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PGSM Reinako things I want to yell about, in no particular order (8/∞)
Act 17 & Act 18 Callbacks & Parallels
Rei and Minako's chance meetings in Acts 17 & 18 were simply iconic in so many ways for setting up Rei and Minako’s story and relationship.
With the number of parallels and callbacks that fit into the show referring back to Acts 17 and 18, to me this is evidence that Rei and Minako's story was well planned from the very start!
The scene we've all been waiting for!!!! (Or at least, I've been waiting forever for!) IT'S FINALLY HERE! And there's absolutely no way I'd leave it to screenshots because images can't do it justice.
LIKE LOOK AT THIS! the 3 successions of camera shots with progressively slower replay speed and closer view of those two passing by each other, PLUS THE SOUND EFFECT????!!!! This is absolutely one of the overused filming techniques for the soulmate trope storyline, and they used it on these two!!!! ADSFEWJSKHD
We also see this used earlier in this episode with Usagi, Mamoru, and Hina - the soulmate, forbidden love & love triangle trope.
And when you consider the Minako solo scene just before this, where we see Minako's praying and we have a visual that represent Minako's loneliness, and then THIS HAPPENS AND SHE AND REI MEETS?????
HELLO????? MY GOD! Basically, everything in this scene and episode points to Rei being the person to change Minako's life! If we extrapolate this further, we can even say it symbolizes as Rei being the person to bring Minako out of isolation! HOW POWERFUL IS THAT?!!!!!!
And the same can be said in reverse too! Even though it might just be a plot device to get these two in the same place, Rei met Minako ON THE ANNIVERSARY OF RISA'S DEATH, the crucial incident that started Rei on her path of being a loner as well. Even though Rei has Usagi, Ami and Makoto now, to have met Minako on such as significant occasion adds meaning to their meeting and what Rei and Minako mean to each other. Everything that led to their first encounter with each other gives a "destiny / fated" vibe.
Just from this one scene alone, how can I not ship those two???? I absolutely knew I was in trouble the first time watching this. Everything I see pointed in that one direction, and I can't turn off all the literature, theatre, and film analysis skills my literature classes at school forced into me. Reinako was my first wlw ship I fell in love with and definitely raised a lot of questions about myself as well. LMAO
As I've shared before, I've not a fan of the Senshi transformation sequence, especially coz the CGI really doesn't do it for me, but Venus's is such an exception for me in this!
Venus's transformation has so much personality and swagger!!!! I can care less about the cartwheeling and jumping, but the grace Minako showed when she landed on her feet and begins sashaying towards the camera???? Her transformation happens while she catwalks as if she's a model at a fashion show, even the background is made to look like they are spotlighting her!
AND JFC she poses once her Senshi uniform's completed like she's at the front of the catwalk. 🔥🔥🔥 Then it fades into a sequence where her hair also undergoes transformation, and it looks as if she's doing some kind of hair product commercial!
It is dramatic af but so on brand on multiple layers:
Minako in the live-action is an actual idol, including modeling and commercials.
This is a clever and brilliant way to acknowledge "beauty" as part of Venus's title. I'm actually happy they focused on the "beauty" instead of the "love" aspect, because if they do "love" for Venus, then they'd need to have made some overlapping themes with Moon's transformation as well given the "love and justice".
This is so dramatic manga-Minako would approve the fuck out of this.
The whole sequence is just stunningly different from the format Moon, Mercury, Mars and Jupiter have. And also a bit longer. Venus's full transformation is around 35 seconds long, while the other's full transformation is 30 seconds.
Even the post-transformation posing - the 8 successions of camera angles we get to see, and the focus on the fake crystal, it's like what you'd expect from a fashion showcase video. It continues the theme of a fashion show after the sequence, and the fact that Minako/Venus also actually transformed on a stage??? It gets so meta and I love it!
If I didn't know any better, I'd say Mars/Rei is absolutely smitten. 😏
But I do know better, it's the identity reveal that's the shocker here. But Keiko, could your expression be a little less heart eyes-like? lol
I really appreciate the length the PGSM crew went to expand on details from the original manga materials, even giving Rei's mom a name and showing us the audience the headstone. They could've easily just done a far-camera showed that shows Rei paying respect without the little details.
I absolutely do not know my flowers, but it would also have been a nice touch had they gotten Casablanca lilies instead, which I'm 90% sure these aren't. :P
Okay - two things here:
Okay pastor, REI JUST STARTED HER PRAYER. YOU PROBABLY INTERRUPTED HER?????!!!!!!
Keiko's acting is so good and heartbreaking here. The quick change of emotions from grief to anger? The softness immediately hardened when she opened her eyes at the mention of her father? She is amazing!
My god, the more I thought about what Rei said, the more it tore me to piece, and that's why I need to address it in the subtitles again.
Even though saying "My father stayed at work while my mother was dying" ISN'T wrong, it seriously did not do the emotions behind the words justice given what it meant in the original dialogue. Rei specifically described and accused her father as "the type of person" who abandoned her mother (and her). It wasn't just a statement of fact on what happened, but the wording makes it so that audience is left with no uncertainty that Rei sees that incident as proof of her father's character, using that trauma to generalize and paint her father as a cold, heartless, workaholic politician. That one incident wasn't only traumatic in that it happened, it completely changed her father's image in her mind.
Not to mention - this is hard to capture in English, but the Japanese dialogue specifically referenced the moment when Risa was passing away. This is an important distinction because without knowledge from Act 33 & 34, to just read the word "dying" could mean when Risa's in hospital with a terminal illness with (as an example) a month's time to live, or it could mean the literal moment when Risa life was about to expire. It's ambiguous in its current English translation.
