The Anime Music Tournament 2013 Bracket Maria – Round 1 – Polls 1-8 “Analysis”

By TheBigN

Another set of polls, another bit of toeing the line on madness. Let’s begin.

The Anime Music Tournament 2013 Bracket Charlotte – Round 1 – Polls 1-8 “Analysis”

By TheBigN

Very late with this one, as the first four polls have already closed, though I was a little busy with other things, namely having a good time at Otakon 2013. That being said, let’s get into the swing of things again. 

Sakura and the yandere meme

by dm00

Several times in episode 30

Cardcaptor Sakura Tuesdays: ep 25: The two Sakuras

by dm00

Sakura confronts her doppelganger

The Megatokyo Forum Cardcaptor Sakura discussion has been down for a while so Cardcaptor Sakura Tuesdays will have to find a new home for a while.

Here’s the first post in this series. I’ve been a bit remiss — I haven’t had a great deal to say about the past dozen episodes, really.

But episode 25, “The Two Sakuras”, takes a darker turn than has been the case for episodes that have come before. Oh, I suppose the fight with Watery had a sense of menace to it, but nothing like the creepiness as a silent Sakura leads Touya deep into a forest and over a cliff. A great series looks like it is getting even better.

Cardcaptor Sakura 9 & 10

by dm00

Tomoyovision

Cardcaptor Sakura Tuesdays continue with this week bringing us two new cards: Sword, and Flower.

Last week, Li showed up and spent an entire episode scowling and griping at Sakura. This week, the scowls and the gripes continue and are taking their toll — Sakura suffers a crisis of confidence.

Sakura's observant friends can tell something is up, though only Tomoyo knows the reason for Sakura's blues. Tomoyo arranges an outing which turns into an encounter with the Sword card, who possesses Rika. Li arrives, and is willing to injure Rika if that's what it takes to get the card. Sakura has a better idea.

Episode ten is all Li man-crush on Yukito while the Flower card celebrates the school athletic festival. Trust Yukito to talk about making jam from all the flower-petals.

More discussion here.

Episodes 7 & 8 (which I was too busy to talk about last week) are discussed here.

Cardcaptor Sakura 5&6

by dm00

Sakura expression of the week

The forums are were down, but that doesn’t stop being charmed weekly by watching Cardcaptor Sakura.

In episode five Sakura catches Kero-chan chatting up a plush-toy cat (see above) while looking for the plush toy that’s inhabited by the Jump card in a newly-opened shop near Sakura’s school. Meanwhile, Tomoyo is distracting the owner of the shop with a long monologue on video technology (including something of a poke at the fourth wall: after singing the praises of digital technology and its ability to make perfect copies, Tomoyo frets about copyright concerns).

Episode six tells us a bit more about Sakura’s mother, who died when Sakura was very young. A Clow Card haunts a wood near Sakura’s school. There, it gives people visions derived from their desires (hungry Tomoyo sees a giant meat-bun). For Sakura, it takes the form of her mother, and lures her over the edge of a cliff.

Fortunately, Sakura seems to receive some ghostly help to ease her down to the base of the cliff (where Yukito is conveniently walking by).

Sakura is afraid of ghosts, but probably not this one

Cardcaptor Sakura 3&4

It's a good thing she's a little girl, or that leer would be creepy

After ineffectively pounding on the glass, showing “Pengi-san! Pengi-san!” Sakura turns an overheard mention of the aquarium food-storage deep-freeze into a solution for the Watery card, something that had left Kero-chan stumped. Bravery and resourcefulness.

Then in episode four, Tomoyo is unflappable as she opens the door to find her friend menaced by wooden tentacles.

More discussion starting here.

Cardcaptor Sakura 1&2

by dm00

Tomoyo's reaction to the sudden appearance of Kero-chan is somewhat different

I’m watching bog-standard DVDs from Pioneer (at least the first one is from Pioneer, maybe some of the later ones were from Geneon). With that, my first thought was: damn, this series looks good. Those colors, that movement, those costumes. This series is drop-dead gorgeous. I imagine it’s a treat on Blu-Ray.

This series looks gorgeous

My second thought was the realization that this was all done by hand, this is all at least borderline pre-use-of-computers in anime (1998-2000). There is a lot of strong animation here: Sakura tosses a baton in the air and we’re treated to a close up of her fingers as she catches it with a twirl; the magic circle that appears as she transforms is wreathed in smoke; the battle scenes are also very attractive and well done.

Third: this music is really good (the OP is extremely sweet, even if I can’t keep that wretched crossplay version from popping into my head from time to time). The ED I can do without.

It’s interesting to watch this series in this post-Madoka era. Kero-chan (now) reminds me of Kyuubey. Did he really ask Sakura to make a contract with him? Tomoyo –> Homura? An opening dream sequence presaging Things to Come?

Gosh, in CLAMP-world boys go through some incredible transformations between age 10 and age 16 — doubling in height, while their shoulders broaden to maybe three feet. Except Yukito. He’s pretty narrow-shouldered.

The first episode of the series establishes Sakura as a character: she’s athletic and cheerful, she tells us. A few minutes later she proves it when we see her doing a back-flip and twirling a baton in a fore-shadowing of her acrobatics while battling escaped Clow Cards.

Seconds into episode two, Sakura’s secret is accidentally revealed to her unflappable friend Tomoyo, who sees Sakura’s new Cardcaptor status as an opportunity. Later that day, she and her minions arrive with a van full of magical girl costumes. Fortune favors the prepared mind.

Tomoyo learned about Sakura's magical-girlhood that afternoon

Sakura is a wonderfully charming character: a little bratty, a little scared, but also resourceful (she captures her first card with little more than her skills with rollerblades and batons) and courageous.

There are more intelligent things being said about this series here (or will be when the site comes back up).