My Top 10 of 2010

Where did 2010 go? Seriously, where did it go? Anyway, as the year draws to an end, many lists start popping up all over the place. And I love lists! So, while I go search for where 2010 went, you can read my top 10 list of memorable events from TV, movies and Broadway from 2010!

10. Bebe Neuwirth and Nathan Lane at the Tony Awards. Months later, when I’m still trying to remember who won all the awards, I still remember these two. They came out and had a series of jokes that were quite funny before revealing they were presenting the awards for Best Actor and Actress in a Musical, the very categories in which they were snubbed. Their reactions were even more memorable. Bravo to the two!

9. Betty White’s Snickers Commercial. I am not a big sports fan. You can ask my former co-workers who teased me mercilessly when I confused rules and terms. So, I am one of the hundreds who watch the Super Bowl for the commercials. And I loved the Snickers commercial that saw Betty White running around on muddy field and insulting the other players.

8. “Nothing Suits Me Like a Suit” from How I Met Your Mother. For the show’s 100th episode, the creatives finally let Neil Patrick Harris have a song of his own. When Barney is given an ultimatum—lose the suits or lose the girl—he sings this song about how much he loves his suits. Ted, Robin, Marshall and Lily even get involved as well. Great song, great sequence.

7. Tangled and Toy Story 3. Of course, I love everything Disney. Well, most things Disney. I can admit that I hated the fact that they took over “Doug” and ruined everything. But, I loved Tangled. Rapunzel and Flynn were great heroes to root for and Mother Gothel has to be one of Disney’s cruelest villains. And Toy Story 3 was a great addition to the series and nearly made me cry. Long live Woody and Buzz!

6. Neil Patrick Harris as Bryan Ryan on “Glee”. Glee’s premiere season was awesome. For a new show, it managed to secure some great guest stars—Josh Groban, Eve, Kristin Chenoweth, etc. But in an Emmy-winning turn, Neil Patrick Harris starred as Bryan Ryan, a former member of the Glee club and rival to Matthew Morrison’s Will Shuester. Their duet of “Dream On” was a highlight. Bravo!

5. Ann wins “America’s Next Top Model”. She limbered into the competition as one of the tallest models in the most recent cycle. She took best photo a record breaking 5 weeks in a row. Sure, she wasn’t the best runway nor the best commercial, but Tyra was focusing on Vogue this year. And Ann won one for the awkward girls!

4. Jane Lynch recreating Madonna’s “Vogue” video. Glee knew this was so epic, they released it ahead of the episode. It was a shot-by-shot remake of Madonna’s video and proved that Jane Lynch could hold her own with the other cast members. I half-expected Benny Ninja to actually show up as well! And extra points for all of Sue’s shots at Will’s hair.

3. Brandy is eliminated from “Dancing With the Stars.” In the first results show, hosts Tom Bergeron and Brooke Burke teased that there was a surprise elimination that night. But the real surprise came during the semi-finals result show when Brandy and her partner Maks was eliminated from the program. Derek Hough’s face said it all—he did not hide his surprise. Both Lacey and Jennifer Grey also did not applaud for Bristol’s safety. While many believed every Republican and Tea Party member was voting for Bristol, I think Maks was the pair’s ultimate downfall as his teaching methods had been called into question and he argued with judge Carrie Ann Inuba.

2. “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1”. Probably one of the year’s most anticipated movies, Harry Potter’s seventh film delivered. It set up part two and kept viewers on the edge of their seats. Bring on July!

1. David Tennant Passes the Torch to Matt Smith. Okay, I’m a big Doctor Who geek. And the “End of Time Part II” is still with me, despite airing on Jan. 2 of this past year. While it had a good plot with the possible return of the Time Lords and excellent performances by John Sims and Timothy Dalton, it was really a good-bye to David Tennant. He visited past companions and some special guests (though I would’ve liked one more appearance from either Dr. Ida Scott or Jenny) and then regenerated into Smith, who has been doing a wonderful job as the Eleventh Doctor.

Honorable mentions:

“Memphis” wins Best Musical. This musical had music from Bon Jovi’s David Bryant and was up against a musical filled with music from Green Day. But the story of a radio DJ who integrated the airwaves in Memphis and put colored music (Rock and Roll) in the center of the dial won the Tony voters. And my family.

Paul Byrom leaves Celtic Thunder. While this wasn’t an earthshaking moment nor even one that made the mainline news, it was still an important event. Celtic Thunder is very popular here in the United States and Paul has a lot of fans—myself included. While I am certain the group will continue, it will be interesting to hear how their sound changes. And I wish Paul all the luck in the world on his solo career.

The Chilean Miners are rescued. For months, the fate of these men was world news. They were stuck underground, trapped but alive. And the government was racing to get them back to the surface. Their predictions said they could free the miners in time for New Year’s and they kept the miners alive with assists from NASA. Then in October came the word that they were able to bring up the miners sooner than expected. As every news station broadcast, the first miner was lifted to the surface and embraced by his son. The rescuers sang the Chilean national anthem. Thirty-six hours later, all miners were rescued. Since then, one has ran in the New York City Marathon and all have been invited to Walt Disney World. It was the feel good story of the year and only made the honorable mention because I needed another countdown to remind me of it. And this is the list of things that made 2010 memorable to me.

