Erin Watches Sera Myu: Final Stage
Jan. 10th, 2012 12:23 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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sailormoonThis is the last of the videos available on Sera Myu Antics, which means it's the last of my watchthroughs.
It's been a ton of fun having an excuse to watch all of these. Special thanks to everyone who's read and commented along ^_^
Ankoku no Princess Black Lady
At last, I get to see the myu version of the Black Moon Family! It's about time. (Especially since Demande is hot. Takarazuka tropes be damned, I'm going to pretend this is a genderswapped AU.)
Again, it's a kind of inter-series hybrid, with all four Outers existing and successfully transformed (and, later, Usagi referring to "my Star Seed", and finally powering up to Eternal Sailor Moon). Have to wonder: is there going to be a temporal explanation for this, or should we just go along with it? It would be fascinating if Hotaru in particular was from a few years in the future, where she had been safely awakened with Chibiusa's help, and was now in the present to return the favor.
Small Lady meets Sailor Pluto at the Time Door, and the Outers get an image song at an indeterminate point in time, before we zap to the present with the Inners getting dropped in on. IRL ickle Chibiusa waving around a gun is even more unsettling than the animated version.
The Black Moon has added the usual myu stock villains of the bumbling, slapstick type (a role into which even Chaos Itself was shoehorned) and a couple of cute kids. At least these kids come with a sweet twist: they're "biracial", children of both the Black Moon and Crystal Tokyo, with an explicit parallel drawn to ChibiUsa as the child of the Earth and the Moon. Which makes them ideal for Wiseman to use as lures.
Our heroes first clash with the bad guys at a school festival, where Usagi and company are practicing for their performance of La Soldier...and the whole thing gets ridiculously meta as her friends all critique her dance moves.
The full complement of Outers joins the action during a battle at the Time Door, unaccompanied by backstory. I'm torn about their involvement in the story at all -- don't get me wrong, I love me some Outers, and Saturn does get a touching moment telling Black Lady how a pure heart will allow you to resist dark powers trying to control you. But that aspect doesn't get nearly the attention it deserves, and their presence crowds out other chances for character development. Not that the Inners would have gotten a whole lot of that anyway...but they're imprisoned and kept out of the action for a significant chunk of time, so they could easily have taken the place of Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune...or even been split up (as I believe they were in the manga? With Venus separated from Mars, Mercury, and Jupiter) to cover all the same action.
I do have to give credit for Demando's development (even while all his family members are neglected -- the myu-original ones get a bit more time, but not much -- and Berthier and Rubeus left out entirely). The "wait, we're fighting a PLANET?" reveal is well-done, and the disheveled prince's tearful monologue about flowers is definitely a Crowning Moment of Heartwrenching.
Had some good moments...but definitely not my favorite myu overall.
Ankoku no Princess Black Lady FanKan
Musical performances, plus introductions the actors, starting with the newest ones. It's adorable. Tuxedo Kamen's "I entrust myself to you", aww. Lots of banter with the actors onstage, especially when the previous Sailor Moon comes out. The Dark Moon kids appear briefly; their characters' names are Aron and Mana, and the kids themselves are fraternal twins.
I wish I had an Usagi-odango microphone headband. Even without the microphone, it would be awesome.
There's an introduction to Black Lady (seems this event was a promotion for the pcoming myu) and a Q&A for the senshi. They're not answering in-character, but a bunch of them feel compelled to identify with the colors of their costumes anyway. The villains briefly take the stage for more banter, and some singing of their own. Has there ever been this much adorable banter before? Because I wholeheartedly approve.
Trippy crossovers: the Uranus-and-Neptune introductory duet is sung by, first Mars&Mercury, then Jupiter&Venus, then Pluto&Saturn, then Moon&...one of the villains, didn't catch which (she's not in costume), then Tux-boy&...Black Lady? (ditto on the costumes).
Ankoku no Princess Black Lady omake
Voiceover commentary for parts of the senshuuraku performance. Followed by a brief post-show check-in with Usagi and Mamoru, a flashback to their feelings before their debut, and some ads for merchandise. Including that hair-band mic. Oh, I am so out of their target age range and so do not care.
Ankoku no Princess Black Lady Kaiteiban FanKan
This one wasn't subtitled, so I let it run for the music. Even if you can't understand the dialogue, little kids in costumes (accepting ridiculously oversized certificates) is never not cute. And there's a delightful outbreak of Jingle Bells towards the end.
10th Anniversary Talk and Live Show
Only the second half is available, makes the curtain call at the end confusing Clips from ten years' worth of shows, with various groups of actors voiceover commentary; actors past and present doing moves together; a deliciously flashy dance revue. Even with half the video missing, it's a sweet watch.
