I don't have the words to express how happy but also how silly writing that title made me. Anyway, let's check out the original episode one vs the reboot and see what we think.
So they both open with a dialogue about the earth and animals. Original lingers too long on the globe and the images it shows are beautiful... but stills. Props to the new one for showing off their animation budget and having the animals actually be animated. It's hard NOT to love animals.. but you feel more attached to ones you see moving and thriving compared to static pictures in a book in my opinion.
Now apart from the hullabaloo about the new outfits and the singers, the next biggest piece of news I heard about the reboot was the stark difference in the reported numbers of endangered animals.
So here we go:
Original claims: 2500 species on brink of extinction
Reboot claims: 15,000 are in grave danger of extinction
That's twenty years for you. Hot damn that sucks.
Original opens with Ichigo tentatively asking out her crush Aoyama on a date, to an exhibition about endangered animals. He's like, sure! She's like, yay! Her friends are like, so obsessive stalking does pay off! The shows like..... haha it's a dream!
Cue the stereotypical anime high school dash to get ready for school, complete with babbling and falling over several times. Only thing she's missing is eating a piece of toast and running into someone that plays an important role in the story later. Turns out, the dream did happen and she's actually on her way to her weekend date with Aoyama. She starts a monologue introducing herself and giving a bit of backstory on her crush.
Despite the stereotypical tendencies... my gosh is this Ichigo so much more likeable than the reboot. Reboot Ichigo introduces herself to us by literally screaming that she wants to fall in love because she's in high school now.
"I can't believe I said that out loud!" she says, continuing to talk out loud.
A disturbance catches her eye and she spots a large crowd of girls swooning over a kendo champ. This is apparently her first sighting of him and hearing his name. Makes sense as this appears to be her very first day or something at high school but yeah sure. She later spots him looking dramatically at the sky and thinks 'yeeaaaaahh... I want some of that action.'
Original:
Ichigo is peak adolescent cringe trying to make small talk with her crush... but she keeps trying and it's pretty endearing.
They arrive at the animal exhibition and notice a weird cat statue, then walk through a security terminal that is actually a scanner. Aoyama points out an Iriomote wild cat to Ichigo and she seems to resonate with his passion for the endangered animals. It's still a bit superficial - she's only here because she stalked researched her target, and she's still more concerned about how well the date is going as opposed to oh no! animals are dying!
It is a bit much to put that responsibility on a young kid's shoulders, and one who has only just really learnt a fraction about rare animals though I guess.
Sinister music plays as two dudes perve over Ichigo's DNA. Meanwhile Aoyama and Ichigo leave the building and she thinks she's going to get a kiss, but Aoyoma is just hot to talk about the environment. Ichigo tries to buy juice but nearly dies falling over a small tree root (which is amazing, because in the wide shot there are nooooo trees anywhere near them) and she somehow ends up in Aoyama's arms.
Mmmm-Hmm. Is she clumsy or cunning? Aoyama goes on the dangerous juice obtaining mission instead and Ichigo rolls around on the grass just freaking the heck out until she sees a like, totally cute cafe that just appeared apparently. It looks like a castle though, so A) how did you not see it and B) why do you assume it's a cafe? I mean, we know it is, but she can't be close enough to read the sign if she walked past this giant pink monstrosity and missed the whole freaking building!
Although inside are those two DNA creeps and they are donning protective gear (well, glasses. not sleeves or coats or anything.) and doing weird semi-scientific looking things to FIRE THEIR LASER which also causes a small earthquake type ground shake. Ichigo gets lit up and Aoyama nearly does die getting juice when the vending machine tries to squish him. Just as well he went and not her or this would be a very short series when the lead role carks it by way of heavy refreshments.
Ichigo hallucinates bubbles and seeing the Iriomote cat - which is strange because it just looks like a normal black cat here but sure. She calls the cat to her, and just holds it awkwardly like a stranger's baby before it just yeets itself inside her soul.