So, that’s my list. Agree? Disagree? Find 2010? Share!

Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon: The Special Act

WARNING: SPOILERS DEAD AHEAD! This is more of a running commentary rather than a review. So, you are warned for SPOILERS!

In a voice over, Usagi tells the audience that it has been four years since the end of the series proper. Everyone has moved on with their lives, even though they should just be entering the adult world. Ami has gone to the English speaking world to become a doctor, the youngest ever (if you don’t count one Dr. Doogie Howser, I guess). Rei has fled society and is strengthening her priestess powers in the mountains. Minako is still a recording star and at the start of the show, is in England where she receives an award. Makoto calls Usagi, who tells us that she is working on opening a flower arrangement business. We see her at home, a turtle pillow on her couch—touches of Motoki-kun. We are told that Makoto is making the bouquet for Usagi’s wedding—to Mamoru, of course! Usagi rushes out to meet him, leaving a half cooked breakfast behind for her mother and Luna, who is in human form. No explanation for how human Luna came to be in the Tsukino household is ever given.

Usagi and Mamoru run around Tokyo, preparing for their wedding. Mamoru looks less than thrilled as Usagi tries to involve him in many of the preparations. When he tries to just go with whatever she wants, Usagi gets mad and calls Makoto. She tries to convince Usagi not to call off the wedding as a waiter delivers a giant chocolate dessert. Usagi barely takes a bit when she rushes off, claiming her stomach hurt. So…either that is the worse dessert ever or someone’s pregnant! Outside, Motoki tries to convince Mamoru to apologize. He doesn’t understand why she’s so crazy and why they have to go through all this hoopla. And guess who overhears this? You guessed it—Usagi! She calls the wedding off.

That night, Luna in cat form talks to Queen Serenity. At this point, I kept yelling “Where the hell were YOU during the series?” Queen Serenity is clearly played by the same actress who plays Usagi, just with a different voice. She tells Luna not to worry about Usagi and Mamoru’s fight, but to worry because something bad is coming. Oh, and the Sailor Scouts can’t transform because the Mystical Silver Crystal was destroyed.

But seriously, why does it take the Special Act for Queen Serenity to show up? In the anime, she plays a very big part—especially in the earlier seasons. Why would she not provide some guidance in the series proper? Especially when Usagi was having such struggles with the Mystic Silver Crystal? And why is Luna contacting her over a matter that has nothing to do with the past? I guess we had to get our “Beware—DOOM AHEAD” warning somewhere.

Anyway, the warning comes not a moment too soon. A mysterious beam of light lands behind some…wood…and glows ominously. Luna, in Sailor Luna form (I guess she can still transform), goes to investigate. She ends up in a place familiar to those who saw the show—it is the place where Sailor Dark Mercury is revealed for the first time. As the camera pans all around and scary music plays, Luna is surprised to find Rei there. She had sensed something and come back to Tokyo. She pulls off her coat to reveal her priestess robes. But they cannot stop whatever the force is as a battered Luna returns to Usagi.

Usagi worries as she bandages Luna up and Rei lays bandaged in a hospital. Meanwhile, the force finally takes form. And it’s Mio from the last series! She’s back and she wants to be queen. She goes to the amusement park often seen in the series that’s now deserted and sets up her own castle. Her child-like qualities are emphasized more here. She sets up a castle full of oversized toys, carrying a stuff dog around with her. Her minions? The Insane Clown Posse. Which she unleashes on the unsuspecting populace, who don’t run in fear because…well, it’s clowns!

Then they start getting their energy drains and people think: “Not this again!” and run amok. Usagi decides to stand and fight, but Tuxedo Kamen comes to her rescue. He tells her to run, but she’s stubborn. And then the Four Generals show up. As you all remember, they promised to be faithful to Mamoru and help him when he needed it. But they soon reveal that they are working for Mio. They capture both Mamoru and Usagi, bringing them before Mio. She declares that she is now queen of the earth, but she’s missing something. My vote? Oh, no, she’s missing a king. Guess who she picks?

And if you said “Usagi,” please note this is not a hentai.

Mio throws Mamoru and Usagi in jail, where they are still not talking to each other. Usagi’s stomach growls but she yells at Mamoru.

Meanwhile, the other Senshi feel Usagi’s capture. Ami runs out of the hospital she is working in as her English speaking colleague gives the worst line reading ever. Makoto just runs out on Motoki while Minako orders her limo driver to take her to the airport. He pulls off an impressive U-ey before heading back through the tunnel. Back in Tokyo, Queen Serenity comes back to reveal that she has sent down a powerful sword to help with the battle.

And once again, where was this during the series proper? This would’ve helped a lot when the Sailor Senshi couldn’t use the Mystic Silver Crystal. Anyway, Queen Serenity says they have to find it and only when all the Senshi are together will they be able to use it. So, Makoto goes to try and locate it with Luna. But the Insane Clown Posse blocks their path. And not just their paths! Minako has to fight the ICP as well while they scare off Ami’s taxi driver. But the Insane Clown Posse doesn’t scare Ami, who puts her license in the holder and drives through the clowns. As they fight their way to Makoto’s side, she tries to pull the sword from the stone. But she fails, so Makoto won’t be the king of England.

