#princess tutu is by far superior

[gettothestabbing]

What are your top 5 favorite anime?

Princess Tutu - gorgeous in every way, a story that does the concept of a multilayered narrative justice while also using the beauty of ballet and fairy tales to their full emotional advantages, and also the name helps gatekeep, because if you can't get past the name you aren't the sort of person who would enjoy it anyway. I can't recommend it highly enough. Available here

Kill la Kill - amazing and energetic animation, a unique story with a surprising family theme, and probably the coolest modern take on the delinquent girl archetype. I did resist watching it at first because of the lack of under-boob support on Ryuko's outfit, but honestly, it no longer bothers me. There are valid story reasons behind all the costume designs. Again, this has the beneficial side-effect of automatic gatekeeping. Available here

Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters - peak early 2000s character design, tons of merchandising money to fund legitimately good filler arcs and hire high quality animation directors (sometimes), a hero that actually has the worst win-loss record of all the protagonists of his franchise (but still retains the largest fanbase and greatest admiration for his skills and personal character), multiple engaging character arcs, and my personal favorite. This is the one most affected by nostalgia. YGO was my first fandom outside of Disney, the first thing I was really into that neither my parents nor my younger sister cared about, and it remains incredibly important to me. It took me 10 years to be able to watch the final two seasons, as my local channel for some reason decided to only play the first 2.5 seasons over and over. Those final seasons were not at all disappointing either; I loved them entirely, even with all their flaws and animation issues. I'd never claim that YGO is perfect, especially since I prefer the 4Kids dub to the original; yet even the subbed version, which I have also seen, has issues as a story. The original manga is superior to BOTH versions, if we're being honest. But this anime is amazing, fun, wholesome (without being lame, particularly the sub; the dub can be pretty lame) and long without being impossible to finish. The dub is available here (w, x, y, z), but to get the subbed version, you either have to pay through the nose or search the bowels of the Internet. Might as well try the dub: even if you don't like 4Kids, you can have fun laughing at them, and all the changes the dub made were meticulously catalogued here.

Dragon Ball - one of the best shonen ever, with an amazing world, strong characters that stay simple without being simpletons, and a slow, savory pace that makes every fight pop. I binged the entire (subbed) show in March 2020 when I had to stay home during the initial lockdown. It was exactly the cheery, grounded, fun shot in the arm that I needed when things were still uncertain and scary in my world. While I enjoy Z and parts of Super, the original is far better: more consistent in quality, pacing, and relevant themes. It's here and here right now. If you're already a fan, Totally Not Mark has some huge video essays reviewing both the entire franchise arc-by-arc and analyzing the major characters of the franchise. (The Buu arc review features Team Four Star ^_^)

Akage no Anne - one of the best works of World Masterpiece Theater and directed by future Studio Ghibli director Isao Takahata; a picture-perfect adaptation of Anne of Green Gables made for Japanese ESL education that managed to capture the pace, feelings, and gradual growth of its cast. With dreamy sequences to represent Anne's imagination and mirror the long descriptive passages of the book, the series grounds itself with simple and realistic character designs that change slowly over the course of the series to reflect the passing of time. It's from 1979, so it's even less fancy looking than Dragon Ball (1986), and Anne's initial design looks a bit awkward since she's pretty awkward and underfed at the start. But don't be fooled. Not only is this the closest adaptation I've seen to the book, but it manages to reflect Anne's rich, emotional inner world without relying on narration or a diary. It uses silence in a very mature way. Although Akage no Anne was not at all the beginning of Japan's love affair with Anne Shirley, it has become a cornerstone of that fandom in Japan. And if you love Isao Takahata's work like I do, seeing one of his earliest works is a pure joy. It's actually available on YouTube; this version has been up for 7 years straight, but I'd urge anyone interested to watch it sooner rather than later. You never know when a YT anime playlist will disappear.

Honorable Mention: Maison Ikkoku - this is one of my favorite manga, one I liked enough to collect in full and read multiple times. The anime is beautiful, and unlike some adaptations of Rumiko's work, it doesn't delve into alternate characterizations or themes. It's an iconic 1980s anime and I love what I've seen of it. But I can't put it higher because I've never been able to see all of it. Occasionally I've been able to watch episodes on YouTube with French subs, but I'm not fluent in French, so I only know what's going on because I'm so familiar with the manga. I still recommend it as a mature seinen romance/comedy. If anyone knows where I can watch or legally obtain it, I'd be very grateful.

