Yeah, this is just a post about the opening (the episode will come later), because this is arguably the closest we can get to a perfect representation of the essence of Inagawa's work. It's.... stunning. It's art.
So, I think to begin I'll sort of preface what the theme of the opening (and of the work overall) actually is. It's a bit of a mouthful, but it's about the stifling of individual expression due to societal and cultural expectations that weigh on each person. In essence, breaking out of the shell that has been forcibly placed on someone, in this case, Magical Girls.
Let's get it started then, shall we? Sort of surprising is the fact that the 4 girls in the start of the opening are driving along the beach in a car with the top down, not a real care in the world. But, in concert with the existence of water throughout the episode, this is only the surface of the characters. What is shown on the outside, what can remain above the surface. It dulls the feeling of freedom, makes you realize the restrictions placed on them so that they can be afforded that freedom.
Of note in this seen, we see that Anarchy has a fruit in her hand. But, before she eats it she pushes a hole into it, allowing some of the juice to escape. To me, this is obvious symbolism for their interests. They don't want what everyone else wants. Nobody wants a damaged fruit in the same way that nobody wants a magical girl that isn't "pure" or "right". It's her acting out against the norms of society and fighting her way towards what she wants.
Next, we have an interesting scene with Otaku Hero. We find a fish in a glass of water, confined by its surroundings, trapped within. Nowhere to go, no way to move forward, Otaku Hero puts the fish in his mouth. Is it faith? Submission? Something else entirely? Whatever it is between man and fish, it is a relationship of dependence. For the fish to exist within its trapped surroundings, it requires Otaku Hero. It's "freedom" is dependent on being saved by another. And at the end of the day, it just ends up deposited in someone else's glass. For all its struggles, it remains confined. Even in the face of a Hero, the fish cannot escape its glass.
And this is exactly what the opening tells us about the girls. Sure, in the "regular" forms they're afforded some type of freedom, but if they want to express their "other" sides which don't conform, they're left trapped. They only become Magical Girls when underwater. Only when drowning beneath the tide of expectations and requirements, sinking deeper into the abyss of societal and cultural norms forced upon them are they themselves.
And this is where Otaku Hero comes into play. He is the first to betray expectations. He delivers the fish to its new form of confinement, and punches the man holding the glass. Wandering, he finds the girls underwater, decorated by ribbons or threads that connect them to Otaku Hero. Now this is a double-edged sword. It shows how Otaku Hero is their "savior", but also what drags them to the bottom of the ocean of expectations and requirements that they sink in.
Regardless of his connection and nature to the girls, just like with the fish, he reaches out for them, but this time he "frees" them. To what degree are they really free if it's at the hands of a savior though? Of someone that perpetuates the preconceptions and norms that suffocate the girls?
Regardless, their true form is unleashed in something that is needed to be experienced to be understood. Violence, vulgarity, depravity, flirtation, teasing, killing, breaking apart, atomized. It is the representation of all the repression that faces the girls. It's a breakdown of reality and society that allows the individual true freedom of expression.
So, I'm no expert with the meaning of flowers, but each Magical Girl here holds their own type of flower (as does Otaku Hero later down the road), which most certainly relates to their stories somehow. I'm just not sure how because I don't know all of the flowers that adorn the various characters.
And lastly, we finished off with a recreation of The Last Supper, with Otaku Hero at the center. In line with the rest of Inagawa's work, he mocks religion here. He jokes about The Last Supper, about Otaku Hero being the lord and savior of his story, and the Magical Girls being his apostles in what can only be inferred is akin to a religious war between humanity and Otakus. It's a hilarious mockery, of both religion and Otaku Hero. Of the concept of a savior, of the expectations placed upon those that don't conform to expectations. The magical girls are once more "normal", and forced to side at this table, glares cast downward, for the sake of Otaku Hero.
And don't even get me started on stuff like the music. The whole thing is a rage against establishment and society, as it talks about rioting, rampaging, and all manner of other things.
Just an outstanding opening that exemplifies the core of Inagawa's opus, of his form of expression in media. It's a love letter to not just art, but specific his art.
Mahou Shoujo Magical Destroyers Episode 4: R U Ready?
Another day, another Magical Destroyers episode. It's not so much predictable as it is informative and relatable, but that doesn't cause the value or enjoyment of it to depreciated as it parades itself around through Inagawa's vision that tackles just as many abstract concepts as it does pieces of otaku culture.
So I think I'll try to keep this one short, since the idea is pretty well established and explained. The episode is effectively all about the rift between generations in otaku culture, as a hobby almost. It's about the modern day reconciling with its roots, and that source lashing out at where they've been forced to come to.
