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shihalyfie · 1 month

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It's a loaded topic that I generally try not to bring up much because of the various controversies surrounding it, and a few years ago, I was hesitant to mention this in public because there was no way to frame it in a way that didn't sound like a hate post. (That, and admittedly, I probably was not in the right mental frame to handle it well back then; a lot of things have changed in the last few years.) But now this has been on record and even alluded to via official sources, and I don't see a point in being touchy about it anymore, so here's something I really wish more people would understand when they talk about tri., Kizuna, and 02TB:

Between tri. and Kizuna/02TB, almost the entire production system was overhauled, and there are almost no key staff members in common.

I know it's tempting to treat "Toei" like it's some kind of monolith, but it's very important to remember that any stylistic differences in approach or concept between tri. and Kizuna/02TB aren't just because of answering critical reception, but also because almost the entire production system was scooped out and redone from scratch. The one key member they have in common is Kizuna/02TB producer Kinoshita, who was brought onto tri. as late as part 5 and has explicitly stated that he wasn't involved on its story.

The reason this overhaul happened also wasn't just because of something like "people didn't like tri. (in terms of story content)". For one, tri. was subject to a lot of troubled production behind the scenes -- and I'm not making this up, it's on record that they ran out of budget halfway through and had to rewrite the rest of the plot. But another important thing that may not be as clear to people who only learned about it after the fact is that tri. was a downright PR disaster at the time it was going on, such as:

The infamous "nade-nade" incident (ask anyone who was present during the tri. announcement and they'll probably be able to tell you the details)

The director openly saying things like the fact he deliberately does not look at the source material when making adaptations because he sees it as too limiting, accompanied by a number of other inflammatory statements in magazines, etc. suggesting that he probably had never seen the original Adventure to begin with and saw it as a series he needed to make as more "mature", even to the point of rejecting character-accurate scripts for it (that said, it is very important to remember that a series is far more than just one staff member, and there are other staff members who did say they watched it and clearly did their research, so the point I'm making is that the director's attitude naturally made a lot of people in the audience very angry and is a big reason he started currying a bad industry reputation during and even after tri.'s run)

Magazine interviews with staff members and other Q&As generally being so vague and unwilling to answer questions clearly that it got people upset (for example, when a social media campaign soliciting questions for a Q&A session was held for a screening of part 6, it was said to be "suspiciously" too dark to actually answer the questions)

So when you see discussion about tri. being controversial because of "contradictions in the setting" or whatnot, it's not people getting petty about characterization, it's because the production system for tri. managed to make a ton of public relations decisions that unilaterally pissed a ton of people off, so having contradictions in the lore and characterization came off as being due to carelessness and negligence more than anything.

Right now, the series has been over for more than five years, so I'm not bringing all of this up because I want to start an angry mob against the series or anything (I myself have a lot of favorite things that had clearly troubled production issues and controversial statements from staff members, so I'm not saying this alone should be grounds to evaluate a series). The point I'm making is that I see way too many people talking like tri. and Kizuna/02TB were made under the same mentality by a vaguely-defined concept of "Toei" and that any differences in approach are from some bizarre hypocrisy where they keep contradicting themselves. What happened here was that they saw the public relations fallout, realized it wasn't a good idea to continue getting people mad, and completely overhauled everything with entirely different people and an entirely different approach -- and the fact they did not do a similar complete overhaul between Kizuna and 02TB is conversely why they share more in common.

#tri negativity #(I mean I hope this didn't come off as too negative for people who like the series but nevertheless)

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koushirouizumi · 6 months

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Each of the cards had a picture of a Digimon on it, and there were nine in total. Koushiro looked at the stone slate next, at the pictures of the lion, archer, and monkey, and the three sets of stars. In other words, they would have to put one card into each of the holes. While Koushiro was studying them, he was unaware that Sora had come to stand behind him at some point. Now she asked him, “Do you know what it means?” “No, not at all. But this ∴ mark on the slate looks familiar. Maybe it was Aleister Crowley…” “Aleister Crowley? Who’s that?”

from "Operation Invade the Real World", Adventure Novel 2, translated by "Onkei" of Digital Scratch

Per Wiki's entry on him:

