https://medium.com/@peter91916/transformation-sm-perspectives-beyond-interpersonally-oriented-sexuality-gushing-over-magical-b37410933d2c
I should be the only one who seriously writes a long shi about the series. But since I also reply to all the possible criticisms it received, please check

Episode 11 was pretty good. The low budget kinda shows in the action scenes, but the faces were great. Baiser's big lines were kind of disappointing though. The delivery didn't feel powerful enough, imo

Really hoping this gets another season and more funding.

Episode 11 dropped and aside from, again, some questionable pacing and presentation issues, I thought it was fantastic.
Although, I either watched a bad translation of they changed the context of Lord Enorme's lolification slightly but notably.

In the manga, Utena transformed her to better match her appearance with the character that Enorme had just proven herself to be; a shallow one-note villain who's unrealistically clinging to childish and vague goals like "world domination" because she's just THAT childish and immature as a person.

The anime I watched just said Utena just did it because it would be easier to bully her... Which, honestly, kinda robs the whole event of it's point. It's meta-commentary of villains like her in general pop-culture, wrapped in character development for both her and Utena, progression of the plot and cementation of the greater tone and point of the series' essence; Utena is a Big Bad who exists to facilitate Magical Girls, playing the bad guy and doing "bad" and taboo things exclusively because it brings out the best in everyone around her.

Unless the translation team did a fucky-wucky, I'm not sure how I feel about the change.

last edited at Mar 14, 2024 2:33PM

Episode 11 dropped and aside from, again, some questionable pacing and presentation issues, I thought it was fantastic.
Although, I either watched a bad translation of they changed the context of Lord Enorme's lolification slightly but notably.

In the manga, Utena transformed her to better match her appearance with the character that Enorme had just proven herself to be; a shallow one-note villain who's unrealistically clinging to childish and vague goals like "world domination" because she's just THAT childish and immature as a person.

The anime I watched just said Utena just did it because it would be easier to bully her... Which, honestly, kinda robs the whole event of it's point. It's meta-commentary of villains like her in general pop-culture, wrapped in character development for both her and Utena, progression of the plot and cementation of the greater tone and point of the series' essence; Utena is a Big Bad who exists to facilitate Magical Girls, playing the bad guy and doing "bad" and taboo things exclusively because it brings out the best in everyone around her.

Unless the translation team did a fucky-wucky, I'm not sure how I feel about the change.

? Slightly different wording from the translation team aside, the explanation was the same in both versions.

https://dynasty-scans.com/chapters/looking_up_to_magical_girls_ch20#12

Baiser's big lines were kind of disappointing though. The delivery didn't feel powerful enough, imo

Have to agree, sadly. :(

? Slightly different wording from the translation team aside, the explanation was the same in both versions.

https://dynasty-scans.com/chapters/looking_up_to_magical_girls_ch20#12

O_O

Have I gaslit myself? Mandela effect? @_@

Baiser's big lines were kind of disappointing though. The delivery didn't feel powerful enough, imo

Have to agree, sadly. :(

I thought it was better than expected but still not as good as it should've been.
I think my expectations were lowered by how underwhelmingly they did the delivery of Utena's disgust at Azul falling. I love the anime in general, but it seems to struggle a lot with the delivery on the big umph moments like Azul's falling and Utena's reversal against Enorme.

The manga got across pretty well that Enorme was never really in Utena's league and it was always just a matter of Utena getting into her groove, but the anime put it across as more akin to a power-up than an "I am not left handed" moment.

last edited at Mar 14, 2024 6:33PM

Just a heads up that there'll be no new chapter this month due to author's health.

The manga got across pretty well that Enorme was never really in Utena's league and it was always just a matter of Utena getting into her groove, but the anime put it across as more akin to a power-up than an "I am not left handed" moment.

