"Sailor Moon Crystal" Series Talkback (Spoilers)

[GWOtaku]

Just copying panel-for-panel is no good when you're trying to make a dramatization.

I'm not saying they're copying necessarily, just that it seems like it'd be easier to have a source material to go on than otherwise and that I recognize some sights that are evoking the manga, just as I was struck by reading some DBZ manga and realizing the show took a quite a few pages from it (no pun intended). Of course, come to think of it, a number of action anime are obviously in the same boat on source material from DBZ and One Piece to Titan and FMA Brotherhood. The bigger question mark to me is definitely the bit on the AMV thing & the matter of future events seemingly being done at least in part pretty far in advance.

Edit: Fan edits are something else sometimes. Heh.

 

[Lord Dalek]

^Copying Panel for Panel seems to work pretty damn fine for that other show.

 

[ChibiGoku]

Jacob and I were talking on Twitter a little bit about this, and I was kinda wondering if we might see another Yashigani incident. The fact that the preview itself had almost no (if any) footage from the next episode, plus the lack of an animation director, has me extremely concerned.

 

[KYO'NYUU IMOUTO]

Jacob and I were talking on Twitter a little bit about this, and I was kinda wondering if we might see another Yashigani incident. The fact that the preview itself had almost no (if any) footage from the next episode, plus the lack of an animation director, has me extremely concerned.

Although Toei Animation and most other studios get rid of their original drawings once an episode is finished I think it's likely the original key animation and in-between animation drawings would be kept should an episode look that awful on first release so that they could be further corrected for the home video release. Then again, drawings that would need to be that bad would probably be unsalvageable.

 

[ChibiGoku]

Although Toei Animation and most other studios get rid of their original drawings once an episode is finished I think it's likely the original key animation and in-between animation drawings would be kept should an episode look that awful on first release so that they could be further corrected for the home video release. Then again, drawings that would need to be that bad would probably be unsalvageable.

Yeah, it's really rare for studios to save the original animation files. Two studios I know have done this, are both Sunrise and Gainax. I'm actually thankful for Gainax keeping the files around for Gurren Lagann, so they were able to do a proper HD transfer, though I must wonder how many gigs upon gigs of data just a 27 episode series is...

As for the episode... Yeah, if the fact they're not even showing footage of it and if turns anything like the fourth episode of Lost Universe, they'll probably animate the episode from scratch. Really hope it doesn't come to that.

 

[KYO'NYUU IMOUTO]

Yeah, it's really rare for studios to save the original animation files. Two studios I know have done this, are both Sunrise and Gainax. I'm actually thankful for Gainax keeping the files around for Gurren Lagann, so they were able to do a proper HD transfer, though I must wonder how many gigs upon gigs of data just a 27 episode series is...

As for the episode... Yeah, if the fact they're not even showing footage of it and if turns anything like the fourth episode of Lost Universe, they'll probably animate the episode from scratch. Really hope it doesn't come to that.

Wait, did Gainax keep scanned images of the keys and tweens? I figured they kept the original drawings themselves, although with the lack of space in Japan that's probably less likely.

 

[ChibiGoku]

Wait, did Gainax keep scanned images of the keys and tweens? I figured they kept the original drawings themselves, although with the lack of space in Japan that's probably less likely.

Not 100% sure what they overall kept, just I imagine they kept the finalized drawing and background files.

 

[O-chan]

I'm surprised about hearing about the rushed schedule with Attack on Titan but I think the staff involved on that production did a great job at damage control because I honestly didn't notice any obviously bad animation while watching the stream of the series.

Still also keeping up with the One Piece animation study I know fans on another board were discussing how their beginning to reuse the 3rd tier directors and ADs more than usual. I understand that for that show they have the 3D2Y special coming up but it seems like Toei overall has a lot of problems with planning how to use their resources at hand and as a result except for a few shows (like Marvel Disk Avengers) they can't keep even the semblance of consistent quality.

If 90s Toei had this problem it was far less noticeable even when I watch their older shows there seemed to be a stronger effort to keep the art direction consistent.

 

[KYO'NYUU IMOUTO]

Go read the old streaming thread, I posted a lot of the news about Shingeki no Kyojin's schedule issues. Episode Director Tachikawa Yuzuru only had one month to put Episode #7 together and outright said Wit had a terrible schedule and lack of talent. Episode Director Yokoyama Akitoshi only had a month and a half for Episode #24. Ebara Yasuyuki and Imai Arifumi really did their best to keep the action cuts from imploding by serving as Action Animation Supervisors and key animators.