Minako and Ami show up. They join Makoto in trying to pull the sword out as a hole lets Rei help from her hospital bed. And they pull it out! Yay!

Meanwhile, we return to Mio’s Playhouse, where she is dressed like Tim Burton’s bride. The Generals come for Mamoru, who argues with Usagi. As he distracts the Generals, he pushes Usagi out and tells her as long as one gets out, she can get help. She winds back up at the amusement park by…magic? We’ll go with magic. Anyway, as she tries to figure out how to get out of the handcuffs, she finds that Mamoru snuck her engagement ring into her pocket. She takes that to mean she’s forgiven or something and gets all wistful as we dissolve to…

Mamoru and Usagi leaning against his motorcycle and watching the ocean. Judging by the sepia tones, I’m guessing this is a flashback. Mamoru puts something in Usagi’s hand and walks off. She opens her hand to see a ring in it. That was the proposal? It sucked! He didn’t say anything nor did he get down on one knee. Jeez, Usagi should’ve demanded more.

Anyway, we cut back to Usagi walking along without the handcuffs on. I guess she got them off using…magic? We’ll go with magic. She’s determined to rescue Mamoru from Mio’s grasp. Back at Castle Creepy, the Generals bring Mamoru to Mio. He is resistant until she places him in a spell that makes him obedient. They proceed to an altar and exchange vows. Usagi bursts in, determined to win her man back. There is a battle where it is revealed that ohmigod Mamoru isn’t really under Mio’s spell. They run off, leaving Mio to take out her frustrations on her cute stuffed dog.

Usagi and Mamoru return to the amusement park by…magic? I’m going to go with magic. The Generals follow but ohmigod there are duplicate Generals. It would seem that the Generals were NOT brainwashed into being Mio’s servants and have returned to help Mamoru like they promised. They fight the duplicate Generals, who sound like the putties from Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers. They transform into members of the Insane Clown Posse before the Generals easily defeat them. Mio shows up and pitches a temper tantrum, turning into the Audrey II’s mutant cousin. It seems hopeless until…

…Makoto, Minako and Ami show up with Excalibur! They announce that for today only, they can transform into the Sailor Senshi. By the power of deus ex machina, they transform and fight off the Audrey II. And yes, the Sailor Senshi still have those ridiculous tambourines. But the Audrey II is easily defeated and I can’t help but feel a little let down. I know there is only so much time, but for a Sailor Moon follow up, the final battle is pretty lame.

Anyway, it turns to night as the girls lose their powers. The Generals just kinda leave while the girls ask Usagi if there’s still a wedding. She pauses before saying that there is! Yay? Mamoru is thrown in for a hug and everyone celebrates!

We cut to a church as a bell rings. The doors open and everyone throws confetti as Mamoru and Usagi leave the church. They bow to those present, who include everyone we’ve come to know—Mama, Makoto, Minako, Ami, Rei, Naru, Luna and Motoki. We even get to see Usagi’s father as he tries to operate a video camera. But no sign of Shingo. What? They couldn’t get the actor back? The Generals are also there, acknowledging they are pleased for their master before disappearing.

The girls all gather together in hopes of catching the bouquet. Luna, Naru and some of Usagi’s old school chums are quite eager to do so. Minako and Rei seem excited but pretend not to be. Ami and Makoto just watch in amusement. Usagi tosses the bouquet and it sails over everyone to be caught by…Motoki. The others look on in shock before he rushes over to Makoto to propose. She accepts and everyone celebrates.

Mamoru revs up the motorcycle and Usagi pulls off her skirt to reveal a shorter dress underneath. She gets on behind Mamoru, waves good-bye and they take off. As they ride down the road, the theme song plays in full. They pass Minako in her limo, Ami walking along the beach, Makoto and Motoki and Rei…dies? I don’t know, she disappears into white light.

And that’s it.

As a follow-up, it’s a nice bit of “Look, everyone is doing well!” As a Sailor Moon entry, it lacks the excitement of the episodes. But I’m going to chalk that up to “too much to cover, not enough time allotted.”

She is the One…Sailor Moon!

And so we come to the end of our comparison. It is hard to declare one superior over the other. The anime is just for fun. It is your average monster of the week, heroic band of friends save the day and maybe learn a lesson along the way. The live action series was more serious and not meant for such light fare. It offered more character development than the series.

If you watched the anime, I advise watching the live action series. There are subtitled episodes up on YouTube.

And thanks for reading!

The Last Laugh

Last week on “I’d Do Anything”: The girls continued to perform and the judges got harsher. And then they had a fight mission with John Barrowman. The Oliver’s were sent to school—Victorian style. While Laurence was put through to the finals, Ashley and Niamh fell into the bottom two. In the end, Andrew finally sent Ashley packing. Who won’t be making the semi-finals? Find out tonight!