What I feel is most missing in the anime here is just power in her voice. Sure, she does sound confident enough, but still barely breathing the words out. While the manga's thick lines on the speech bubbles, even more so in the second part, made Baiser just sound very, very powerful, with extra emphasis put on her words to truly drive her point home.

last edited at Mar 15, 2024 8:47AM

The manga got across pretty well that Enorme was never really in Utena's league and it was always just a matter of Utena getting into her groove, but the anime put it across as more akin to a power-up than an "I am not left handed" moment.

What I feel is most missing in the anime here is just power in her voice. Sure, she does sound confident enough, but still barely breathing the words out. While the manga's thick lines on the speech bubbles, even more so in the second part, made Baiser just sound very, very powerful, with extra emphasis put on her words to truly drive her point home.

I actually don't think it's the voice acting that's the problem necessarily, it's the presentation and pacing of it.
There's no emphasize on the moment at all, it just kinda passes by as just another thing that happened.

They needed to slow down the pace and focus more attention and build-up on her speaking moments, not just zoom past them like they have been. Overall, I'm finding that the directing and pacing has been the real issue of the anime in general, which leads me to believe the problem is specifically the director not feeling the project, or at least not understanding what moments need emphasize and attention.

The two major moments that arguably define the entire series (Azul's fall and Utena disciplining Enorme) have both been very underwhelming.

^This as well, yes.

Just a heads up that there'll be no new chapter this month due to author's health.

Thanks for the heads up. It's unfortunate that the health of mangaka and related is often suffering

This is the best adaptation we could have gotten from the studio. Even with the obvious lack of budget, you can clearly see they put a lot of effort into it. But it seems most people here just like nitpicking and expect a 1:1 perfect adaptation.

This is the best adaptation we could have gotten from the studio. Even with the obvious lack of budget, you can clearly see they put a lot of effort into it. But it seems most people here just like nitpicking and expect a 1:1 perfect adaptation.

"Nitpicking"
We're literally saying it has two notable issues that hold it back but is otherwise fantastic, everything else has literally been praise. Ditch the smug sarcasm please, there's no reason to be so confrontational.

The issues you were pointing out were praised in both mal and reddit community. For chapter 10, they added extra anime original content in the azul scene to build up to the big moment, and also utena VA voice change elevated that scene you called underwhelming.

You also said the pacing was an issue which is strange because the anime's pacing has been good and sometimes better in some areas in than the manga

They added extra scenes in chapter 10 so viewers could get a better understanding of what azul was going through and also utena's worship for magical girls. The manga didn't do any of this and felt rushed compared to the anime

They also gave magenta a little bit of development in episode 6 because she needed it. She is the least developed in tres magia.

Also during the nemo and matama room episode, they added extra flashback scene to show nemo always felt that way (love) towards matama during the sex scene, so it doesn't look forced, just pure love.

With this you can clearly see the director knows the objective. Some animated scenes may not be fully up to the manga's quality, but they still try to improve it in other ways.

I'm not trying to say people shouldn't point out the flaws. But i see more people here pointing out flaws than praising the parts they got right.

last edited at Mar 17, 2024 12:50PM

They got it perfect:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxPavPqtuGc

Does Loco's song have a title or a full version?

Does Loco's song have a title or a full version?

The title is "L・O・V・E・リーロコ♡" (Lovely Loco) and that is the full version, if you check the corresponding chapter in the manga, that's the entirety of the lyrics. The official soundtrack is releasing next week and CD2 will include both this version of the song and the one Loco sang properly in episode 9 without extraneous dialogue and sound effects.

Final episode of the anime just dropped, and I was about to comment on how they obviously skimped on the animation at one point when they completely skipped showing Azul freezing that octopus, but then the big fight happened and I now understand where the whole season's budget went, good lord that was well done!

And as I had hoped, they finished the season with arguably the core character arc that represents the entire series in general; Baiser awakening Azul to her repressed desires, coaxing them out and helping her accept them as a part of herself regardless of cultural and social norms, steering her away from getting carried away with it when she delves too deep while still too inexperienced to do it safely, and eventually culminating in Azul figuring out a healthy outlet for it that ends up making her happier and healthier than ever before.

