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So I decided to watch the original series from the '60s, which is relevant for being not only the first Majokko/Magical girl anime, but also the first shoujo anime. It was alright, save for the uncomfortable "Cowboy vs Indians" game played by the Hanamura triplets; I probably would have watched more had the whole series been subbed, but unfortunately episodes 8-41, and 49-109 are missing subtitles (this is annoyingly common with children's and older anime). As it's unlikely this series will ever be completely subbed, I decided to cut my losses and dropped it after episode 7.

I wanted to add it to my list on ... Letterboxd, and that's how I found this short film. Naturally, I immediately watched it. Released during the airing of Mahoutsukai Sally 2, the '80s reboot, this film tells a self-contained story about Sally and friends saving spring by visiting the fairy world. It has some cute moments, but nothing really grabbed me. The most noteworthy thing about this is the fact Sumire is voiced by Hisakawa Aya, whom you'll recognise for voicing Sailor Mercury, Keroberos, and Cure Moonlight (I only just found out she also voiced Hassan in Garzey's Wing. I didn't know that before because I've only watched it dubbed... Garzey's Wing is probably the only anime I prefer dubbed).

Maybe I'll watch the '80s series someday, and if the subtitle gods grant us their blessings maybe I'll give the original another go, but for now this is where my short walk with Sally ends.

...

Also, that OP lowkey slaps.

I missed the Hug tto! cures, so seeing them again is an obvious plus. The best part of the movie would be when they're on the volcano planet, when Ruru kicks Harry. The worst part... the entire third act, especially after the whole surprise-twist-villain-with-no-foreshadowing (an inane trope that I could do without). The main thing carrying this movie, preventing it from being a complete dumpster fire, are the cures themselves and all their character interactions – which is to be expected because Precure generally has a good track record in that area (except Dokidoki) – but as previously evidenced in Haru no Carnival, that isn't ... enough to save a movie that absolutely fails miserably in every other way. Now, this isn't 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 bad, at least, but it's definitely one of the weaker Precure crossovers. On the bright side, we do get some great lesbian moments with Cure Macaron and Cure Chocolat...

This was a pleasant re-watch.

Cardcaptor Sakura is my favourite Magical Girl anime; I think by now I’ve seen enough of the genre to say that with confidence. The show exudes optimism without ever feeling overbearing, and it’s world is brightened by a lovable cast of characters. I love the setting, the music, the characters, and of course I love the titular Cardcaptor, Sakura, too.

While the first movie felt a little unnecessary, the sequel is exactly what a Cardcaptor Sakura movie needed to be, and the ending made me smile from ear to ear. The antagonist was somewhat disappointing, but she’s still much better than that ... forgettable witch from the first movie. I didn’t like either of these films as much as the series, but this was still fun.

My ratings are:
Cardcaptor Sakura – 10/10
Cardcaptor Sakura: The Movie – 6/10
Cardcaptor Sakura: The Sealed Card – 10/10
Leave it to Kero! – 6/10
You’re Wonderful, Sakura-chan! Tomoyo’s Cardcaptor Sakura Video Diary! – 6/10

Alas, my stay in Tomoeda has come to an end. I’m going to miss Yamazaki’s detailed lies.

This review was written on 2021/09/18.

A love letter to fandom and nostalgia; this is a film for anyone who's ever been a fan of anything. It hit especially hard for me given I had just completed the entirety of Ojamajo Doremi prior to watching this, and the last episode of Dokkaan! is still fresh in my mind.

While I do like this film, I don't love it. Visually, I find it's a bit lacklustre for a theatrical film, especially when looking at characters in the backgrounds. That said, I do appreciate the use of music from the show. That made me smile.

You don't need to see the show before watching this, ... though I would still recommend doing so anyway because it's just a damn good show (it's a serious contender for best magical girl anime).

This review was written on 2021/11/20.