Graham suit watch: Red suit and green shirt. He welcomes the panel, the band, the fans and Andrew to the (not-so) live show. The remaining Nancy’s open with “Consider Yourself” with the Oliver’s. Graham welcomes the audience and says some familiar faces are back to perform with the Nancy’s—some of the Josephs are back! (Keith, Rob, Ben, Daniel and Lewis). Graham introduces the judges: John Barrowman, Denise van Outen and Barry Humphries. And, of course, Andrew Lloyd Webber—now even the Oliver’s bow before him. Graham introduces a package that is pretty much summed up this way: “(Insert Candidate) will be Nancy.” Andrew says he’s worried as he can’t see a front-runner and highlights each girl’s positives and negatives.

Our first Nancy tonight is Jodie. Andrew wants to see Jodie choreographed. So she gets a dance. We see a news segment about Blackpool’s show of support for Jodie, complete with the drag queens! Jodie sings “Holding Out for a Hero.” Since you can’t buy Jennifer Saunders’ version from “Shrek 2” off iTunes, Jodie’s was the version on my iPod. And this is what they call choreography? I found some old clips from Grease: You’re the One That I Want and those contestants were choreographed. I mean, I guess it didn’t hurt that one of the judges was Kathleen Marshall, a well-known choreographer, but those contestants could dance. I can’t see Jodie holding her own against Broadway choreography.

Jodie says she wants to go to the Blackpool Tower and shout her thank you’s. Graham comments that it’s a lot of stairs. John thinks that Jodie could be in the semi-finals. Barry calls her performance “warm and mature.” Barry says she’s been around the block a bit, like Nancy and John. Denise liked her performance as well. Andrew didn’t particularly care for her choreography while John declares his love for big girls. That…wasn’t what Andrew said, John. Or did you stop listening after the meatloaf comment?

Coming Up: Rachel doesn’t impress.

Next up is Rachel. She wasn’t too thrilled to be called an understudy and wants to prove she can be a leading lady. She said it’s up to the public. So they sent a camera crew out to interview some theatergoers and Rachel gets to watch all the positive ones. And she’s touched. She sings “I Will Always Love You”—Whitney Houston version. Poor Dolly Parton, she wrote and originally sang the song, you know. There seems to be a lot of top notes she can’t reach, though she nails the famous section of the song. Her eyes are partially closed, blocking any emotions from shining forth. That last close up was best, eyes slightly tearing.

Barry says Rachel was almost a leading lady but was still unmoved as one man boos. John disagrees and calls her a leading lady. Denise wants Rachel to be in the semi-final but calls her guarded. But she knows Rachel will correct it. Andrew gives Dolly Parton credit and says Rachel communicated the emotion behind the lyrics. He tells her to just be Rachel.

Coming up: Samantha defies gravity.

The third Nancy is Samantha. She was happy with her comments. And since she’s singing  a song from Wicked, she gets to meet Idina Menzel—the original Elphaba. She sings for Idina and cries about meeting her. Idina gives her some notes before hugging her. Samantha sings “Defying Gravity.” I like how they had to get her color on her, so they make her wear this random blue bracelet that makes it look like she had to tape up her wrist due to an injury. Is Andrew spazzing out over there? Aside from that, it was an awesome performance.

Graham notes that the Oliver’s gave her a standing ovation. John says that Samantha proved she could be a leading lady, praising her confidence. Barry asks for some more. He praises her singing. Denise says Samantha does attitude with warmth and suggest Rachel take a page from Samantha’s book. Andrew praises Samantha’s choices and voice. He also calls her the best mover.

Coming Up: Oliver’s!

Graham reminds us that former Josephs are back to perform with the Nancy’s. The girls are: “BOYS!” Graham says that next week, the three winning Oliver’s will be crowned. But one more boy will be put into the running. For this week’s mission, the boys will perform the scene where Oliver meets the Artful Dodger as Denise watches them. They bring in one of the Gavroches of the West End production of “Les Miserables” to play the Dodger. He praises all the Oliver’s. Cameron and Denise now have to pick the last boy through. Jonny is put through. Graham holds on to his cap. And he asks who Jonny thinks will win. Jonny says Jessie. Graham focuses on Sam, Joseph, Gareth and Jordan—the Oliver’s who weren’t put through. They get a bow before all the Oliver’s perform S Club 7’s “Reach”. Hey, was that Keisha and Sarah in the audience?

Looks like I could finally use the strikethrough option with the Oliver’s.

Could Be Oliver:

Gareth

Jordan

Harry

Joseph

Sam

Chester

Arthur

Gwion

Kwayedza

Alexander

Jonny

Laurence

Coming Up: Jessie is told to be Jessie.

Going back to the Nancy’s, Jessie is up next. Jessie says the last show wasn’t so good. Jessie says she’s dedicating her song to her baby sister Lily and missed her birthday. And she wasn’t kidding about baby sister—Lily’s a toddler! Jessie’s mom says one parent goes to London for the show while the other stays with the baby. Jessie sings “How Will I Live.” It’s a great version of the song and I can understand every word of it. Good job with the diction, Jessie! Looks like this week’s was mom’s turn to come down!

Graham goes to the panel. John says he didn’t hear the lilt and likes his vocal, but explains her performance as vanilla. He calls her inconsistent. Denise disagrees with John but says her movements aren’t feminine. But Denise isn’t concerned—Nancy could’ve been a tomboy. Barry tells her not to crumble when she gets negative comments and to just trust in herself. Andrew compares Jessie to Judy Garland and her daughter Liza Minnelli. He thinks “As Long As He Needs Me” is in Jessie’s comfort zone.