Wish they'd refined some of the checkpoints on that journey, but all in all the road was there. Here's hoping against all odds for a next season!

last edited at Mar 28, 2024 1:00PM

All in all, it was pretty satisfying. The Utena+Sayo moment was really sweet and I hope we get more of those in the manga. I kinda want Azul to be the first to figure out Baiser's identity and then keep it to herself for a long while.

Looking forward to the full-audio releases and hopefully a season 2!

Oh, and I don't think I've said it yet, but I really love how the ending theme is this cute, fluffy love song about sadism and fetishes. I should have expected it, but I was still surprised when I first read the lyrics.

last edited at Mar 28, 2024 9:56AM

All in all, it was pretty satisfying. The Utena+Sayo moment was really sweet and I hope we get more of those in the manga. I kinda want Azul to be the first to figure out Baiser's identity and then keep it to herself for a long while.

Michiko already knows Utena's identity (and Utena knows hers). As rivals, they both agreed to keep their identities a secret from the others to maintain the balance. Sayo is too busy being touched by everyone she can get access to, to worry about anything else lol. She and the girl from Michiko's crew are in their own category at this point.

I'm looking forward to SulfurxMagenta figuring their feelings out, more LocoxLeber and Kiwi and Utena continuing their steady progress, as a couple and as stand-in "mothers" to Alice (their dynamic with Alice is one of my favorites). When the two of them team up to "play" with the magical girls it's always a fun time. They have too much synergy, its almost unfair. That ASMR play was just another hilarious example. Hope we get more seasons.

last edited at Mar 28, 2024 12:43PM

All in all, it was pretty satisfying. The Utena+Sayo moment was really sweet and I hope we get more of those in the manga. I kinda want Azul to be the first to figure out Baiser's identity and then keep it to herself for a long while.

Michiko already knows Utena's identity (and Utena knows hers). As rivals, they both agreed to keep their identities a secret from the others to maintain the balance. Sayo is too busy being touched by everyone she can get access to, to worry about anything else lol. She and the girl from Michiko's crew are in their own category at this point.

I'm looking forward to SulfurxMagenta figuring their feelings out, more LocoxLeber and Kiwi and Utena continuing their steady progress, as a couple and as stand-in "mothers" to Alice (their dynamic with Alice is one of my favorites). When the two of them team up to "play" with the magical girls it's always a fun time. They have too much synergy, its almost unfair. That ASMR play was just another hilarious example. Hope we get more seasons.

Enorme (Michiko) doesn't learn her identity until later, so it's not impossible to retcon that Azul learns it first and keeps it secret. (Not that I would put much stock in that happening, I'm just pointing out the possibility.)

That said, I could see them amping up some Utena x Azul goodness just for fanservice because it's one of the bigger ships and arguably the first one to take off in the fandom. (Utena x Kiwi, though canon, didn't really endear itself until later I feel, though the anime managed to make it endearing much sooner somehow.)

Enorme (Michiko) doesn't learn her identity until later, so it's not impossible to retcon that Azul learns it first and keeps it secret. (Not that I would put much stock in that happening, I'm just pointing out the possibility.)

That said, I could see them amping up some Utena x Azul goodness just for fanservice because it's one of the bigger ships and arguably the first one to take off in the fandom. (Utena x Kiwi, though canon, didn't really endear itself until later I feel, though the anime managed to make it endearing much sooner somehow.)

Oh, I assumed we were talking about the manga and it's future. My mistake! As for amping up stuff with Azul:

It's unlikely that the anime would deviate from the manga's portrayal of Magia and Azul. It would be very misleading. We'll definitely get more of Sayo's "love" though, that's for sure. So if that's what you mean, I agree. But I don't think they'd add anime only scenes.