Biographer Lawrence Sutin stated that "blatant bigotry is a persistent minor element in Crowley's writings". Sutin thought Crowley "a spoiled scion of a wealthy Victorian family who embodied many of the worst John Bull racial and social prejudices of his upper-class contemporaries", noting that he "embodied the contradiction that writhed within many Western intellectuals of the time: deeply held racist viewpoints courtesy of society, coupled with a fascination with people of colour". Crowley is said to have insulted his close Jewish friend Victor Benjamin Neuburg, using antisemitic slurs, and he had {"mixed opinions"} about Jewish people as a group. Although he praised their "sublime" poetry and stated that they exhibited "imagination, romance, loyalty, probity and humanity", he also thought that centuries of persecution had led some Jewish people to exhibit "avarice, servility, falseness, cunning and the rest".

{Presented without further commentary} except Koushiro would definitely know about this history of them too.

#great blaster #onkei kun #koushirouizumi ref #koushirouizumi advs #koushirouizumi koushiro #koushirouizumi adv #koushirouizumi adv koushiro #adv novel: operation invade the real world #koushiro refs #koushiro tls #adv koushiro #adv koushiro refs #adv koushiro tls #koushiros knowledge #toei issues #koushirouizumi no rb #hiro masaki #dir: hiroyuki kakudou #(Please note I am archiving this first for MY Reference)#(from what I can see the article on him has existed since at LEAST '08)#(Even if this specific section was originally written closer to '03 BUT TRANSLATED closer to '08)#(Archiving for Myself to make POINTS about my Fav Maybe Knowing Some Things Canonically)#(As in but if you think Koushiro WOULDNT have also learnt about AT LEAST SOME of the relevant history w h e wwww.......)#(OK Anyway Coming Back To This When I'm Ready and with Actual Analysis Much later that I'll likely keep mainly to my site)#(*It should also be noted it is VAMDEMON who canonically uses the association {with slate} and Koushiro is only INFORMING THEM ABOUT IT)#(But {TOEI} is whom is DIRECTLY REFERRING TO IT THEMSELVES)#(I'm not gonna lie as actual Younger me I also got confused by the reference at first and THEN I Looked It Up Myself and saw all THIS)#(Just Saying)

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mirai-e-jump · 10 months

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Animedia July 2023 Issue Erica Murakami x Yuzuki Hirakawa Interview (Translation below)

(Page 136)

"The Beautiful and Strong Kings have Arrived"

"We'll dig deep into their relationship" "Anatomy Practice"

In order to protect the peace of Chikyu, from the five king heroes of "Ohsama Sentai King-Ohger" who fight alongside insect shaped mechanical life forms called "Shugods", comes Murakami-san, who plays the role of Queen Hymeno of Ishabana, and Hirakawa-san, who plays the role of Rita of the Kingdom of Gokkan. The two actors, who play heroes named after insects, report in as researchers on the "OO part" of each other that they have come to see through filming. Furthermore, they also talked about their character's strength and other highlights of the story.

(Page 137)

Discovered by Erica ⭐ Yuzuki's Anatomy Keywords

"Describe Yuzuki in one word…" FULL POWER BOY

Yuzuyan (Hirakawa) plays Rita, who is an immovable character, but she herself is full of energy like a boy! A person who is full of energy and never ceases to smile even at the shooting site. It also keeps me in high spirits. (-Murakami)

"The cute part is…" Making a happy face when eating sweets

When her favorite foods are served on the set, such as sweets and catered boxed lunches, Yuzuyan gets very happy! "Alright! I love these sweets! Oh man, what do I do!" I really love these moments when she doesn't hide her emotions. (-Murakami)

"The OO that only I know is…" Quick at learning the way! Can sing really well!

Toei's studio is quite spacious. I tend to get lost, but she guides me saying, "this way." She is the youngest of the "King-Ohger" members, but she is so mature that I don't believe she's the youngest! The other day we went to karaoke together, which I really enjoyed, but Yuzuyan sang so well that I thought I couldn't sing with her! It's a singing voice I want to listen to forever…💛 (-Murakami)

"The fascinating part is…" The gap between roles and a strong heart!

