2013-02-17, 13:09 | Link #201 |
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2005
|
Episode 3
While this episode is quieter than the first two, I liked it a bit better than them. I think the biggest factor is that this one focused on Rikka's search for an explanation about Precure, and that this lends energy to the show that it didn't have before. It also seems like Dokidoki is going to involve the Cures' families. This is a good idea as long as they pull it off better than how Suite did it.
This time around, the fairies don't know anything concrete about Precure or their overarching goals, so someone has to do the legwork. Too bad it won't lead to anything as the writing purposely let the not-at-all-suspicious shopkeeper off the hook. Did Mana ever tell Rikka about Cure Sword? She seemed to know what was going on! In any case, I approve of the scientific approach. Unfortunately, it looks like she seems to be stuck in sidekick mode for the foreseeable future. Cure Dia's costume design is okay, but her arms are a bit too bare. The transformation and Twinkle Diamond are sort of bleh. Cure Heart doesn't seem to be very smart though - why's she's picking up letters while the goat Selfish is right in front of her. Especially since everything gets conveniently fixed when the Selfish is finished off. I still think that they should go "Love, love, lovely" when get popped. One last thing, is that baby bottle going to be one of the new plastic toys?
__________________
|
2013-02-17, 15:45 | Link #202 |
Snobby Gentleman
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Monterrey, México
Age: 43
|
The Happy Prince by Oscar Wilde
Although this is off-topic, nevertheless, it is important since the link there leads to a transcript of the Happy Prince by Oscar Wilde. This is the same story that Rikka addressed to Mana in the previous episode. http://fiction.eserver.org/short/happy_prince.html As I was reading the story, I quickly grasped the symbolism of the themes playing for Doki Doki: Selflessness v.s. Selfishness The Prince was happy during his lifetime, but because he was borned, raised, and lived off shut from the rest of his kingdom. After dying, his soul fixed into the lead heart that became the basis for his statue: a beautiful statue made of gold with blue-sapphire eyes and holding a sword whose hilt sported a red-ruby on the center. Once the statue was finished and erected around the center of the City's square, the Prince's soul for the first time was able to watch his entire Kingdom outside and cried tears for what the Happy Prince saw was sorrow and misery for many families living in poverty throughout his Kingdom, and he blamed himself for not knowing in life about the state of his people and blamed himself even more for not being able to move from his place to help them. The second key player in the story is the swallow, referenced also by Rikka in the second episode. The swallow was making preparations to catch up with his flock, which had already emigrated to Egypt to pass the winter. Night fell, and the swallow rested below the statue of the Happy Prince to spend the night, until it realized the tears falling down and to its surprise found the Happy Prince crying. The swallow asked the Happy Prince why was he crying, and the Happy Prince responded his tears were for the state of helplessness he was bound into and not being able to do something for his people. The Happy Prince asked the swallow if it was possible for it to make him company for the night, but the swallow tried to politely decline by reasoning with the Prince that its friends were already waiting for it in Egypt and had to make haste. Yet, the Happy Prince continued to persist asking, until the swallow agreed to stay for the night. The swallow and the Happy Prince in each other's company will talk to themselves about their lives and experiences, and everytime the Happy Prince saw a person in need he will ask the swallow to remove one of his jewel ornaments, then fly to the afflicted person, and then deliver the jewel so as the person could find happiness. With each passing day and night, the swallow will try to gently leave the Happy Prince's side by reminding him that its flock were waiting for him in Egypt and had to leave as soon as possible before winter, but in each attempt the Happy Prince will always ask the swallow to make him company for another night which it relented and consented to. Every night they kept at each other's company, and every night the Happy Prince saw another unfortunate victim and would ask the swallow to remove another jewel ornament from his statue, then fly to that poor soul, and deliver the jewel to that person. When the third night came and after the swallow delivered the last-remaining of the Happy Princes' sapphire eyes, the Happy Prince thanked the swallow for keeping him company and asked him to leave his side in order for it to fly to Egypt before the coming of winter. But, the swallow refused, because the Happy Prince ended up blind and would no longer see the city to learn what was happening to his people. The Happy Prince deeply thanked the swallow for keeping him company right to the end. Winter came filling the street of a silvery-white color and laden with snow, and yet the swallow will continue to carry on errands for the Happy Prince becoming his eyes to watch over the city, and at the end of the night the swallow will tell stories about its travels to Egypt to the Happy Prince. Alas, the sheer cold was weakening the swallow, and as the Winter turned more intense, in the final night the swallow knew it's time was coming and said its farewell to the Happy Prince. The Happy Prince gullibly asked the swallow if it, at last, would begin the flight to Egypt, but the swallow responded that Death would become its final destination. As the last night drew close to the end, the swallow gently died under the statue of the Happy Prince, and the sound of lead breaking was heard coming from inside the statue of the Happy Prince; the Happy Prince's heart made of lead literally had broken into two halves. Early next morning the City's mayor and town councillors were shocked to marvel the statue of the Happy Prince was in such deplorable state and commissioned for the statue to be taken off from the square, as they reasoned the statue itself since it was no longer beautiful then had fulfilled its purpose and was no longer needed. It was ordered for the statue to be thrown into the furnace to be melted, but the blacksmith was surprised to find out that the only thing left from the statue that did not melt was the heart made of lead which was literally broken into two halves. So, having no useful purpose to make out of the remaining heart, they threw it into the dust bin along with the remains of the swallow. Meanwhile, the mayor and his councillors were fighting to decide over whose images would the next statue be based on. Time passed and God in Heaven commanded His angels to bring him the two most beautiful things from the city, and so the angels fulfilled their deed bringing before God the remains of the swallow along with the remains of the Prince's heart of lead. God congratulated His angels for having made the wise choice and proclaimed that from this day onwards: To the swallow, it shall sing forevermore in His Garden of Eden; and to the Happy Prince, he shall forevermore dwell in His Kingdom to praise Him. |
2013-02-18, 06:33 | Link #203 |
is this so?