It's been a ton of fun having an excuse to watch all of these. Special thanks to everyone who's read and commented along ^_^
Ankoku no Princess Black Lady
At last, I get to see the myu version of the Black Moon Family! It's about time. (Especially since Demande is hot. Takarazuka tropes be damned, I'm going to pretend this is a genderswapped AU.)
Again, it's a kind of inter-series hybrid, with all four Outers existing and successfully transformed (and, later, Usagi referring to "my Star Seed", and finally powering up to Eternal Sailor Moon). Have to wonder: is there going to be a temporal explanation for this, or should we just go along with it? It would be fascinating if Hotaru in particular was from a few years in the future, where she had been safely awakened with Chibiusa's help, and was now in the present to return the favor.
Small Lady meets Sailor Pluto at the Time Door, and the Outers get an image song at an indeterminate point in time, before we zap to the present with the Inners getting dropped in on. IRL ickle Chibiusa waving around a gun is even more unsettling than the animated version.
The Black Moon has added the usual myu stock villains of the bumbling, slapstick type (a role into which even Chaos Itself was shoehorned) and a couple of cute kids. At least these kids come with a sweet twist: they're "biracial", children of both the Black Moon and Crystal Tokyo, with an explicit parallel drawn to ChibiUsa as the child of the Earth and the Moon. Which makes them ideal for Wiseman to use as lures.
Our heroes first clash with the bad guys at a school festival, where Usagi and company are practicing for their performance of La Soldier...and the whole thing gets ridiculously meta as her friends all critique her dance moves.
The full complement of Outers joins the action during a battle at the Time Door, unaccompanied by backstory. I'm torn about their involvement in the story at all -- don't get me wrong, I love me some Outers, and Saturn does get a touching moment telling Black Lady how a pure heart will allow you to resist dark powers trying to control you. But that aspect doesn't get nearly the attention it deserves, and their presence crowds out other chances for character development. Not that the Inners would have gotten a whole lot of that anyway...but they're imprisoned and kept out of the action for a significant chunk of time, so they could easily have taken the place of Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune...or even been split up (as I believe they were in the manga? With Venus separated from Mars, Mercury, and Jupiter) to cover all the same action.
I do have to give credit for Demando's development (even while all his family members are neglected -- the myu-original ones get a bit more time, but not much -- and Berthier and Rubeus left out entirely). The "wait, we're fighting a PLANET?" reveal is well-done, and the disheveled prince's tearful monologue about flowers is definitely a Crowning Moment of Heartwrenching.
Had some good moments...but definitely not my favorite myu overall.
Ankoku no Princess Black Lady FanKan
Musical performances, plus introductions the actors, starting with the newest ones. It's adorable. Tuxedo Kamen's "I entrust myself to you", aww. Lots of banter with the actors onstage, especially when the previous Sailor Moon comes out. The Dark Moon kids appear briefly; their characters' names are Aron and Mana, and the kids themselves are fraternal twins.
I wish I had an Usagi-odango microphone headband. Even without the microphone, it would be awesome.
There's an introduction to Black Lady (seems this event was a promotion for the pcoming myu) and a Q&A for the senshi. They're not answering in-character, but a bunch of them feel compelled to identify with the colors of their costumes anyway. The villains briefly take the stage for more banter, and some singing of their own. Has there ever been this much adorable banter before? Because I wholeheartedly approve.
Trippy crossovers: the Uranus-and-Neptune introductory duet is sung by, first Mars&Mercury, then Jupiter&Venus, then Pluto&Saturn, then Moon&...one of the villains, didn't catch which (she's not in costume), then Tux-boy&...Black Lady? (ditto on the costumes).
Ankoku no Princess Black Lady omake
Voiceover commentary for parts of the senshuuraku performance. Followed by a brief post-show check-in with Usagi and Mamoru, a flashback to their feelings before their debut, and some ads for merchandise. Including that hair-band mic. Oh, I am so out of their target age range and so do not care.
Ankoku no Princess Black Lady Kaiteiban FanKan
This one wasn't subtitled, so I let it run for the music. Even if you can't understand the dialogue, little kids in costumes (accepting ridiculously oversized certificates) is never not cute. And there's a delightful outbreak of Jingle Bells towards the end.
10th Anniversary Talk and Live Show
Only the second half is available, makes the curtain call at the end confusing Clips from ten years' worth of shows, with various groups of actors voiceover commentary; actors past and present doing moves together; a deliciously flashy dance revue. Even with half the video missing, it's a sweet watch.
