‘Rag & Muffin’ Now Underway!

I am now revising the draft of Rag & Muffin, the next novel on my list. The early chapters need the least work, so it will go quickly for a while, but will become slower later on.

I’m giving myself two months to have a workable draft followed by a month each for editing and proofing. The final proofing will be after my editor sees it, so that self-appointed deadline will have to be flexible.

Anyway, a highly optimistic date for final proofing and submission will be about the beginning of November.

Rag & Muffin
Phase:Revising
Due:5 years ago
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History of Magical Girl Transformation Sequences

This video from Get in the Robot, although alleging to focus on the rationale for transformation sequences in magical girl anime, is actually a history of the genre with some critical interpretation thrown in. And it’s one of the better ones I’ve seen, so you should watch it. It mentions a lot of the major milestones in the genre, but smartly avoids getting sidetracked by rabbit trails or minor titles while at the same time pointing out some influences that others often miss.

My only small quibble with this video would be in its claim that the genre has shifted away from an early focus on coming-of-age stories. I think that’s something that’s been muted by the infusion of superhero tropes, but by no means eliminated.

Grown-Up Stuff: The ‘Revolutionary Girl Utena’ Rewatch, Part 18

The bird is fighting its way out of the egg. The egg is the world. Whoever wishes to be born must destroy a world. The bird is flying to God. The god is named Abraxas.

Herman Hesse, Demian

Revolutionary Girl Utena, episode 18: “Mitsuru’s Impatience.” Directed by Kunihiko Ikuhara. Character designs by Chiho Saito. Be-Papas, Japan, 1997 (Nozomi Entertainment, 2011). Approx. 24 minutes. Rated “16+.”

Watch for free.

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Hmm, haven’t done one of these in a while. I think it’s time once again to dive into that greatest of LCD-laced art-house-style anime from the 1990s—and, of course, to do with copious helpings of Texts from Last Night.

Mari sits on a table and eats chocolate while scorning Tsuwabuki

Continue reading “Grown-Up Stuff: The ‘Revolutionary Girl Utena’ Rewatch, Part 18”

‘Flowering Heart’ in Real Life

What the hell is this even …

Anime Review: ‘ViVid Strike!’

I have come to make friends and to kick ass, and I am all out of friends.

, directed by Junji Nishimura. Written by Masaki Tsuzuki. Music by Yôichiro Yoshikawa. Starring Eri Kitamura, Inori Minase, and Mamiko Noto. Seven Arcs (). 12 episodes of 23 minutes (approx. ). Not rated.

Available on Amazon Prime.

ViVid Strike! is the fifth anime series in the main continuity of the Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha franchise. On the one hand, that hardly matters because this series is designed to stand alone: No previous knowledge of Lyrical Nanoha is necessary to understand and enjoy what’s going on here. But on the other hand, despite a radical departure from the previous incarnations of the franchise, ViVid Strike! takes Lyrical Nanoha back to its roots, back to the core concept that made the franchise so enormously popular in first place—magic-powered little girls viciously beating each other to a bloody pulp in the name of friendship.

Fuuka and Rinne punch each other in the face.
When you’re friends.

Indeed, although it is not without its problems, ViVid Strike! is arguably the strongest entry in the long-running franchise, or at least the one with the clearest vision … as well as the most brutal violence.

Continue reading “Anime Review: ‘ViVid Strike!’”

Art, Featuring PriyoNewvKy

Featured image: “Mahou-Shoujo” by PriyoNewvKy.

I’m on a writing kick, so you’ll have to excuse the lack of meaningful blog content. In the meanwhile, enjoy this small but highly detailed image of a magical girl.

And Now for Something Completely Different: ‘Flowering Heart!’

I have some important things to discuss, but I spent this evening writing Jake and the Dynamo and listening to Rammstein instead, so I regret nothing.

But I am also at present making my way through the Korean magical girl series Flowering Heart, a simple and sweet show for kids that makes for a good palate cleanser after Magical Girl Site.

I’m watching Flowering Heart on Amazon Prime, but the entire show is also available on the official YouTube channel, so you can join me in watching it if you like.

There is both a Korean version and an English version available, but, alas, there appears to be no Korean version with English subtitles, so I’m watching the dub.

The story features a trio of fifth-grade girls who form an after-school club to help people with their problems. They get a magical boost from a flying, talking hamster who grants them magic rings that can turn them into adults. They have to do good deeds to gather “hopeful energy” to replenish the Heart Tree in the Flowering Kingdom, but nefarious forces are working to gather “hopeless energy” to make the tree wither.

It is reminiscent of LoliRock, probably because Flowering Heart and LoliRock both take their influence primarily from Minky Momo, though Flowering Heart appeared in 2016, so it may take influence from LoliRock as well. For reasons I can’t quite explain, however, I found LoliRock to be a slog, whereas Flowering Heart is quite pleasant.

I’ll deliver a full review when I finish the first season. For now, I’ll simply recommend it as entertaining yet undemanding—though keep in mind that it is very much a show aimed at little girls.

 

The Most Important Election of Our Lifetimes™

There is no more important choice a man faces in his life than the his choice of waifu.

Before time runs out, I ask you to join me in contemplating—within the context of Jake and the Dynamowho is best girl.

This is extremely important.

Will you choose the brassy and cocky Pretty Dynamo? The arrogant but highly skilled Sword Seamstress? Or perhaps the delinquent Sukeban Tsubasa, bad girl of magical girls? … Or maybe you go for the tortured artist type, specifically a tortured robot artist, Grease Pencil Marionette?

Remember: your future, and all our futures, rests on your decision.

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Art featuring Yii-shii

Featured image: “Magical Girl” by Yii-shii.

Public Service Announcement

So I came across this little gem today. It goes on a little too long and falls a tad flat at the end, but on the whole, I think it’s kind of clever.