Isn't it fascinating to have a gap between a character role and the person themself? Rita doesn't talk much, so I really like the gap between them and Yuzuyan, who does talk a lot. Then, even on the most difficult shoots, I see her always trying her best as if saying "I won't be defeated by anything!." I feel the strength of her heart. (-Murakami)

"The surprising part is…" I don't do well with loud noises! Miss Scared

Yuzuyan is a tough, firm and dependable person…but is actually a real scaredy-cat. When there was an explosion shot being filmed right in front of her, she said, "What should I do?! Maybe I should I wear earplugs?" It was so cute! It seems that she doesn't like sudden loud sounds and lights. (-Murakami)

Discovered by Yuzuki ⭐ Erica's Anatomy Keywords

"Describe Erica in one word…" PRINCESS

Her reactions have always been cute, and her very existence is that of a princess! But it's not just about being that she's cute, like a queen, her words and actions are that of nobility. But, I would'nt say she's "selfish" like Hymeno! (-Hirakawa)

"The cute part is…" Feeling "fluffy" when I get sleepy

When we are shooting after lunch or late into the night, Marie (Murakami) goes into a state of mindlessness. When I say, "hey, hey" her response is sometimes delayed by about two tempos. Her spirit sometimes…goes somewhere (lol). (-Hirakawa)

"The OO that only I know is…" You're so brave and cool.

Marie is often thought of as girly, but in fact, she is actually quite courageous. For example, she is very quick to make holiday plans, and when she decides, "Tomorrow I'll do this and that!" she is able to act accordingly and not get distracted. If she were my boyfriend, she would definitely be the type to pull me along! (-Hirakawa)

"The fascinating part is…" I will put my all into everything

She says, "I have no experience in acting," but Marie faces what she's weak at with a straight face. She also always takes care of her health and physical condition, such as bringing her own packed lunch. Because this is a job where we are seen by other people, we try to manage our body shapes for filming. I want to learn from her professional attitude!! (-Hirakawa)

"The surprising part is…" She's a little clumsy

She often forgets things, and often returns to the dressing room right after leaving. She often stumbles over things in empty spaces. She has a firm, mature image, but she is still cute in that kind of way! (-Hirakawa)

(Page 138)

Hymeno and Rita, two people who seem like opposites but are quite similar

"Please tell each other what you like about the character the other is playing."

Murakami: As a judge, Rita's diplomatic approach to pursue the truth when they have doubts is admirable. I envy you for being able to look at things calmly like Rita.

Hirakawa: Hymeno is fashionable and girlishly cute.

Murakami: ahaha (lol)

Hirakawa: The "Queen" is a noble and scary figure, so it's easy to feel defensive, but the way she fights and the strength of her will to protect her people are cool. I also like the occasional moments when Hymeno shows that she is a true to life girl, and it's fun to watch her emotions change over and over again.

Murakami: Suddenly angry, then laughing.

Hirakawa: That's the kind of girl you can't let go.

"Hymeno and Rita, currently they haven't engaged much in the show, but what are your thoughts on their relationship?"

Murakami: Actually, there will be a story about the two of them in the future, but it's not yet at the stage where it is currently being aired.

Hirakawa: Right (lol)

Murakami: In the beginning, Hymeno was a lot more involved with Yanma, but in the future, she'll have relationships with other people, including Rita. When I read the script, among the other members, I felt that Hymeno has a strong sense of trust in Rita.

Hirakawa: Although People tend to think of them as polar opposites, they share the same desire of "protecting the peace of the people."

Murakami: I think they're both close enough to each other that they could talk to each other back to back without saying a single word. Both Hymeno and Rita have the personalities to sense each other's moods.

Hirakawa: It's true, we may not need many words to understand each other.

"We've also learnt that the animated play "Together with Moffun" was a common point"

Murakami: The Ishabana animation "Moffun" will be explored more in depth in the future…please look forward to it!

"I thought it was typical of Rita to say that spoilers are absolutely NG (No Good)."

Murakami: Because they talk passionately about "Moffun"

Hirakawa: Given the amount of work Rita has to do, I think it's the only thing they find both enjoyable and comforting. That's why they are so passionate about it.

"Please tell us what each of your personal favorite episodes are."

Murakami: I really liked the performance that comes out of Taisei-kun's "Let's do it!" tension scenes. In episode 4, I loved the expression on his face when he eats a raw daikon radish, and in episode 11 when Taisei-kun (Gira) was goofing around while everyone is making a strategy plan was the best.

Hirakawa: The "Archaic Smile" he made at the time was extreme!