Over to the Reboot:
Ichigo has friends! Well, friends who berate her for not knowing who the most popular guy in class is. Wow, I kinda wish that was my only problem in high school life.. but the truth is that there are rarely 'popular' kids who deserve it. They're mainly just the loudest kids who make most things about them so they *seem* popular. But I digress.
A mysterious girl with short blue hair walks past this bizarre argument with a dopey smile on her face. A close up reveals she has shadows where her eyes should be. Her cheek are awfully shiny. The plot thickens.
Her friends berate her in the classroom and on the track field about her not having a chance. Finally Ichigo yells in frustration and this makes her friends decide to help her? Then they go on about their dream professions while Ichigo falters because she has no idea what she wants to do.
Eventually she actually blows a gasket, and her friends give her the sage advice of "don't think about your future - just focus on this one boy!"
If any kids are actually reading this in high school - please don't do this. This is terrible advice. You come first, it's hard to decide on a career so early but it's best to work on your own goals initially and either sideline or postpone obsessing over crushes.
Not so mysterious blue haired girl is hiding behind a tree during this and is probably trying to understand what she just heard in a rational way.
Cue montage of Ichigo and her friends literally stalking people and getting details on Aoyama before our smiley blue haired girl just struts up to Ichigo and is all "here's some free tickets to an animal show!"
Naturally Ichigo freaks out and talks to herself for a bit before looking up and thinking that this girl pulled a Batman on her, while in reality it's probably been about five minutes.
Original:
Ichigo is lying in the grass getting high off the smell of Aoyama's jacket.
She assumes she fell asleep and nice guy Aoyama just sits there waiting for three hours in order to give her the juice she ordered. The next day she relays the embarrassment to her friends. Well, her same friends that snark at her about snoring, and tell her that Aoyama probably hates her now. Ichigo rambles out some insane plan to talk to him again while her friends just stare at her making weird noises. They follow her as she tries to get through a Beatlemania sized mob of school girls who are also trying to see Aoyama... or destroy him with their ear piercing shrieks. Plot twist - these fan girls are actually saboteurs under the command of a rival school!
Anyway, disheartened and stuck way back in the nosebleed section, Ichigo takes out her photobooth snaps from yesterday when some girl who was nowhere near Ichigo before appears to jostle her in the crowd, and she loses her photos. Fixated on getting them back, she doesn't realise she's just leapt off the edge of a railing and is surprised to land on her feet and unharmed.
Later, she falls asleep at her desk, makes weird comments about the weather, starts saying 'nya~' and eating fish out of the lunch server's hands.
Aoyama walks up casual like, and somehow doesn't notice that this girl is physically turning into Excel Saga and yelling out "meow!" at the end of every sentence. Ichigo runs away and is off crying in the bushes when she feels danger and runs off. Again.
Reboot:
Invigorated by a free gift, Ichigo literally runs into Aoyama. He sees her tickets and basically invites himself along. Blue hair is just watching out the window being creepy. Similar scene to the original where Ichigo checks herself in a store window before meeting Aoyama on her date only this time people inside the store look at her like a loony.
This exhibit just seems to be VR and a few models/infographics, which is ok. We see the other Mew Mews to be just wandering around.
Aoyama asks Ichigo about what got her into conservation and she can't answer. At least she's honest about just coming into the tickets and thought it would be interesting. This segues into Aoyoma giving a lecture about endangered animals. Ichigo just read that from a pamphlet in the original so it was nice to see more about Aoyama actually being invested in this - not just us being told he likes animals and environmental things.
He also goes on a bit of a tangent about humanity's sins... I'm sure that won't play out into anything else in this story though. Ichigo is inspired and wants to do something - but isn't sure what. This seems to endear her to Aoyama. Freakin' Mint just standing out in the hallway winking at the camera, setting off a mass panic where a stampede in the gorge JUST happens to knock Ichigo onto Aoyama so they "kiss".. I mean, are you KIDDING ME?!
I HATE THIS TROPE. The only time it's ever worked was in Naruto - and that's because Naruto was already in close proximity to Sasuke's face with said face at an angle.
