01[15:23] <Froborr> Okay, this latter part is more like it.
01[15:23] <Froborr> BUT WHY WAS HER ENERGY EBBING?
01[15:24] <Froborr> Oh hey, she figured it out a lot earlier than I expected.
01[15:24] <Froborr> So that's good!
01[15:25] <Froborr> Ad but I think we no longer care.
01[15:25] <Froborr> So, thoughts?
[15:25] <Arrlaari> Zoicite identified himself as Beryl's European commander
01[15:25] <Froborr> Yeah, that was kind of interesting.
[15:25] <Arrlaari> That's something I heard about being a thing in the Manga, it didn't come up in the old show
01[15:26] <Froborr> Ah.
01[15:26] <Froborr> I feel like last week's episode was a LOT better.
01[15:26] <Froborr> But this was all right.
[15:26] <Arrlaari> So it wasn't fully on screen, but Mamoru totally kissed Usagi after she fainted.
01[15:26] <Froborr> Are you serious?
01[15:26] <Froborr> I missed that.
01[15:27] <Froborr> So now it's officially a thing, he's a necrophiliac.
01[15:27] <Froborr> (IIRC, despite the name, it includes fetishizing unconscious people.)
[15:27] <Arrlaari> 21:15
[15:27] <Arrlaari> As he moves in for the kiss, his watch falls off
01[15:27] <Froborr> Already closed the window, I'll take your word for it.
01[15:28] <Froborr> Dude is SERIOUSLY GROSS
01[15:28] <Froborr> Okay.
01[15:28] <Froborr> Well, I'm going to watch the last episode of Saikano.
[15:28] <Arrlaari> Other than presuming consent because Memories of their Past Lives & Destiny etc., he's mostly about telling Usagi that She's Awesome and She  Can Do It
01[15:29] <Froborr> Yeah, but the presumed consent thing is kind of spectacularly awful.
[15:29] <Arrlaari> It's worth remembering that Usagi is more or less admitted to be the author's self insert, and Mamoru is her personal fantasy boyfriend
01[15:30] <Froborr> That doesn't make it less creepy IMO?
[15:30] <Arrlaari> It says something unfortunate about the way romantic tropes in fiction shape everyone's expectations
01[15:30] <Froborr> Yeah, it really does.
01[15:31] <Froborr> Tuxedo Fedora is like living concentrate of Everything Fucked Up About Fairy Tale Romance.

Kill la Kill and Sailor Moon Liveblog Chat Thingy

How to participate in the liveblog chat:

Option 1: Whenever you watch the episode, comment on this post as you watch with whatever responses you feel like posting!

Option 2: Go to http://webchat.freenode.net/. Enter a nickname, then for the Channels field enter ##rabbitcube, and finally fill in the Captcha and hit Connect! We'll be watching the episode and commenting there starting at 2:00 p.m. EST today.

Following the Kill la Kill liveblog we will take a short break, and then watch Sailor Moon Crystal at 3:00 p.m. EST.

Chatlog below the cut!

Kill la Kill Liveblog Chat Thingy

How to participate in the liveblog chat:

Option 1: Whenever you watch the episode, comment on this post as you watch with whatever responses you feel like posting!

Option 2: Go to http://webchat.freenode.net/. Enter a nickname, then for the Channels field enter ##rabbitcube, and finally fill in the Captcha and hit Connect! We'll be watching the episode and commenting there starting at 2:00 p.m. EST today.

Chatlog below the cut!

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

Kill la Kill and Sailor Moon Crystal Liveblog Chat Thingy

How to participate in the liveblog chat:

Option 1: Whenever you watch the episode, comment on this post as you watch with whatever responses you feel like posting!

Option 2: Go to http://webchat.freenode.net/. Enter a nickname, then for the Channels field enter ##rabbitcube, and finally fill in the Captcha and hit Connect! We'll be watching the episode and commenting there starting at 2:00 p.m. EST today.

Following the Kill la Kill liveblog we will take a short break, and then watch Sailor Moon Crystal at 3:00 p.m. EST.

Kill la Kill chatlog (finally) below the cut!