Murakami: The way you paraphrased it, that explains it all perfectly!

Hirakawa: I was impressed with episode 12, in which we see the relationship between the additional warrior, Jeramie, and the King-Ohger members. The reaction of the five kings to Jeramie felt fresh. I felt like something new was born during that episodes filming, and I couldn't wait to see the finished product.

"Please tell us about episodes that opened on the boys' side where you found the scenes most memorable"

Murakami: It's the scene in episode 3 with Yanma, who still admires Hymeno, and Gira asks, "Don't tell me, are you in love (with Hymeno)?" When asked about it, I really liked how the president (Yanma) replied, "It's not like that!." I liked his shyness and how unaccustomed he is around girls, it was an unexpected performance.

Hirakawa: For me, it's the scene in episode 5 when Gira's trial took place. Rita's feelings were not that they patronized Gira, but when they looked straight into Gira's eyes, they were made to believe "he's a beloved character who can't be left alone."

"Finally, would you please give a message to our readers"

Murakami: The story develops very quickly, so first off, I would like you to follow along every week without missing a single episode! There will be more in depth stories about the characters in the future, so please look back at the past episodes and enjoy the story that will continue to unfold.

Hirakawa: With the introdction of Jeramie, the story is progressing at a rapid pace, but there is actually various foreshadowing scattered among the broadcasted episodes so far. Someone said something, or an action of a character who was not present in the scene…I hope you will pay attention to these details, as they will play a part in the future development of the story.

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silvermoon424 · 5 months

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Wow, Toei really isn't gonna let go of Precure, huh...?

I mean, why would they? Idk what the exact numbers are, but I do know that Precure is hugely profitable for them and is one of their cash cow franchises. They don't have any reason to stop unless profits take a deep dive.

I don't have any issues with Precure being a cash cow franchise, I think the new series every year are cute and fun. And even if I don't watch every new series, I love checking in every year to see the new transformation and attack sequences.

My issue with Toei is that they've really put all their magical girl eggs in the Precure basket. They don't really try to create more new magical girl series, and their treatment of the Sailor Moon reboot was infamously terrible (at least until season 3, but they're still lazy with transformation sequences). The problem isn't Precure, the problem is Toei being lazy when it comes to other magical girl properties.

#asks #Anonymous #precure #magical girl #magical girls

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pochqmqri · 1 year

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In 2007, both Yes! PreCure 5 and Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann aired in the same Sunday 8:30AM slot on rival networks, effectively making them competitors despite being completely different shows aimed towards completely different audiences.

Gainax, the studio behind TTGL notoriously had some difficulties early on when the anime first aired in April of that year. When the first episode aired, viewers on message boards complained about the anime’s quality. These criticisms led to harsh comments against the viewers by a Gainax staff member and even one of the studio co-founders, the latter of who would resign after all this.

While this controversy unfolded, on April 17, the official TTGL blog posted a crude webcomic of the character Yoko shooting Coco from the aforementioned PreCure season. While the comic was quickly removed from the site the same day it was uploaded, a fan contacted Toei (the studio behind PreCure) about it, and they issued a response:

Thank you for contacting us regarding the inappropriate depiction on that website.

Before our firm had received the warning about the image in question, it had since been deleted by the other party, so we will not be filing a claim at this time. On the contrary, we believe that by posting such a depiction, the image of the other side's company will be harmed, and their morals will be called into question.

The deleted comic can still be found online using the Wayback Machine. I’ve included a translation of the comic above, typesetted and all. I’ve been wanting to do this for years now, but it was difficult trying to decipher the handwritten Japanese. Thankfully, technology has progressed in terms of optical character recognition that even Google Lens can read images of handwritten text and convert them digitally.

The comic has a small bit of lore that is a bit too complicated for a simple translation note. In it, Yoko breaks the fourth wall by mentioning that one of the staff members mistakenly drew her hairpins piercing her head instead of holding up her ponytail as intended, seemingly pinning the blame on the key animators ("genga” if you’re sakuga-savvy). This is likely a reference to the animation errors that plagued TTGL at the time, here is an example of such a shot from the first episode:

#ttgl #precure #yes! pretty cure 5 #yes! precure 5 #tengen toppa gurren lagan #gurren lagann #yoko littner #anime #gainax

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