Magic Knight Rayearth
Short Synopsis: Three high school girls get transported to a fantasy realm where they become knights who must save the world.
Wooper: My biggest question coming into this reboot was the level of involvement that Yuki Kajiura would have in the soundtrack. That can’t be determined after a single episode, but so far we’ve only gotten one composition of hers, which played during the henshin sequence toward the end of this half hour. I guess that counts as a personal disappointment, but most folks are probably more concerned about things like art style and tone, as they should be. Despite not being a Rayearth expert, I’ve seen enough of the original series to know that this new version is shooting for a similar atmosphere: earnest heroism from Hikaru, exaggerated peril posed by Zagato’s flunkies, and regular use of superdeformed shots for comedy. Regarding that second point, Alcyone (one of said flunkies) does appear in this episode, but she doesn’t immediately begin her pursuit of the main characters as she did at the start of the 1994 show. That means this new version is taking a more leisurely approach to adapting the manga, which is a good sign. As for the art, it’s more detailed in its depiction of Cephiro (now subtitled as “Cefiro”) at large, but the tactility of the original’s effects animation is greatly reduced in exchange. The waterfall in Zagato’s stronghold, in particular, is neutered here – but on the whole I’d say it looks alright. Even if Rayearth is a bit silly for my taste, this Rayboot should work well for new viewers, and longtime fans without an attachment to cel aesthetics may enjoy it, too.
Potential: 30%
Mario: We have yet another 90s manga adaptation that features a girl (this time, three girls) getting sucked into a fantasy world… Really, Japan? Just be more creative. On the serious side, though, I have watched a few episodes of the 1994 original show so I knew what to expect, and I like how this episode speeds through the setup phase and gets the girls in action right away. At the same time, this new version keeps their distinctive character designs (courtesy of CLAMP), easily distinguishable personalities, and magical girl transformations. I also appreciate how the show gets straight to the point about our heroines’ main mission: save the world, then you can get out of here. Add the updated visuals to the mix, and I am happy with how this remake proceeds so far.
Potential: 60%
Choujun! Choujou-senpai
Short Synopsis: A policeman with psychic powers makes trouble for his rookie partner.
Wooper: The kindest thing I can say about Choujun! Choujou-senpai is that I generally liked the look of its first episode. The solidly-outlined characters stayed consistent at various distances, and the measured use of color kept it in touch with its manga roots without falling down a screentone rabbit hole. As for the rest, let’s just say it’s not a great sign when you don’t crack a single smile during a comedy anime. Maybe jokes about mind reading are just tough to design, since a key element of humor is surprise, which this show’s psychic central character can never experience. His bad reputation has left him stranded in a police precinct with only minor crimes to solve, but if he’s really got such a bad rep, maybe Choujou-senpai should have pushed the envelope a bit more in introducing him. Sure, he terrorizes the public by levitating a crane and wrecking ball in the third act, but he was already considered a menace by then. What has he done, exactly, to make him so reviled? Speaking of that crane incident, the script telegraphed that he’d blame it on his optimistic young partner minutes before it happened, which sucked the air out of the episode’s final few minutes. And we didn’t even get one word of dialogue from Robo-kun the police droid despite his prominence in the OP! An all-around bummer.
Potential: 15%
Firefly Wedding
Short Synopsis: A girl who is slated for an arranged marriage gets kidnapped and saved by a heartless killer. She then proposes to him to save her own life.
Mario: I’m not sure how to feel about the two leads’ marriage proposal at the end of this first episode, given that it is based on a great pretense. But then again, Satoko’s entire life thus far is also a lie. She has been living just to measure up to her father’s expectations, her stepmother and stepsister hate her, her heart condition only allows her to live for a few more years… And then on the other side of the coin we have Goto, a merciless killer who takes pleasure in killing as if it’s the only thing he’s great at (it probably is). There’s some tender moments between them in this episode, but so far they’re also strictly business. For Goto, it’s either kill her or kill the others. For Sakoto, it’s her life. I’m glad that the show doesn’t tone down the more gritty parts of the story – they are there so we can see how desperate and understandable Sakoto’s moves are. She has to do it to survive. Even though she claims that her life is orchestrated to meet her father’s expectations, there’s another fire inside her to live on. So yes, while I remain split on their romance so far, the characters in this show are solid enough to carry this premise so far.
Potential: 55%