[kagehinataboke]

Have you watched anime series, "Cardcaptor Sakura" and "Princess Tutu"? If you have, can I ask your opinions on either one of those two? Thanks......

oh indeed i have…..

tbh i can’t actually say all that much about cardcaptor sakura because i don’t remember it very well and (unpopular opinion) i honestly thought it was pretty mid and boring despite how much everyone loves it, but i’m not and have never been the magical girl type. however, i can say that i do enjoy sailor moon more, so maybe cardcaptor sakura is just a little boring (but it’s also made for like…5 year olds, so… take it with a grain of salt i guess)

princess tutu on the other hand? let me drop some knowledge on y’all real quick: i was in training to be a ballet dancer for about 14 years, and i watched this show during the middle of that, so obviously it was beyond relatable. i mean, i grew up watching ballets, so i was literally the perfect audience for this anime. anyway, it is dark—that’s not in question—and somewhat weird, but it was one of the first anime where i could almost directly relate to a character and so it’s kind of a formative anime for me. would i tell people to watch it? honestly probably not, it requires a certain niche type of person to like this series. i do think non-dancers could get into it, but it’s undoubtedly the most effective for that specific crowd. however, it’s a good story and i adore it, so on the other hand i would probably suggest people at least try it. moreover, i think people who like weird and dark stuff would be in love with this no matter who they are

[uzuuzuking]

not sure why a drawing on my old art blog @[REDACTED] is getting notes recently but i’m not mad about it

[intobarbarians]

i think one of the reasons why people who worked on sailor moon went on to create revolutionary girl utena (ikuhara kunihiko) and princess tutu (itoh ikuko) is because that process dealt with questions of creative freedom and how far to deviate from the manga. these particular artists developed projects about deconstructing fairy tales (which sailor moon arguably is) and breaking free from the will of the original author.

anime adaptions have often aired while the manga is ongoing, and it’s not uncommon for an anime to quickly outpace the source material. this situation typically results in ‘filler’ episodes and even whole arcs to stall until the manga produces new content.

i won’t say sailor moon is the most drastically different anime to ever be adapted from manga, but it’s got to be top ten to this day. the original sailor moon anime is two hundred episodes and crystal--which is more faithful to the manga--cracked thirty-something episodes? plus a couple of movies.

the 90s anime had a monster of the week premise that spanned dozens of episodes until the season finale where almost none of the material came directly from the manga. it took a ton of creative liberties with the story even if it stayed true to some of the overall beats.

in my opinion, the 90s anime’s version of sailor moon s absolutely blows the manga and crystal out of the water. there is no comparison; it is superior storytelling on every level. the characters are more nuanced, the stakes feel real, and the freedom to not follow every scene to the letter allows for that arc to stand the test of time as some of the best anime ever.

i’m not trying to slight takeuchi. to draw and write such an intensive project like manga with only yourself, whatever assistants you can hire, and maybe some people from your publisher is a difficult and laborious process. it’s not completely fair to compare that story to what probably was a much bigger staff for the anime. but this is why i think more anime should feel free to pursue a story that’s true to the spirit of the source material while taking advantage of the medium.

people complain about how mamoru and rei are so different in the 90s anime. a lot of the major antagonists don’t die like in the manga--they reform themselves or otherwise develop different motivations. i can understand why people wanted a reboot that’s more faithful to the manga than the original anime is. many fans of the manga don’t like the 90s anime for a bunch of reasons--takeuchi, too, allegedly.

that’s why i think that people who worked extensively on sailor moon could very easily want to ruminate on that process by creating works that deconstruct staying true to an existing framework--a beloved fairy tale--by acknowledging the fundamental right to tell the story how you want to tell it.

[bearholdingashark]

Worldbuilding Exchange Creator Letter

Thank you for accepting my request. :)

I’ve never done this exchange before, but I’m really excited for it.

Some general things: I’m pretty ship focused, although I’m good with gen fic too, just know that ships are totally okay. :) I’ll put the main ships I like in the prompts so you know, but don’t at all feel like you have to go that route. I also love outsider POV.

Same goes for the prompts, of course. If anything helps with what you’re creating, great! But feel free to go your own route too. :)

As far as worldbuilding goes, I really like backstory, costume details and how they inform the worldbuilding, impact of certain decisions, news articles, historical documents, and just general exploring of the world. If you enjoy writing it, I’m sure I’ll love reading it. :)

My DNWs include main character death, gore or NSFW. I’m okay with some violence as long as it’s not super graphic, and romance/kissing is fine, just nothing beyond that.

And now onto the specific:

Request 1

Fandom: Miraculous Ladybug

Characters: Any/None, Marinette Dupain-Cheng|Ladybug, Adrien Agreste|Chat Noir 

(Ships: Any side of the love square although post reveal power couple is my jam, DJWifi)

Worldbuilding:

The wider world’s take on the crisis in Paris

We don’t get to see this, I would love articles/newscasts/internet posts, etc from outside of France about how they view what’s going on in Paris

Are there other superheroes in the world? Are miraculous users only in Paris? And if Paris has the only superpowered beings, how does the world react to that? Admiration? Jealousy? Fear? Are there any major responses to Ladybug and Chat Noir’s existence?

Superhero fan culture

Somewhat related to the above prompt, does the fan culture stay mostly in Paris/France or is it more widespread? What kind of fan works and/or merchandise has popped up? How does the Ladyblog interact with fandom?

Mental health effects on people of Paris

How does having to constantly watch your negative emotions effect everyone? Are the therapists/counselors of Paris completely swamped? Do people resort to other ways to cope? Are support groups of akumatized victims a thing? 

Legal implications of akumatization

Ladybug’s miraculous cure takes care of the property damage, but what about other effects? Do people take legal action for the emotional damage of being akumatized? How is that addressed when the perpetrator is still at large? What do police reports look like around akumatizations?