You're telling me that people just happen to fall over each other and magically touch lips softly instead of smashing someone's nose, biting them accidentally, throwing your hands up to catch yourself/protect your own face and bopping theirs in the process? Or braining yourself when you fall over their prone body? Get right out of town with that nonsense!
Right, so original Ichigo has just bolted through these gardens AFTER bolting from Aoyama. So then, why this dude just standing in the gardens now? Is he using cheat codes? Did Ichigo take both the long way and get lost while doing so? The heck? Well anyway, she's torn between running towards him... even though.. she just...ran from him not too long ago - or running to find out what her spider cat senses were tingling about.
A weird jellyfish thing bobs around from behind her.. then heads for Aoyama. Fortunately, Aoyama chooses that moment to call for Ichigo so the jellyfish assumes he's taken and goes for the innocent rat eating a snack under the park bench.
Ichigo actually is freaking lost and comes back in a full circle - and again getting super excited that Aoyama exists. Is this how the goldfish memory thing got started? Anyway the mood sours when she spots the monster behind him and she's distraught when it smacks him down.
Pro points - she RUNS to him, knowing there's a monster there that took out the kendo champ. What the heck could she do? Still, she had that pretty heroic (if stupid) urge to help and that's admirable. Rat monster jumps at her so she stops. Creepy dude grabs her and launches them into a tree. He knows her name. That's what she's focused on. I suppose when faced with something incredulous you latch on to something more manageable but this is ridiculous. Personally I'd be annoyed that this random dude who can leap long distances and heights while carrying someone... AND do it very quickly while having the sheer audacity to wear white pants AND tell me that I have to defeat this thing without explaining the powers AND making snide comments about weight...... you know, I just don't think I like Ryu.
Right on Cue Ryu shoves her out of the tree and into the monster's path after an annoying sequence that indicates Aoyama is in danger. He then throws her something.
Mighty bold of him to assume that this klutz could a) catch it and b) not fall out of the tree herself. Ichigo transforms and dodges the monster's attacks before yelling out a silly name. This lets her tail create Chibi Moon's bell heart thing, and make a bubble shield somehow.
Eventually she gets annoyed enough to announce that she's going to stop caring and fight, and punish the monster in the name of the cat moon. This works. She goes to check on Aoyama and demands answers from Ryu when Keiichiro the walking fedora turns up and politely tells them to get in the van. Oh, Aoyama just.... fainted, huh? Nice getting out of a hospital trip there you lazy bastard!
Reboot Ichigo and Aoyama just sit there alone, blushing and stammering. Suddenly blue haired creeper grabs Ichigo by the hand and runs away with her. Ichigo can't even fight her off with her twig arms. She calls for Aoyama but there's a super convenient stampede in the gorge again and he's trampled to smithereens. All part of Blue's plan for a new ship starring herself and Ichigo. They run through a knock off hyperspace tunnel and then Ichigo is shoved outside.
Ichigo asks where she is. You're outside, genius. We see the other future Mews walking around outside without being pushed. Poor Ichigo.
Anyway not exactly sure where they are in relation to Ichigo but they're all close enough and in the right spot to be hit with a specific coloured light beam.
Ichigo must pass out here because boy does she take a Willy Wonka boat ride through forests, jungles, a time period involving dinosaurs, some primordial soup looking stuff, and basically space and time. The only thing she questions is the cat jumping into her guts with fangs bared. Props for the reboot... this one actually looks like the cat she's supposed to be.
She wakes up to Aoyama yelling her name on repeat. Look, Aoyama - let the girl nap. What a mood right there. Here's rat monster on cue, already transformed and keen for blood. Aoyama tells Ichigo to run, which is nice you know - he's on the ball and being protective but oh my gosh... what a choice. He'd have done better to lead the way because for one thing, she's bound to follow him like a simp but mainly because when tasked with finding somewhere to run to, Ichigo runs right into a dead end. The dead end being a railing over looking some kind of drop. The dead end that is literally next to a set of stairs going down. What exactly was her plan here?