 

[zoombie]

Episode 4

A great new episode, no new guardian but still a great episode. We all know who the princess is, so when Luna keeps saying we have to find the princess, and we see how impulssive and childish Usagi is, I am wondering was the princess like that.

So do they know Tuxedo Mask identity? If so, makes them more smarter than they were in the original anime, one of the problems of the original anime, everyone was so stupid, just put on tiara and some different clothes, or put on mask and you suppose to think someone is a different person. It is like Superman the anime.

Well no silver crystal this time, next time a new guardian appears.

 

[KYO'NYUU IMOUTO]

Episode #4

TBA-kun was replaced as animation supervisor by Namatame Yasuhiro and Ueno Ken. With Chief Animation Supervisor Sakou Yukie involved, that's three layers of corrections. Komatsu Kozue receives a key animator credit here, making this her third episode with some measure of influence. TAP receives credit, but none of the key animators are listed by name. Strange, given other series will do so. Hell, they even did Kindaichi Shounen no Jinkenbo R Episode #19 all by themselves. Perhaps they will someday be assigned to do an episode of this series entirely themselves.

So, the world of Sailor Moon now has made-up nations known to the greater world. Okay.

The princess looks like Umino's daughter. Have you anything to tell the class, Umino-kun?

Usagi's Papa looks like Mamoru. She wants to marry her old man, eh? *Ba-bump* Whoops, just threw her under the bus.

Tuxedo Kamen is taking names and first kisses. That's no way to treat a maiden in a maiden's series!

 

[GingaDaiuchuu]

Re: Episode #4

No new member this time, but they met their main enemies for the foreseeable future and got a little closer to Tuxedo Mask, with Luna doing her best to learn what his real motives are, so I guess it was still pretty important. Looks like we'll get our next member next time.

It's nice that cosplay gets you everywhere in this world. Nobody has ever been remotely suspicious of Usagi once she suits up.

 

[GWOtaku]

The Masquerade Party

Well, my lesson is learned. All that talk about how this episode was supposed to be so off-model and so shoddy and the easiest one to nitpick and make fun of based on angst about staff credits, and there I was setting my expectations low.....and then I saw this, and nope. It's either on par with the first one or the most attractive episode so far. I'm so done with that noise.

With this episode, I notice Crystal has ceased to strictly follow the plot of the comic. The story of the masquerade is largely the same but Jadeite was in fact not killed by Mars in the third episode, while here the four kings openly reveal themselves to the Sailors near the end after Sailor Moon purges Nephrite's shadow from Princess D. This doesn't happen at all in the manga. How and when, then, will the Sailors have a definitive showdown with them?

A couple of gripes: my first comments notwithstanding I do notice that when people run, it doesn't look like they're actually moving all that fast. It's like "hurry, let's jog!!!" I recall this was one flaw among many in Saint Seiya Omega. Also, Mercury and Mars don't appear to do much in the fight except for Mars taking a shot at nuking Nephrite's shadow. This is following the comic, but just a little adaptation expansion is called for. Were they and the bad guy just staring each other down until Sailor Moon arrived?

At heart, this is the episode that kicks off Usagi / Mamoru romance. By now, I think the difference between how Tuxedo Mask is handled here compared to the 90s anime is clear. In the 90s anime he's the the guy chucking roses and lending an assist quite often. Here Usagi is drawn to and smitten with Mamoru, but when all's said and done not only is he not the one coming to the rescue, he's not yet really even involved in the fighting at all. His role is really that of a kind of guide, someone who does more to inspire Usagi to be heroic than Luna does (sorry cat, it's true). Which isn't to say he's not talented...he sure put on that cape and got up to that balcony fast, didn't he? But hey, in the comic Usagi remarks on how he reminds her of the "Phantom Thief Lupin".

By the way, that brief arcade scene where Rei tries the Sailor V game. Notice something? It's the one-time introvert, Ami, who is now in turn getting Rei to come out of her shell. Nice little detail.

So, it's Sailor Jupiter next time! Definitely looking forward to Ami Koshimizu doing another tough kind of vocal performance in the wake of Studio Trigger's Kill la Kill. The all too brief preview of the voice comes off pretty well.