And so, my re-watch comes to a close. I don’t know where to begin... My heart aches, but it feels so full. I just HAVE to say something about this, even if ultimately I don’t have much to say, but it’ll be difficult keeping everything coherent as my brain desperately scrambles to put all the words in place - even finding the right words to use is hard. I’ll try my best.

K-ON! The Movie is the last hurrah for the series, and it is every bit as spectacular as the TV series that preceded it. Nearing graduation, the girls decide to go on a trip ... abroad, and thanks to divine intervention from Ton-chan, it’s decided they’ll go to London. The trip to London is fun and all, but that’s secondary to the true intent of the senior club members – to make the best gift they possibly can for their junior, Azusa. Over the course of the film, Yui, Ritsu, Mio, and Mugi all work hard and put all the love they can into their farewell song, the same song that was performed at the end of K-ON!! episode 24.

I’m certainly not the first to notice this, but the songs become increasingly more personal and intimate over the course of the film, each performance holding greater emotional weight than the last. Houkago Tea Time’s first performance in the film is Curry Nochi Rice, a fast paced song which they spontaneously decided to play when mistaken for Love Crisis. Their second performance is Gohan wa Okazu at the fair, which may be their most fun song, but this time they had more time for planning and preparation; Yui improvises an encore. Then there’s U&I, which they play in their classroom. This song is full of Yui’s gratitude towards her reliable younger sister, Ui. Finally, there’s the seniors performance of Tenshi ni Fureta yo! for Azusa; this is their most intimate song, full of all their love, gratitude, and appreciation of her (and by extension, of us, the audience). This is it. This is the moment the film, and series as a whole, has been building up to. I don’t even need to say this, because it’s obvious, but I cried. A lot.

The scene in this film that stands out most to me is the rooftop scene, right when the seniors prepare for what’s about to come. The moment when they all run and yell out at the top of their lungs is, in my opinion, one of the greatest moments in the history of cinema. It’s just… beautiful. It’s on par with the hallway running at the end of K-ON!! episode 26.

K-ON! is easily the most life-affirming thing I’ve seen. That’s really all I can say. I’m not articulate enough to put into words everything I’m feeling, and there are much more talented writers who’ve already praised the series better than I ever could. I just wanted to put something here because K-ON! is my all-time favourite thing ever, and I’ve yet to see anything come close to it. Nothing can make me as happy nor as sad as K-ON! can. It’s the go-to series for when I feel I need to brighten my day, and it’s the go-to series for when I feel I need to cry.

My ratings are:
K-ON! - 10/10
K-ON!: Live House! - 10/10
K-ON!! - 10/10
K-ON!!: Keikaku! - 8/10
K-ON! The Movie - 10/10

To close this “review” – if it could be called that – I’ll add that the song U&I basically puts into words how I feel about the series as a whole.

I would like to give you every ounce of my gratitude
And send it to you through this song
This is a feeling I will never, ever forget
–U&I

Fair warning, this review isn't going to be that good because it's pretty rushed.

So, this is the first and only Pharrell song I've consciously made an effort to listen to. As expected, I didn't like it. It's just not my type of music. However, I'm not here to review the song, but rather the animated music video that accompanies it - that, I did like.

The art was pretty diverse: sometimes looking like a simplistic but cute anime, other times taking a more avant-garde approach with the rotoscope Pharrell, and there were gorgeous 16-bit moments. The character designs were adorable and each of the girls stood ... out. The animation was fluid too. This video has such a torrent of beautiful images, it's just a shame the music isn't even close in quality.

Considering this is a music video, some may not expect much in the way of story or characters. I feel this is ridiculous because I have seen music videos that do a great job of both... but this isn't one of those. There isn't really a story here, it's just a video of a group of cute girls having fun and Pharrell sings to one of them. That's fine though. Music videos don't need to have good stories, but it is always appreciated when they do.

In conclusion, I didn't like the music but loved the music video. Would I recommend it? Yes, especially for those who either love more creative music videos or love endearing lolis... or for fans of both, like me. Thank you for reading.