Before I get into that though, I want to establish some history with the term Otaku. It originated in the 80s, much like the otaku shown in this episode, and it is indeed a word that's come to embody a similar meaning to how English speakers see "geek" and "nerd", but it wasn't always that way.
Otaku is a very finnicky term in its early years. Originally, it was popularized as term in a magazine that was known for Lolicon Hentai content (though it was later lessened due to reader feedback). Regardless, the term came to be a way to refer to who we see as Otaku thanks to a columnist that would write articles titled "Otaku Research" (Otaku no kenkyuu). From there, it saw use at a marginally harsher version of "geek" or "nerd". Basically, like how old school movies would have bullies refer to kids as a geek. Derogatory and aggressive, but not something full of distaste or anything.
That changed at the end of the 80s though. As the term Otaku gained ground it was used by more, and was forever attached to the "Otaku Murders". Tsutomu Miyazaki was in their late 20s at the end of the 80s, and was a serial killer at the center of a batch of gruesome acts over the course of a year. After being caught and arrested, media began to label Miyazaki as an Otaku and created a massive moral panic to erupt towards the group in Japan at the time. The piece that remains interesting however is that Miyazaki's collection was largely live action horror and pornography, but the media ran with his collection being largely anime and manga.
It's very heavy, but it's how the life of the term Otaku really started. An immediate plummet towards rock bottom that created an intense separation and hatred of Otaku in Japanese society. Outcasts, people that are unable to understand or relate to reality, people that cannot integrate with society, failures. It was a harsh and terrible time to be an Otaku, which this episode does a solid job of depicting while leaving out the heavier aspects.
And within that, a rift is formed. The older otaku who struggled to enjoy their hobby, versus the younger otaku who know nothing of strife. It's a great interaction as you see it all over the place with generations across media and hobbies. Car guys, music (particularly stuff like Rap), even video games. The challenges that faced earlier generations were their rite of passage, one that newer generations never cleared or struggled with. And on the opposite end, why would the newer generations respect that struggle when they have everything in front of them and have their own issues?
It's a back and forth that, even though it's covered comically, gets the point across of the generational gaps in hobbies and the distaste that each sees in the other. So very much something that holds particular value in otaku culture, but can also be applied and related to other hobbies and interests.
Okay, well this is not short but there's still more to, sorry! I'll try to breeze through it.
It's impossible to remove tropes and clichés from the root of how many fans see and understand anime these days, so I like how much they're leaned on through this series alongside expectation subversion. It's fun, definitely not fresh, but an enjoyable feeling of nostalgia for the illogical and odd nonetheless.
Plus, random fanservice? Gotta love it, and how it both sort of mocks the pointless scenes of women in animanga, while also placing the sexualization of Blue in her own court.
The pervasion of Otaku culture in interaction and casual dialogue is still quite fun and it finds the right times to make it funny versus making it something closer to a parody. I wouldn't exactly call it a parody as it's not mocking it per se, but it's certainly not an entirely serious depiction either.
In addition to that, I'm also still liking the sort of romantic undertones that the characters give off randomly. I'm unaware as to whether or not it's an intentional piece, but it really adds to that immature feel that pervades a lot of the shallow aspects of the story. You can see it as the weird and wacky Magical Girl comedy that's a high schooler's vision, or you can see the pieces that it expresses underneath. It's easy to take the shallow without the depth, but the latter doesn't come without the former.
And I think that's an important piece to remember with Magical Destroyers. You can take it as it gives it you and have a good time if you're okay with the production value, but you can't separate the two facets of Inagawa's approach to his work in this anime. In for a penny in for a pound, and I think fans that dive in headfirst are really appreciating what Inagawa's giving out.
Mahou Shoujo Magical Destroyers Episode 1: Rage Against Akihabara
So, how can you explain Magical Destroyers? A critical parody and mocking of conformism, religion, and even Otaku culture? Maybe it's as simple as leaving it at the fact that it's Jun Inagawa's vision extrapolated to an anime. But is it worth watching? Well, do you like it when things are made fun of? When at every turn expectations are upended and pushed to the side to make room for something totally different? Do you like things that are just the right amount of insane or unhinged? If so, then you'll like Magical Destroyers for quite a few reasons, though it's not a series without caveats.
So let's get the bad out of the way, it's restricted. Bibury isn't a masterclass studio that can make something out of thin air. I mean, counting Magical Destroyers they have a total of 5 anime that have aired so far. They're.... not good, to say the least. Not necessarily in terms of story or anything, but they're very limited in what they can do in regards to animation. That in and of itself is pretty apparent in this first episode through quite a few conservative scenes and ample use of slapdash CGI, like this almost comically out of place log.