The Japanese dialogue specifying that Rei's father was not at Risa's side when she breathed her last breath, holds more significant meaning and impact than otherwise and helps the audience sympathize and empathize with Rei more. And it helps us see in Rei's perspective, why she was able and willing to draw such a sad but firm conclusion on her mother's behalf, assuming Risa would not want her husband here.
The cartoonish sound that was meant to be the dog's stomach growling in hunger is the most ridiculous sound effect I've ever heard. But I'm too enamored by Rei and Minako's shared warm and heartfelt smile to care. The fact that they both turned to each other at that sound? Rei's giggle only coming out after meeting Minako's gaze? Chef kiss!
These two met each other barely an hour(?) ago, and they are already reacting to things synchronously.
THIS IS ABSOLUTELY MY FAVOURITE REINAKO SCENE, even if short! Why? Because this is the first instance and one of the very few instances we see Minako taking agency to initiate a kind gesture with a peer, voluntarily too. Even in the many Rei and Minako scenes to come, we often see Rei to be the one extending kindness and the one to pursue and initiate interaction with Minako. In most cases, when Minako initiates anything, it's purposeful and serious for the sake of their duties. So I very much consider this scene to be a rare scene where we see Minako interacting with Rei with her guards truly and fully down (because Rei doesn't know Minako the idol nor the fact she's Venus yet). The fact that this resulted in an act of kindness and a desire to share is just absolutely lovely. So lovely that even the dog decides to turn around so he's not intruding on the moment! lol
Also, the Japanese dialogue actually says "のど飴" (nodo ame), which means "throat lozenges". Very on point given Minako's a singer. LOL Not just Miss Dream's subs, but many subtitles, even some of the Chinese subtltles missed the "nodo" part, and just translated it as candy. While I love the idea of Minako loving sweets (a more seemingly innocent trait that also reminds us of Minako in manga and anime), it's actually more true to her character to be very careful and meticulous in taking care of her voice given her job as a singer.
Remember how I praise PGSM costume crew for the awesome and intentional costume choice with colour coding?
Please pay attention to what colour Minako is wearing - RED! ;)
Artemis being the one to watch the news and control the TV explains so much about how Minako can keep up with all developments despite all of her responsibilities as Sailor V, idol, and a student.
I love Artemis so much in PGSM. Also, I really appreciate Artemis's voice actor's approach to Artemis's character. Artemis's voice and tone sound softer when he asks how Minako's feeling.
(Also I randomly learned the other day Artemis's voice actor also voices Kudo Shinichi in Detective Conan and my mind was blown...)
I vividly remember how shocked I was watching this scene the very first time. The moment Minako responded to Artemis with a weak "I'm fine", I knew something was wrong. Ayaka really nailed the glassy-eye look here to show how unwell Minako actually was, and the "I'm fine" just adds a layer of the sad truth that Minako either is used to lying, or this is something she considers normal to her.
I remember the first time I watched this, I wondered if Minako was suffering from injuries from a Youma attack or something, never once actually assuming the "illness" was actually true. I think the illness WAS the ruse for Minako to go into hiding or to give her space to balance being a Senshi, especially when she may need to recover from a battle. :(
PGSM Reinako things I want to yell about, in no particular order (2/∞)
Minako meeting Usagi vs Minako meeting Rei for the first time
It has always fascinated me how drastically different Minako’s behavior was when she met Usagi and Rei.
In Act 11, Minako was aloof and quick to judge, even slipping in hints of their duty and mission to test Usagi out. She was unfairly expecting a lot from Usagi, as if she never wanted to get to know the girl, just wanted to see this was someone worth protecting. When Usagi didn’t meet her expectations, she was so disappointed she flipped and end up staying back from a confrontation with the enemy. And in all this time, she also appeared as if she didn’t want to be in the girl’s presence, wanting to avoid being known.
On the other hand, the moment she meets Rei in Act 17, she chose to stay in the girl’s presence, volunteering to stay AFTER Rei already did, to take care of the sick dog together. She also opens up with no expectation at all, and in fact was drawn to Rei’s side, including exposing her identity as Sailor Venus to Rei. (Like I get that she wanted to save Mars, but could she not have transformed in hiding, instead of transforming right in front of Mars????)
In Act 12, Minako initially couldn’t stand Usagi at all, and actively ran away from her. Failing that, she falls back into her idol persona, treating Usagi as a typical fangirl. Even her voice and tone changes to sound like a sweet girl.
With Rei, Minako never slipped into idol persona, and in fact initiated seeking Rei out in Act 18. She was candid in her behavior and words, including being solemn and pensive, or being mischievous and competitive.
For someone as secretive and guarded as Minako, she was extremely quick to show her true self to Rei. If that doesn’t mean something, I don’t know what does! And it’s hilarious that Artemis even called Minako out on her crap:
In Sayonara ~Sweet Days, Minako sings the following lyrics:
Though I don’t have any particular reasons, Somehow, I was able to be myself around you.
I seriously think she was singing that to Rei.
AMAZING segue from Rei and Minako's mention of Usagi, to bring us to this absolutely hilarious scene as we see Usagi descended into further chaos in her building emotional breakdown.
LMAO Makoto and Ami-chan's eyes look so dead as they watch Usagi appear to be singing her heart out, still no clue what's going on with Usagi.
You gotta wonder how many songs, or worse, how many times Usagi repeatedly sang C'est La Vie to get not only Makoto, but even Ami-chan to look at her like that. lol
Also there's a disco ball they could control in the Senshi Base????!!!! My god this Senshi Base rivals the fun & comfort aspect of the headquarters in Codename: Kids Next Door!
I wonder how many takes Miyuu had to do singing this song, and how hard was it for Mew and Rika to not break down laughing? Maybe I should ask that if/when Miyuu gets to Act 17 in her viewing party. haha