Coming Up: Niamh has an awesome surprised face.

Our last Nancy is Niamh. Niamh is upset with hearing the word “fragile.” Niamh is grateful she’s been saved twice. To prove she’s not fragile, she goes to practice with a rugby team. She tries to take someone down, and ends up just getting a piggyback ride. Niamh sings “Don’t Speak.” Is it the lighting or is Niamh’s hair darker this week? Oh, it was the lighting. While it’s a good vocal…I’m not entirely sure what emotion she’s aiming for? Sad? Angry? Something?

Denise doesn’t think Niamh wasn’t feisty, she was more of a teenager having a tantrum. She thinks Niamh might be better for Bet, Nancy’s friend. John didn’t like Niamh’s performance and didn’t think it would register in the back of the house. Barry thinks Niamh was gritty but thinks the boys will be like giants next to the petite and lithe Niamh. Andrew agrees with the panel and says he’s not sure if Niamh is ready right now to do eight shows a week.

Coming Up: Bring on the men!

Graham introduces a package where the girls explain their week. We start on Saturday with the (not-so) live show and the result show (which is taped after midnight, when the phones close). Sunday—They practice their songs. Monday—Sex and the City premiere. Tuesday—Practice…And then the Josephs enter. Wednesday—Nancy Mission day. Thursday—Practice with the Oliver’s. Friday—Wardrobe! And back to Saturday—Rehearsal. And there are the Josephs. They perform “Dancing in the Streets.” The pairs are: Niamh and Keith, Ben and Samantha, Daniel and Rachel, Lewis and Jodie, and Jessie and Rob. I miss these guys…and their voices.

Coming Up: Choir of Adorable.

We’re at the results show! Graham is wearing a mint green suit with a brown shirt. The Nancy’s sing “Consider Yourself” again. Graham says it’s down to “Young” Nancy’s vs “Older” Nancy’s. He then goes into a recap of the performances. We come back to Graham sitting with the Nancy’s. He asks Niamh and Jessie about their strength comments. Niamh says they are actresses and they have the strength, which Jessie agrees. Niamh also apologizes to Barry as she can’t grow any taller. They remind us of the final Oliver’s. And wouldn’t you know it? They all really, really want to be Oliver. And this leads to us learning more about Jonny. He’s 13, plays the drums and wants to be Oliver.

The Choir of Adorable is now just eight and they sing “I Have a Dream” by ABBA.

Coming Up: Rachel is joke killer.

Graham says that Nancy is a girl who likes a laugh. So this week’s Nancy Mission meets two comedians. The Nancy’s will be telling jokes. Niamh says her motto is “When all else fails pull up your dress”. Rachel gets the wrong Jaws mood. Next, the girls had to perform a scene from “Lifecoach.” They liked Jodie’s ability to be the character while they loved Rachel’s naturalness and confusion. We come back to the girls performing “Gonna Wash That Man Outta My Hair” from “South Pacific.” Barry says Jessie stood out for him. Denise picks Samantha. John picks Jodie. Andrew says he was hoping the girls would really wash their hair—Mary Martin did! Andrew says he won’t single out one…and then singles out Jodie.

The Nancy’s then pick who they think should leave:

Niamh: Jessie

Jessie: Niamh

Jodie: Niamh

Rachel: Samantha

Samantha: Rachel

Now it’s the panel’s turn. John: Jessie. Denise: Niamh. Barry: Niamh.

Coming Up: The results!

We come back to Graham, who reveals who is safe and who isn’t. Samantha could still be Nancy. She leaves the stage. Jodie is also safe and leaves the stage. Niamh is in the sing off and joins Graham. That leaves Rachel and Jessie, who step down. Jessie could still be Nancy and takes a moment to realize that. She runs off the stage as Rachel joins Niamh in the sing off. If it were down to the viewers alone, Niamh would be eliminated right then and there. But Andrew could save her again. The two must now sing “Another Suitcase in Another Hall” from “Evita.” He calls the lyrics “Tim Rice’s best” and wants to hear them.

Denise gives the girls a standing ovation. Both performed the song well. This is a difficult decision—my favorite Nancy’s facing off. Good luck, Andrew. He chooses to save Rachel. Niamh hugs her before Rachel joins the others. Graham tries to comfort Niamh and asks her what she’ll walk away with it. Niamh thanks everyone and says she’s a changed person. Andrew says Niamh still needs a few years to mature and thinks she’ll be up for a major role when she’s older. Like one in your own production, Andrew?

The final four Nancy’s sing “Be Back Soon” before Niamh sings “As Long As He Needs Me.” After Rachel takes off her locket, we see a close up of Niamh’s sister before she finishes the song. Niamh’s family cries as we fade out.

Next week: Rachel delivers, Jessie has to suffer through A Chorus Line’s 11 o’clock number, Samantha gets another Stephen Schwartz song and Jodie makes Denise want to give her a hug.