Magicaron|Magicamembert Power-up Potions

What are the other power ups for? We’ve seen a few, but there were so many in the box, any exploration of how those work would be great. How did these power ups come to be? 

Historical Miraculous Wielders

We’ve seen some historical wielders, but it would be great to see original miraculous users too. Especially if it’s not just the Ladybug and Cat miraculous being used. 

Request 2

Fandom: Princess Tutu

Characters: Any/None, Fakir, Ahiru

(Ships: Fakiru, Rue/Mytho)

Worldbuilding:

Raven and Prince conflict

How did that conflict begin? What were the major opinions in the land surrouding about this conflict? How was the Prince advised prior to entering the conflict?

Previous stories of Drosselmeyer’s

What else has Drosselmeyer written? Have any of his other stories come to life? Has he always had that power, like Fakir? Did he try to fight it in the beginning too? Maybe something bad happened to him initially, but he got past that as he gained more power?

Drosselmeyer’s power

We know some about Drosselmeyer’s power, and about Fakir’s power, which comes from Drosselmeyer, but where did it come from? Was he the only one who had this power or were there more? Did he inherit his power?

Request 3

Fandom: The Scarlet Pimpernel

Characters: Any/None, Percy Blakeney, Marguerite Blakeney

(Ships: Percy/Marguerite)

Worldbuilding:

Knowledge in England of the Pimpernel’s identity

Who else knows who the Pimpernel is? Or thinks they know? Who are some of the guesses people have about who he is? I know this request is for the book fandom, but something along the lines of the Scarlet Pimpernel song from the musical would be great too. 

English people learning to pass as French

I would love to see something comedice about Percy (or Marguerite if it’s set post book) teaching English members of the league to pass as French. But something more serious too would be good. Maybe someone’s not picking it up as quickly, and they end up having to try and pass in Paris when the plan falls apart. What happens then?

Arranging routes out of Paris/through France

Percy is such a logistics/planning master, but who else helps him with this? (Does Marguerite ever?) It would be great to see something about how the routes/plans get set up and how they actually end up, as sometimes the plans fall apart. 

In-universe RPF fanfiction and fandom

Somewhat connected to my prompts for the first worldbuilding aspect, but who do people think the Pimpernel is? Are there any fics going around about Percy? What does the fandom look like? The Pimpernel is such a popular and mysterious figure that everyone is interested, but what does the deeper fandom look like? (casual fans vs fandom)

Request 4

Fandom: Beauty and the Beast (1991)

Characters: Any/None, Belle, Adam

(Ships: Belle/Adam)

Worldbuilding:

The Enchantress’s powers

We know she’s got shapeshifting/illusion and curses down, but what else can she do? Tangentially, has she done this in the past, or was the Prince special?

Side effects of being cursed

How does living as an animate object/animal for a decade do to a person? How does the staff and Adam cope with being human again? Are there traits/abilities they maintain from their time under the curse? Could be humorous or serious. (Or both.:D)

Political and social climate of kingdom before curse

How were the Prince and his parents thought of before the curse? The Prince is a dick to the Enchantress, but going off the movie math, he was 11. Were his parents worse or was he just a dick? (Or is there context we’re missing? Why was the Prince answering the door himself? Stranger danger?) How powerful was the kingdom before the curse?

Other Enchantresses/Magic users

If the Enchantress isn’t the only magic user, what are the others like? Are there others with similar powers/power levels? Is there a higher magic user/group that they answer to? If so, what was their reaction to the curse? Or was she there on orders?

Request 5

Fandom: Descendants

Characters: Any/None, Ben, Mal

(Ships: Ben/Mal)

Worldbuilding:

United States of Auradon creation

Beast (although I’m happy with Adam if that’s what you prefer to use) “united all the kingdoms got himself elected King of the United States of Auradon”. What did that look like? Why was it an election to start with that then became a monarchy? What were the other ideas for how the country should be run? Who might have been running against Beast if it was an actual election? How was the story of the creation told around Auradon and the Isle vs how it actually happened?

Modern technology in conjunction with magic

Auradon has mostly given up magic, and the Isle doesn’t have magic. How does magic work with the modern technology? Are there any generational differences around the use of magic vs technology?

Giving up of magic in Auradon

Going along with the above prompts, was magic mostly given up because of technology? Was it seen as superior? Or was it seen as too much of a temptation to use it for evil? How was that decision come to? How did the general populace react to that decision?

Economics on the Isle

The Isle is clearly poorer than Auradon, but how does their economic system work? Do they use the same currency as Auradon, or is it more bartering or some sort of combination or a totally different system? How does this translate for the VKs when they come to Auradon? (Not saying have Ben take them to a grocery store, but I certainly wouldn’t mind something like that.)

Creation of the Isle

Mal’s narration has the Isle as mostly Beast’s decision, but who else was involved? Was Belle really in favor of it, or did she come to agree with it later? I get a prison, but this involved families and put the bigger villains in with the smaller time criminals. Who was in favor and who was against? What were the other ideas for what to do with the villains?