Aoyama has to push her to go down stairs and sure, with the way the rat thing jumps maybe they'd have been no better off but with their speed they were already halfway down the stairs so if they hadn't stopped at the rail they could have reached the bottom and maybe Aoyama wouldn't have been knocked unconscious by being thrown into the stairs and breaking his back.
Ichigo shows some more moxy by throwing a rock at the monster - she simultaneously has an embarrassing spaghetti arm struggle to even pick up this rock but then somehow throws it quite a distance with great accuracy.
She loses cool points by freaking out on the spot because it's coming right at her. I get it, big monster, scary, you're not going to think straight but her reaction is more "oh no, why is this happening after I hurt it?" and also less standing ground to not leave Aoyama in danger, and more I FORGOT HOW MY LEGS WORK.
Ryu again does his superhero work but this time opens with how heavy the stick thin Ichigo is. Ichigo enters rage mode. Understandable. I thought in this day and age we could get past the body shaming of a clearly twig like tweenage girl that he's proven he can jump around into trees and stuff with. Like, what?
This time the dialogue is more about why the chimera animal showed up, then Ryu uses Ichigo's name and tells her to fight before Ichigo remembers about Aoyama and promptly falls out of the tree. That is a bit more accurate!
She transforms... and while this transformation is technically not that different to the original... I hate it. There is a lot of focus on thighs and boob bounces. Umm. This is a child. Can we not?
.gif)
.gif)
ICHIGO IN ALL HER TRANSFORMED GLORY FALLS OVER A TINY STICK. I wish I was kidding.
She runs around like a wet noodle before falling over again... this time with a teeny pebble.
Mew Mint saves her but then tells her to fight, she brings up Aoyama and the kiss to motivate her but this just makes Ichigo freaks out and endanger them both by blabbing on about it. Good thing this rat monster doesn't have it's own frames of animation or they'd be screwed. Mint to her credit tells Ichigo that it's not the time to be discussing something so trifling but Ichigo's counter is that "a girl's first kiss is more important than anything in her entire life" and she's back to losing a million points in my eyes.
Then we get a disgusting scene where the two girls arguing about first kisses mess up and now have to run for their lives while the one conscious guy is like "Geeez.. women! Amiright???"
So Mint nearly gets it but Ichigo shoves her out of the way, runs up the monster and ends up fly kicking it in the face, which was pretty cool.
Then the bell comes out alongside a speech about serving justice because Aoyama was hurt.
Not like, the threat to her, Mint and the area in general... just the all important crush. The Ribbon Strawberry Check animation was good... but it did get my hopes up that she was going to use it like an actual weapon and yeet it like Wonder Woman's tiara but no, just more sparkles and ballerina twirls.
.gif)
Ryu is a bit nicer after the battle but tries to walk away holding the under-age girl's hand and Ichigo gets upset. Keiichiro arrives and talks about how a true gentleman treats a lady with more respect. Oh, like asking consent before you MESS UP THEIR DNA KEIICHIRO?! THAT KIND OF RESPECT???
As the meme goes, even Kyubey asked for consent first!
Aoyama also gets no love. Don't worry says Mint, he's just unconscious! While the screen shows his awkward neck after hitting those stairs.
For reference, they should at least check he's breathing and put him in the recovery position, unless he's got spine damage and shouldn't be moved. Ya don't just go "no worries he's fine" like what happened is just a magical sleep button. Obviously he's going to be fine because this is a show about a cat who has no claws, they won't show anything non-cute like paralysis or vomiting. Eew.
Keiichiro also tries to encourage Ichigo to get into their van. Also a bad idea kids. Don't be like Ichigo and immediately go with people who creepily know your name and planned this to happen and may be withholding medical treatment. Just don't. Even if they have a truck sized van that probably isn't legal to drive... just ..don't.