Could Still Be Nancy:

Amy

Keisha

Cleo

Sarah

Rachel

Jodie

Samantha

Ashley

Jessie

Francesca

Niamh

Tara

Sorry to see Niamh go. I loved her look and voice. Fortunately, I got the Love Never Dies CD for Christmas, which features Niamh as Fleck. Semi-finals next week! Do you like the final four?

Quote of the Episode:

“It’s telly. We can do what we like.” –Graham

The Princess Diaries: Glee Edition?

Playbill Online is reporting that a Princess Diaries reunion may take place on the popular show. It seems both Julie Andrews and Anne Hathaway are rumored to be joining the show. According to the UK Daily Express, Andrews is being considered for the role of Kurt’s grandmother. Hathaway, meanwhile, is being offered the role of Kurt’s aunt according to the newspaper.

While this would be wonderful, I hesitate to believe this is real. When promoting her new movie “Love and Other Drugs,” Hathaway mentioned to one of the late night hosts that she would love to be on Glee. She had even scripted a role for herself. She imagined herself as Kurt’s long lost aunt, his mother’s sister. Who just so happened to be gay herself! She would help her nephew with his journey.

So, while this would be awesome, it is wise to take it with a grain of salt.

The Generals

Queen Beryl is served by four generals—Jedite, Nephrite, Zoicite and Kunzite. They used to be Endymion’s generals as well.

APPEARANCE

Anime: Jedite is blonde hair and blue-eyed. Nephrite has long brown hair. Kunzite has long white hair and blue eyes. Zoicite has long blonde hair and is a girl. It is important to stress that ONLY in the Western dub does Zoicite show up as a woman. The reason will be explained in the relationships section. All wear a gray suit with red trim, white gloves and black boots.

Live action: Jedite is blonde hair and blue-eyed, wearing the gray uniform, white gloves and black boots of the anime. Nephrite has red hair, in spikes, and wears a red uniform with a cape. Zoicite has long white hair and wears a white soldier’s uniform, complete with gloves. Kunzite has long black hair and his uniform is more of a traditional samurai’s.

Both Nephrite and Kunzite appear in the regular world looking like regular Japanese people.

POWERS

Anime: All the generals have the basic powers of creating monsters, stealing people’s energy and zapping. Zoicite also has a crystal that allows her to take the presence of the Rainbow Crystals and, by extension, the shadow monsters.

Live action: The generals have similar powers to their anime counterparts. However, some have more powers beyond this. Zoicite is a talented pianist and uses this to try and restore the Generals’ memories as well as Endymion’s. Kunzite also shows some magical powers as well—he is the one who turns Sailor Mercury evil.

PERSONALITY AND RELATIONSHIPS

Anime: Not much, they were evil minions. As Molly and Maxwell Stanton (Nephrite in disguise) grew closer, he did grow more human. He learned to care for someone else. In the end, he sacrificed himself for her and died happy. When they first appeared, both Zoicite and Kunzite served to antagonize the other generals. When they became the main generals, it was clear that while they wanted to get ahead, they had a bond. And here is why Zoicite suddenly became a girl. Zoicite and Kunzite were romantically involved. And we can’t have a same sex pair on TV in a show aimed for children.

And that is why Sailor Stars will NEVER air here in America.

Live action: Jedite is the minion who would follow Queen Beryl to the ends of the earth if need be. He also seems to be the youngest of the generals and admires the others. He is quiet but determined. Nephrite is the most volatile general. He is quick to anger and to lash out. He is more of a lone wolf but cannot stand to be seen less than worthy. He does come to rely on Motoki and Ami, showing feelings for the latter. Zoicite is the most peaceful of the four. He is more interested in playing his music than destruction. He focuses on Mamoru as his master and is the most loyal to him. He is the most merciful of the four as well.

Kunzite is the most treacherous. He has no loyalties to Beryl or Endymion, especially as he blames the latter for the destruction of Earth. In flashbacks, it shows that he was the closest to Endymion and cared for the others like brothers (though the fact that his memories of the destruction always feature a close up on a dead Zoicite doesn’t help considering their relationship in the anime). In the end, he sacrifices himself to break free of Beryl’s control but returns to Endymion’s service.

PLOT CHANGES

Well, the fact that the generals can’t die is certainly different from the anime where three out of the four do. (Jedite is only encased in ice. He could conceivably come back). The romance with Naru is cut from the live action series, though Nephrite does have moments with Ami. Kunzite and Zoicite’s relationship is completely written out as well.

Enter the Baddie!

There are no superheroes without villains, so let’s examine Sailor Moon’s—Queen Beryl.

APPEARANCE

Anime: Beryl is a tall woman with vibrant red hair. She has very pale skin, very white. She also wears a beautiful purple dress and a crown. She has long red nails that look like they could do some serious damage if she wanted to.

Live-action: Beryl…looks the same as she does in the anime. Though as a straight woman, even I noticed how big her breasts were in that dress.

POWERS

Anime: Beryl doesn't show much power throughout the anime, though she does encase Jedite in a case of ice when he fails her one time too many. She has a crystal ball that allows her to see Earth. She can conjure up magic when needed.

Live action: Queen Beryl uses more powers in the series than the anime. She zaps her generals and creates Mio. She also uses magical purple flower petals to do her magic as well and creates the stone that drains Mamoru’s life from him. She also has the ability to control the Generals’ movements, even against their own will.