As for the fandom stuff: the early Azul fandom was largely based on her having the first prominent arc in the manga, but after these key moments, the series' direction becomes clearer. The upcoming episodes, including the Kiwi/Utena hotel scene and confession/promise, will solidify the direction of the relationships just like in the manga and the series never looks back after that:

Other characters have their own arcs, UtenaXKiwi develops and becomes a constant, Sayo molds into a leader (really only focused on supporting others and "love"), and Magenta and Sulfur become a pair, etc. They really can't mess with that, the rest of the series depends on these relationships. Plus Kiwi is very popular as well, as you said. It's been a long while since those early days.

last edited at Mar 28, 2024 2:18PM

Yeah, kinda forgot about Michiko. I think my mind was too focused on just the two of them, and I was hoping Azul would be the first out of just them (or just the first out of the original trio) to figure it out. Really I just want her to finally put 2 and 2 together so I can see her reaction to learning that her wallflower classmate is also her dommy mommy.

It's unlikely that the anime would deviate from the manga's portrayal of Magia and Azul. It would be very misleading. We'll definitely get more of Sayo's "love" though, that's for sure. So if that's what you mean, I agree. But I don't think they'd add anime only scenes.

As for the fandom stuff: the early Azul fandom was largely based on her having the first prominent arc in the manga, but after these key moments, the series' direction becomes clearer. The upcoming episodes, including the Kiwi/Utena hotel scene and confession/promise, will solidify the direction of the relationships just like in the manga and the series never looks back after that:

That's what I meant though, because KiwiTena becomes more tangibly canon after that, IF they ever want to milk the Utena x Azul fanservice with extra scenes between them at all, now would be the last time to do it since afterwards the KiwiTena ship definitely sets sail and Azul falls into a more permanent "enthusiastic sub for anyone" role.

But for sure, since Kiwi managed to be endearing from the get-go in the anime, I don't think the anime-onlys will be as split on who Utena should be with as the manga readers were back at the start, so there may just not be much to milk there anyway.

Other characters have their own arcs, UtenaXKiwi develops and becomes a constant, Sayo molds into a leader (really only focused on supporting others and "love"), and Magenta and Sulfur become a pair, etc. They really can't mess with that, the rest of the series depends on these relationships. Plus Kiwi is very popular as well, as you said. It's been a long while since those early days.

Personally, I would love for them to add in some hints of Sulfur's feelings earlier than the manga did, because let's face it; it kinda came out of nowhere in the manga. I still like it and don't mind how it was done, but I think it would be better if they'd laid the groundwork earlier.

last edited at Mar 28, 2024 3:36PM

But for sure, since Kiwi managed to be endearing from the get-go in the anime, I don't think the anime-onlys will be as split on who Utena should be with as the manga readers were back at the start, so there may just not be much to milk there anyway.

We'll have to agree to disagree here, Kiwi is just as insufferable in the anime as she is in the manga.

Personally, I would love for them to add in some hints of Sulfur's feelings earlier than the manga did, because let's face it; it kinda came out of nowhere in the manga. I still like it and don't mind how it was done, but I think it would be better if they'd laid the groundwork earlier.

That's reasonable, yeah. They could enhance what's already there (or coming). They've done some of that already.

We'll have to agree to disagree here, Kiwi is just as insufferable in the anime as she is in the manga.

That's fair but I believe they were speaking from a general perspective and she seems well received by anime only viewers.

But for sure, since Kiwi managed to be endearing from the get-go in the anime, I don't think the anime-onlys will be as split on who Utena should be with as the manga readers were back at the start, so there may just not be much to milk there anyway.

That and also a second season would start with the hotel. As you said, if there are any questions about who the canon pairs are, that's not possible after that. So there's no room there to squeeze anything in without major changes to the material. Plus, it's not like there won't be fan service. We know the manga has a lot of that and people will have their "ships" regardless of canon. It should be fun either way. Hopefully, they do announce a new season soon.

last edited at Mar 28, 2024 4:40PM