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Gradius Home World
|
Watched episode 3 today.
Still an entertaining episode. Rikka is rather protective of Mana, or maybe she suspects "items guy" to be some sort of stalker? Rather simple battle, but looking at how Rikka goes through some memories and emotions - during transformation and shooting her finishing move.. I was honestly entertained. Obviously, Rikka would do some hand to hand fighting in later episodes, for now the trip through fond memories is good enough. This is just speculation. Mana admires Makoto. And later Makoto would join the team, once she's befriended. I suspect that Rikka might feel jealous a little, if Mana gives too much attention to Makoto (once befriended).
__________________
|
2013-02-18, 07:37 | Link #204 | |
Nuclear Fusion
Join Date: May 2010
|
Quote:
__________________
|
|
2013-02-18, 15:13 | Link #205 | |
Snobby Gentleman
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Monterrey, México
Age: 43
|
Quote:
On-Topic Honestly, let's see how pronounced and immersive relationships between those two girls fluorish for this season. |
|
2013-02-19, 10:41 | Link #206 |
Paper-Fan of DOOM!!
Join Date: Jul 2010
|
Suzaku the toy shop owner (which is what I will call him, since he does share the same voice as the infamous Knight of Zero) is STILL very shady, and reeks of "Kyubey" here.
After all, like that bunny eared girl-murdering rat, he drives a hard bargain AND uses Kyubey's obsequiously polite vocabulary of "Boku" to refer to himself and "Kai" at the end of his sentences.....
__________________
|
2013-02-20, 07:07 | Link #209 | |
is this so?
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Gradius Home World
|
Quote:
This time the item needed is brought by a smooth talking stranger introducing himself as a seller.
__________________
|
|
2013-02-20, 22:00 | Link #214 | |
is this so?
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Gradius Home World
|
Quote:
He could turn white, grow a tail, and have red eyes later.
__________________
Last edited by Liddo-kun; 2013-02-21 at 22:23. |
|
2013-02-21, 21:32 | Link #215 |
Snobby Gentleman
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Monterrey, México
Age: 43
|
Episode 3. The Greatest Partner Arrives! Cure Diamond!!!
I definitely enjoyed to my taste what the third episode delivered. I see that in this season the writers are making an effort to make at least a member amongst the party of Cures to stay conscious about what's happening.
Plainly, Rika's concern and affection for Mana is natural, and her response towards the mystery man treating them both with such a nice familiarity is defensive and wary to be expected. But, I picked up the tiny details: 1. The fairy partners are newborn children and do not know anything beyond PreCure and Jikochuu. 2. The fairies never got any bad vibes or uneasy feelings before the presence of the mystery man. 3. The fairy kids do not assume but feel assured that if the mystery man gave Mana her Cure Lovies, then he must be a mister nice guy. The conclusion to that uneasy first meeting with the mystery man for Rika lets me know that the mystery man, definitely, knows what's going on for sure, but he lets the girls to face the challenge on their own and make the choices by themselves; he witnesses the girls choosing what is the right thing to do. Secondly, it doesn't seem to me that the mystery man paternalizes girls. In fact, quite the opposite, he lets in to them that what they choose to carry is a huge responsibility. As for Rika, to me the highlight of the episode was the drama they invested when she stood out there witnessing Cure Heart standing her ground, but the former felt she couldn't do too much to help her out, that's until she recalled the mystery mans' words of advice about what she can do for her best friend by facing and taking the right choice. It also contributed very much to the drama factor those additional flashback memories from the time Rika met Mana in their early childhood, so as to deliver a solid jumpstart effect on the former to choose to transform into Cure Diamond. Finally, I know it's still too early to make this statement, but my gut tells that for this season the writers are going to invest some good drama amongst characters from episode to episode in order to make the viewers feel more personally immersed into the storyline. And, they do not make waste since by the time this episode is almost over, Alice returns back into the story, positively hinting that she's to become the last PreCure to be borned by next episode. |
Tags |
action, magical girl |
|
|