PERSONALITY

Anime: Beryl is your straightforward villain. She wants to advance the Negaverse and doesn’t care who stands in her way. She will destroy minions who don’t bring her the results she wants and call up another.

Live action: Beryl in this series isn’t so black and white and sadly isn’t give much backstory. It would be interesting to know how she came to be apart of the Negaverse, but she is granted powers by Queen Metaria. She seems more intent on preventing the destruction of the earth as she just wants to rule it. She is manipulative and a harsh mistress. She knows most of the generals are attracted to her and use that to her full advantage. When the generals either grow past her charms or reject them, she uses force to keep them in line.

RELATIONSHIPS

Anime: Not much to say here, just your usual evil overlord (lady)-minion relationship. She does brainwash Endymion to her side, but that’s more of trying to get the upper hand than any true feelings.

Live action: Oh, Beryl. Besides keeping her generals in line with their affection for her, she herself carries a torch for Endymion. Unfortunately, this isn’t explored as much. It is said that Beryl loved Endymion but he rejected her for Serenity. Because Beryl gets the least backstory, it is unknown exactly how this rejection took place. Did Beryl have a relationship with Endymion or did she pine for him from afar? Was she in his social circle or was she a commoner who loved Endymion. Either way, she loved Endymion and forces him to join her in the Negaverse. However, unlike the anime, she doesn’t brainwash him. She does start to drain his life when he keeps returning to Usagi. She wants him to love her on his own, but can’t follow the adage “If you love somebody, let them go.” In the end, Endymion is killed and Beryl goes down with the Negaverse in Serenity’s ensuing rage. By her side, out of loyalty and love, is Jedite.

PLOT CHANGES

The main changes to her plots have already been discussed. I just wished they had expanded more on it because she was more intriguing toward the end, when she wasn’t just your usual “evil overlord (lady) trying to take over the world.”

Queen Beryl (anime)

Queen Beryl (live action)

Bring On the Mentors!

Every good hero team has a mentor, right? The Power Rangers had Zordon initially and every subsequent team has had a mentor of their own—even if Ninja Storm’s was trapped as a talking hamster. Of course, he was a human originally. Here in Sailor Moon, our mentors are talking cats. From the moon!

Okay, maybe I shouldn’t rag on the talking hamster from Ninja Storm.

So, let’s see how Luna and Artemis are!

APPEARANCE

Anime: Luna is a black cat with a crescent moon on her forehead. When we first see her, she is surrounded by young boys trying to place a band aid on her moon, thinking it is a wound. Artemis looks like Luna, only is white.

Live action: Luna appears first as a plush cat that Usagi finds one day. She mostly stays in plush form, though when she is alone with the Senshi, she will talk. In some cases, Luna becomes CGI—especially when she moves. She resembles anime Luna, so it is likely someone took merchandise and used it. Artemis is portrayed in the same way, though not much is seen of his CGI form.

Luna in the live action series also takes human form. She does so to help the Sailor Senshi, becoming a scout herself. When she is in human form, she is but a child. (For those familiar with later episodes of the anime, she probably takes the place of Sailor Mini Moon). She has dark purple hair in pigtails. She wears a yellow skirt with a purple shirt and boots. When she transforms, she gets a poofy yellow skirt on her sailor uniform and cat ears, plus a tail. She uses a cell phone to transform into Sailor Luna. Artemis does not take a human form.

POWERS

Anime: Luna has a few powers, including the ability to produce transformation items from thin air. She can also use something called a Luna Mind Meld to beam information directly into someone’s mind—she mostly does this after the fight with Beryl to remind the girls about their roles as the Sailor Scouts. Artemis, presumably, has the same powers but hardly uses them.

Live action: As a cat, Luna has some of the same powers as her anime counterpart. Artemis shows no powers during the series. As Sailor Luna, her powers revolve around childish things. Her main attack is Sucre Candy Attack. She also uses a giant fan as a weapon.

PERSONALITY

Anime: Luna is the mother of the group. She pretty much has to stay on top of Serena to get her to stay focused. She also is a source of advice. Artemis, while he can be serious, is the more light-hearted of the group. Sometimes, Luna can’t believe how laidback he can be.

Live action: Luna is less strict with Usagi and not so much a mother figure. She is also slightly less informed than her anime counterpart. She takes orders from Sailor Venus, believing her to be the Moon Princess. As a human, she acts much like a child. She is easily distracted and hyper.

RELATIONSHIPS

Anime: Luna lives with Serena and her family. She takes on a motherly role toward Serena, genuinely caring for the girl’s well-being. She also cares about the other girls and seems to be close to Amy, but that may be because the girl not only focuses on being a scout but because she is smart. She also has a romantic relationship with Artemis, who mostly has a relationship with Mina as he lives with her.

Live action: Like the anime, Luna lives with Usagi and her family. Unlike the anime, she takes on less of a mothering role and more of a mentoring one. Even in child form, she has no problem mentoring or chiding Usagi. The same can be said for the other Senshi, with whom she forms a bond with. Once again, she bonds with Ami as well—first over the girl’s search for the princess and second when Ami spends most of her time in their hideout. Artemis hardly interacts with the other girls at all, except to enlist Rei’s help with Minako. With Minako, Artemis serves as primary caregiver and confidante. They both tell each other they love the other as the series winds down.