Some screengrabs from episode 4:

Spoiler

 

[EHH123]

So, it's Sailor Jupiter next time! Definitely looking forward to Ami Koshimizu doing another tough kind of vocal performance in the wake of Studio Trigger's Kill la Kill. The all too brief preview of the voice comes off pretty well.

In Kill La Kill, there were times when Ryuko wasn't acting macho and had calm conversations with her friends. In those moments, Ryuko lost her gruff rasp, making her voice sound tough but kind and understanding at the same time.

This seems to be the kind of voice that Ami Koshimizu will use when playing Makoto based on her one line of dialogue.

 

[SpecialColorfull]

TBA-kun was replaced as animation supervisor by Namatame Yasuhiro and Ueno Ken. With Chief Animation Supervisor Sakou Yukie involved, that's three layers of corrections. Komatsu Kozue receives a key animator credit here, making this her third episode with some measure of influence. TAP receives credit, but none of the key animators are listed by name. Strange, given other series will do so. Hell, they even did Kindaichi Shounen no Jinkenbo R Episode #19 all by themselves. Perhaps they will someday be assigned to do an episode of this series entirely themselves.

So, the world of Sailor Moon now has made-up nations known to the greater world. Okay.

The princess looks like Umino's daughter. Have you anything to tell the class, Umino-kun?

Usagi's Papa looks like Mamoru. She wants to marry her old man, eh? *Ba-bump* Whoops, just threw her under the bus.

Tuxedo Kamen is taking names and first kisses. That's no way to treat a maiden in a maiden's series!

God Bless you Jacob-san.

 

[KYO'NYUU IMOUTO]

God Bless you Jacob-san.

Please, do not. I'm a [thoroughly tanned] white guy from Washington State.

 

[SpecialColorfull]

Ok, I guess calling white people with honorifics isnt all that appropiate. How about Mr Paschal.

I used to think you were an living breathing encyclopedia of Japanese Animation instead of a living breathing human. But you DO have a sense of humor I see!

 

[Neo Yi]

Definitely looking forward to a potentially massive free-for-all with the Sailor Senshis and the Four Kings. Yeah, I was expecting Jadeite to bite it, but nope, things seem to be going a totally different direction. Otherwise, the episode is definitely an improvement over the last one. The plot is going places and I really, really dig how they're handling Usagi and Mamoru's interaction.

 

[Light Lucario]

I thought that this episode was pretty good. I was surprised that Jadeite was alive. While it wasn't too clear if Sailor Mars killed him in the previous episode, I didn't think that they would keep him alive either. Considering that and they had all of the Four Kings encounter the Sailor Guardians near the end of the episode, my guess is that they want to have some big confrontation with them later on in the series. That's kind of surprising given how faithful the series has been to the manga so far, but I'm fine with that. If they do have something big planned for the Four Kings, then keeping them alive for now sounds good.

I liked how Ami was helping to get Rei comfortable enough to have so much fun playing video games. It was a nice moment that showed a bit of friendship between them, as well as show how Ami has become more open as a result of her friendship with Usagi. It still amazes me that they could get into the party just by the way they looked and didn't have to show their IDs or anything like that. Usagi and Mamoru's interactions were nice. The dance scene was quite appealing to my inner hopeless romantic and seeing the scene where they gently fall down to the ground together was nice. I always liked that image from the manga. I wasn't sure if they would had Sailor Moon's Tiara burn in the last fight given what they already changed, but given that it ties into her growing feelings for Tuxedo Mask, I guess it was expected that they'd keep that detail. Seeing her use her new tiara was pretty cool too.

Tuxedo Mask kissing Sailor Moon when she was just tired didn't seem as strange as it was in the original series or maybe just the fact that she didn't accidentally get drunk makes it slightly less odd. Getting to Sailor Jupiter's debut in the next episode should be pretty nice. Overall, it was a pretty good episode.

 

[KYO'NYUU IMOUTO]

Shida Naotoshi just tweeted that he is returning to work on Sailor Moon. I guess we will be getting ourselves a bona fide battle scene soon. That or he's doing bank animation.

@naoV47 あれ？何か押したか⁇
ともあれ再びセーラームーンとアベンジャーズに入ります(^^;;