As long as you're aware of the limitations, I think the better moments really do shine quite well. The environment art can be really stellar sometimes, the visual comedy is rock solid, and there's still a good share of Sakuga in it too.
So what about the story? For those that read my breakdown on the opening, I think it's rather self-evident about the core of what Magical Destroyers is about, but I probably should give a proper explanation.
So, the whole idea is that the government of Japan have been rounding up all of its Otaku under the guise of "protection". Putting them in jails, taking all otaku product with them, effectively eliminating them from the Japanese public. In a single week in 2008 the majority of Otaku were rounded up for "protection", aside from a handful that center around Otaku Hero. Since that day, Otaku Hero with the aid of Magical Girls and fellow Otaku has waged war in a resistance against his forceful "protection", and that's where we find ourselves now.
Essentially, up shit creek without a paddle. Though you'd nearly be a fool to take that sentiment at face value as first and foremost this is a farce. It's a story that's incredibly campy as it continually pokes fun at almost anything and everything, while mixing in moments so serious that they come off almost comical.
It screams of the writing skills of a first timer that thinks they can write a story for the ages because they're "not like other writers out there", and in the context of Inagawa's history it's a hilarious and well thought out approach that punctuates the already ridiculous setup and story.
The part that is clearly the most honed though is the comedy. It's well timed, expressed wonderfully through character acting, and is perfectly situational and unique to the characters that act it out.
There's a lot more that I feel I could get into, like the storyboards or overall direction to help sell that campy feeling, but I think it's pretty self-explanatory and not really anything out of this world. Magical Destroyers it Jun Inagawa's vision, simple as that. If you love the idea of acting out, of raging against the machine to preserve your individuality and right to existence as you are, then you'll like this show.
So I know the first episode is typically a litmus test for a series, but with Magical Destroyers the first episode is more like getting ready to jump off a cliff, and the second episode is doing just that. It takes the plunge into Inagawa's mind in earnest, and introduces more of the various aspects that punctuate his art. Just how far does the episode go though, and how far are we going to be taken?
I think the answer to that question is: as far as the opening goes. Why might that be the answer? Because the opening is in the episode. Specifically, when Otaku Hero and Co go to get Pink back, we see that her little hideaway is the same as the building that was featured in the opening. I'd show the opening but its' so messy you can't even really make it out that well.
What you can make it well though is the women with exposed brains. These too seem to be a penchant of Pink-chan's.
And I think that's a pretty solid example of this second episode. It's caught up to the vibe of the opening, and is expressing some of the core aspects of Ingawa's work.
Would I say it's a really great representation of it, or that it's executed wonderfully? I wouldn't, no. Bibury is hanging on for dear life with this series already in the second episode and I think there's a world of stuff out there that could be better done with a more competent studio, but I'm not going to laugh in the face of a golden opportunity.
Regardless of that, re-winding to the start of the episode, I really enjoyed Blue's characterization this episode. They're able to lean on her sex drive as a comedic aspect without making her out to be anything gross or whatever. It's nice and light, and they even use it to play into the expectation subversion of the series.
On the other hand, we've got Pink who is a personification of Inagawa's vision, only somewhat bastardized. I find it really funny that the only one that isn't articulate "normally" is the one that expresses the most of Inagawa's direction. Of course, it's in a way that enables Pink's escape from reality though. Because there's no way there was gonna be a "perfect" character. With that in mind, Pink is a rather normal style of character compared to the other two. Exhausted from the expectations of Otaku and other nerds and people, she can't stand what they want of her and wanted a place where she can be herself.
Though Pink doesn't really understand the net that's cast by expectations. Even running away to her own paradise, she's held up by expectations for her to be who she is, to be the person that holds their group together. Thankfully at the end, we see positive reinforcement from the people that surround her, that use their power to encourage Pink to return to Otaku Hero and the other Magical Girls.
Getting past that, I think the concept behind Pink's mind battle vs Anarchy and Blue was a fun idea, with good parts for sure, but leaves a bit to be desired considering how off the rails the OP was.
Oh, and the ending for MAD is pretty damn amazing. Wild that MAD is most likely going to have both opening and ending of the season.
Overall, I think there's less to comment on in this episode than the first because we're settling in. People are figuring out what Magical Destroyers is going to be all about, and a lot of what is presented ends up a bit self-explanatory. The concept is really solid, but it's going to be quite rough around the edges, if people are cool with that then that's cool. If not, watch the OP and ED and you'll get the majority of what Magical Destroyers is trying to put down.
getting the character down for otaku hero comic. decided to go with a diff hair style then previous ones. #comics #otakuhero #pencils #art #sketch #characterdesign https://www.instagram.com/p/BnVVZ9OBnra/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1mnbi71cj7l7t
