Live-Action Rurouni Kenshin

『Rurouni Kenshin: Kyoto Inferno / The Legend Ends』 Trailer (English)

Normally, I’m not too interested in live action adaptations of manga/anime, but these two upcoming films have my attention. One, it’s the Kyoto arc of Rurouni Kenshin, and two, it actually looks decently done. The characters are recognizable without much alteration from their original designs, yet are translated into live action without looking horribly silly. It’s nice to recognize scenes from the arc in the trailer.

I wonder if the renewed interest in Rurouni Kenshin will also mean that we’ll see the Jinchu arc either animated or given a live action treatment.

Puella Magi Madoka Magica: Beginnings

kyubey

Finally got around to watching the first Madoka Magica movie.

It’s just a recap of the first half of the series through episode 8. The backgrounds are more detailed, continuing the trend from the first television airing to the blu-ray version. It all looks very good. However, there is less impact to the scenes. For whatever reason, the creepiness of Gertrude’s labyrinth isn’t as strong as in the blu-ray version of the series and the battle doesn’t carry the same energy. It might be because of the added detailing to the labyrinth actually interfering with the unsettling aura of the designs. I also noticed a change in soundtrack during the battle with Gertrude. It was a more subdued orchestral version of Magia that took the punch out of the original version. A lot of the battle soundtracks are like that, strangely enough,

If anyone is wondering if they should try watching the movie instead of the series, I recommend the series. It packs the full punch of the story.

To be honest, I’m a little worried that the third movie coming out will undo the power of the series. It’s a new story and I’m not sure where it can go. Hopefully, those doubts will be unfounded. If these movies are an alternate timeline, then that could be interesting.

I really wanted to put a link to the trailer here, but I don’t want to spoil anything for anyone who hasn’t seen the series yet. So, have a staring Kyubey instead.