Sailor Moon R: The Movie

When he was a child, Mamoru Chiba met an alien boy named Fiore and the two swore to be friends forever, a promise made with a rose.  Years later, Fiore has returned but he seems different.  He’s angry that Mamoru seems to have replaced him with someone closer to his heart: Usagi Tsukino.  Corrupted by a dark power from deep space, Fiore abducts Mamoru.  Determined to set things right, Usagi and the Sailor Senshi take to the stars to face Fiore, save Mamoru and prevent a rose covered apocalypse on Planet Earth.

So originally when I decided to look at all of the original Sailor Moon series, well the Movies weren’t even part of the plan.  Then I decided, why not, theyre pretty easy to find through various means.  Then I decided that rather than hold off on them til I finished the series, I’ll just look at them as close to the end of each series as I can.  That’ll certainly be the case for the S and Super S movies later this year.  I think this works better too because the Sailor Moon R movie feels like a nice encapsulation of everything that worked with the shows Second Season and even provides an adequate scenario for which a failed arc could have actually worked.  In short, this is a pretty solid, if simple, first theatrical outing for the Pretty Guardian who fights for love and justice.
 

FIF#180-Samurai Pizza Cats

Welcome to Little Tokyo, where everyday is filled with hustle and bustle.  But there’s sinister plans afoot.  The duplicitous Big Cheese is plotting to overthrow Emperor Fred with the help of his criminal gang of Ninja Crows.  Only one thing stands in his way: a trio of Little Tokyo’s most beloved delivery cats who also happen to be Samurai Super Heroes.  They’re Speedy, Polly and Guido: The Samurai Pizza Cats.  Whether evil is afoot or youre desperate for a late afternoon pizza, these crime fighting felines are here to save the day, guaranteed or your money back.

 
The morning of my third day at Katsucon (Saturday), I wandered up to a viewing room after eating breakfast to see if there were any fun, Saturday Morning Cartoon style screenings I could check out and I lucked into a good blast from the past.  Adapted from the early 90s Anime Cat Ninja Legend Teyandee, Samurai Pizza Cats could be considered Ghost Stories before that infamously hilarious dub ever came about.  The dialogue is random, the jokes are a bit dated but also get plenty of chuckles and its just a fun show to check out to kill time.  This isn’t a show that requires a lot of brain power to enjoy and I’m surprised I never watched more of this when I was younger (probably because it was aired at like 6 in the morning on Saturdays when I didn’t dare wake up if school wasn’t a thing). 
 

Rascal Does Not Dream of a Dreaming Girl

Sakuta Azusagawa and Mai Sakurajima have braved many strange experiences together.  But when Sakuta’s first love, Shoko Makinohara, appears before them in two different forms, their love will be tested like never before.  The deeper the pair get into this latest case of Puberty Syndrome, the more clear it becomes that lives are at stake.  For Sakuta, in the end, it doesn’t just come down to choosing who his heart belongs, but who’s happiness matters more: Shoko’s, Mai’s or his own?  What is the Rascal who Dreams of a Bunny Girl Senpai willing to give up in order to ensure those he loves the most have a future together?

Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai was my favorite Anime I reviewed in 2022.  For a show that baits you with the promise of sexy antics with a sexy clad bunny girl, it caught me off guard with how well it blended the troubles of growing up at a teenager with crazy but intriguing scifi concepts.  Factor in a cast that didn’t really have a weak link in the bunch and brilliant character writing and you have one of the most thought provoking and beautiful Anime since the new millenia kicked off.  For all of its greatness, the one thing that held it back from a perfect 10/10 score was the one case left unresolved specifically so it could be told in this movie.  In hindsight, this was a very smart more.  As this is pretty much the true finale of Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai, Rascal Does Not Dream of a Dreaming Girl has saved the best and surprisingly most important mystery to be solved, and that’s saying a lot given what Sakuta had to experience in the TV Series finale.  Forwarning to all, even if you aren’t familiar with the story so far and are going in blind, be ready with a ton of tissues, this ones a tearjerker.
 

T5W#393-Top 10 Katsucon 2023 Moments

Back in February 2020, I couldn’t imagine the sharp turn the world would take barely a month later with the Pandemic shutting down everything worldwide for the better part of a year.  I guess it was a small consolation that if I had to be forced into quarantine with the rest of the world, at least I got one last good Anime Convention before it happened with Katsucon 2020.  Flashforward to present day, up until this past weekend, I hadn’t been back to Katsucon in three years.  I skipped 2022 due to the Omicron surge still being a concern and while Otakon 2022 was my first full Con since the Pandemic, I still really missed the grandeur and all night fun of National Harbor.  Factor in 2022 being a hard hitting mental and emotional year for me and I didn’t just need another Katsucon, I needed it to be spectacular from start to finish.  Well, with expectations very high and also uncertain, I returned to National Harbor this weekend for Katsucon 2023 and it was AWESOME!!!!!  So awesome in fact that I’m going to do something this week I don’t think I’ve done for an individual Anime Con since Katsucon 2018: I’m gonna to give a double sized Top 5 Wednesday.  Cause the more I thought about it, the more impossible it became to even narrow down 5 incredible memories to talk about.  So, Dear Readers, it’s time to return to the Gaylord Hotel and Convention Center for one of my most anticipated Top 5 Wednesdays of the year, these are my Top 10 Katsucon 2023 Moments.

 

T5W#392-Top 5 Questions I Get Asked Most Often About Cons

If you could feel my pulse right now, you could tell within seconds how fast its going.  Why?  Because tomorrow I start the journey back to a place I haven’t been in almost 3 years: Katsucon.  Weirdly enough I’m looking forward to Katsu this year more than my big return to Otakon last year.  Do I like Katsucon better than Otakon?  Well that answer varies from year to year but both are that hard to choose between sometimes.  Speaking of, that’s also a question I get asked most often when it comes to my Con travels.  It got me thinking about others and for today’s Top 5 Wednesday, I think it’d be cool to provide some answers to you Dear Readers about my experiences in these nerd infested nirvanas I call Conventions.  If you’ve ever wondered, today you might find out.  These are the Top 5 Questions I Get Asked Most Often About Cons.