Ichigo literally waits until they're on the highway before going OH NO, MAYBE THESE GUYS AREN'T GOOD!! She also wonders if they're going to experiment on her.
Um, they already have my dude. She rejects the notion that she could be trapped or killed because... she wants romance. Holy shirtballs is this dunderhead a broken record or what? Put some value on your own life you idiot.
Ryu calls her annoying. I agree. He tells her to get out of the van and do as they say. There's a shot of Ichigo looking defiant and I wonder if she will fight back...
...but the next shot is her meekly climbing out of the van and looking as dejected as a kidnap victim.
But it's okay because there's like a totally cute cafe you guys! With um... creepy possessed opening doors which I'm sure they'll address later so.... wait, why is Ryu's belt undone WTF OH WAIT no it's part of his jacket it's OK.
So not much difference between the two stories, not that I thought there would be given it's episode one. Pacing changes, showing things in a different order. Original Ichigo is much more likeable than Reboot Ichigo - at least to me. Major change is Mint's school and her new role in the series.
The animation quality and colours were fine.. I think the classic was more consistent though, the reboot is just cursed whenever you pause it... all teeny hands, awkward poses and pointy angles. In one freeze frame - New Ichigo is one massive chibi head with a freakishly small body. Classic Mew definitely had their troubles too - but it was often on episodes where they had a different animator/director thing going on.
That said the classic does suffer from kooky anime background syndrome mixed with occasional border frames, which does seem to date it a bit. The reboot has a tendency to lean towards permanently rosy cheeks for the cast.
I prefer the use of 'real' backgrounds. Like these scenes here - each showing Ichigo freaking out about her transformation.. reboot looks more like what would actually happen, while the classic just has a random strawberry pattern going on. Okay, her name means Strawberry.. but what's that got to do with this specific situation?
There were things I liked in the reboot.. but also things I despise and now have more questions about.
I liked that they established Ichigo having friends before the boyfriend. Too bad her friends are basically basic bitches.
I liked that there was more time spent establishing Aoyama's environment lust ... but disappointed that an equal amount of time was spent with forced kisses.
I liked the foreshadowed bit with Aoyama getting intense about punishing humanity... but he seemed less interesting in the reboot. In the original you really get a sense that he liked Ichigo despite how goofy and awkward she was.. here it's more like he just really wanted to go to the show but not enough to buy tickets and it's super lucky this random girl he just met has a spare. I mean, it was never a romance for the ages but classic Ichigo at least researched her topic and had the balls to ask out her crush. Reboot Ichigo gets given her excuse and then literally runs into him. Bleh.
I liked that they had Ichigo show off some more physical moves when fighting but I hated that she could barely stand up enough to function.
The Mint already operating twist was interesting but it's just going to annoy me knowing that she has battle experience, seems to know what's going on behind the scenes yet will get kicked out of pole position by a pink cat who might forget to breathe if she has to do two things at once.
I also want to know why they were selected. Clearly Mint's been staking out the school so it's not just the DNA scan at the event. Plus, if it's all so sciencey... where does the magical item thing come into play? How do they know what phrase to say and how does that even work? Why, if they have all this time to stalk and plan who they want.. do they not even consider asking if the people involved want to do this?
Think about it - it's a recipe for disaster. They could get someone who hates the environment. They could get someone who is allergic to their transformed animal or even their team members. They've targeted tweens - people who may not have complete freedom of movement to leave the house or school to go save the specific area being threatened. What if the person just goes "Meh, thanks for the powers but I'm not interested. K thx baiiiii" ...?
What happens if they get injured during battle or if the magical faux-animal science beam kills or disables the target, are these dudes going to come clean to the victims and their families or are they just going to slink back into the shadows and try a different school kid?
Yes it's a magical show that already requires high suspension of belief but if anything, the reboot just makes these questions more valid and pressing. Not to mention the older I get, the more creepy vibes I get from Ryu and Keiichiro.
BUT HEY THERE'S MORE CUTE CHIBI ENDING ANIMATIONS!
No comments:
Post a Comment