PLOT CHANGES

The main plot change is of course, the addition of Sailor Luna. I do believe she was added for younger viewers to identify with as the other scouts are listed as 14 (but read more like later teens). Artemis’ main change is, of course, his relationship with Minako.

Luna and Artemis (Anime)

Luna (Live action)

Artemis (Live action)

A Mask, a Cape and a Rose

With our happy five woman band all completed, it’s time to focus on the sixth member of the group—Tuxedo Mask/Kamen. In the anime, he was given the name Darien. He will be called that for the anime while I will use Mamoru for live action. I will also refer to him as Tuxedo Kamen in the live-action sections as well.

APPEARANCE

Anime: Darien is tall with dark black hair and blue eyes. He often wears a black shirt with a green jacket and brown pants. In the beginning, he also wears sunglasses. If he isn’t wearing this, he is usually wearing some button down shirt and nice pants. As for his mode of transformation…he doesn’t seem to have one. He just seems to pull out a mask and the rest follows. He wears a fine black tuxedo with a white shirt. He wears black shoes and white gloves. He also wears a top hat, though has appeared without it. The cape is also sometimes disregarded. He usually announces his presence with a red rose and a cheesy one-liner. His main weapon is a cane.

Live action: Mamoru is tall with dark black hair and dark eyes. He often wears dark clothing, generally shirts and pants. He wears a dark jacket and drives a motorcycle. Like his anime counterpart, Mamoru doesn’t have a manner of transformation. He just pulls a mask out of nowhere. His mask is white with sequins and a purple gem in the middle. His tuxedo is the same, complete with cape, hat and gloves. He once again has a rose as his calling card, a cane for a weapon and a cape that works like a shield. When he becomes Endymion, he wears a white suit with large shoulders. There are poofs on said shoulders and he also wears white gloves.

POWERS

Anime: None, except the power of cheesy one-liners!

Live action: None, except the power of wire-fu. When he’s Endymion, he’s pretty capable with a sword.

PERSONALITY

Anime: Darien is a young man who likes to tease Serena, despite not knowing her. We learn he is smart and older, already in college. He’s kind and sensitive. Eventually, he warms up to Serena and stops teasing her so much. He wishes to be a doctor and is often willing to lend a helping hand. As Tuxedo Mask, he’s an enigma. He pops in, rescues Sailor Moon and pops back out. His motives aren’t exactly clear, except that he’s doing it to find out who he is. When he becomes Endymion in the anime, he becomes evil. He doesn’t care who he takes out, even Serena whom he has fallen in love with.

Live action: Mamoru is a young man who keeps crossing paths with Usagi. Unlike the anime, his taunts seem a bit mean-spirited at first—but he may just be blunt. He slowly grows to tolerate Usagi, then like her and finally finds himself in love with her. His taunts go from blunt observations to genuinely affectionate teasing. As Tuxedo Kamen, he’s a bit of an enigma. However, he’s mostly trying to find the Mystical Silver Crystal. He has no lasting memories and a recurring dream. A shadowed figure asks him for the crystal—and he believes that’ll unlock his mystery. His reason for saving Sailor Moon is out of chivalry. When he learns about his past as Endymion, he is the first to reject the notion that the past life will repeat. He is determined to be with Usagi. He also becomes more authoritative and shows he is still a prince.

RELATIONSHIPS

Anime: Darien is established as an orphan, his parents dying in a car crash. He is only seen with Andrew, who shortly disappears with his own girlfriend Rita. After that, he mostly associates with Serena and her friends. He and Serena become like a married couple rather quickly, which is eerie given that her age is only 14. But he is shown to love her deeply and would sacrifice himself to protect her. The same can be said for Serena as well. Though he dated Rei, he comes to view her more like a little sister. In fact, he comes to have a brotherly-type relationship with all the scouts. Darien is also the one the bad girls will go for as well, in this season’s case—Queen Beryl. She brainwashes him and makes him her servant, showing some sort of lust after him. She is only the first in a long line.

Live action: Mamoru is established as having few memories of his childhood. He is close with Motoki, who is a friend from school. He also forms a friendship with Usagi, but is never seen interacting much with the other girls.

Before Usagi, he does have a girlfriend. Her name is Hina and is a childhood friend of Mamoru’s. He promised to marry her when he was younger and sticks by that promise, no matter that he has fallen in love with Usagi. Finally, Hina realizes that Mamoru no longer loves her and is only marrying her out of duty. Her father, though, had promised to pay for Mamoru’s schooling as long as he married Hina. She isn’t vengeful and arranges for Mamoru to still go abroad to study when she breaks their engagement. She is bitter and sends him abroad to be far away from him. He returns to be with Usagi, vowing to love her and prevent the fate of the past life.

Zoicite reaches out to Mamoru once he realizes the other man is his former master. Mamoru tries to bond with each of his former generals, but succeeds mostly with Zoicite. Nephrite obeys him as well while Kuncite is torn over the betrayal from the past life. Jedite chooses to remain loyal to Queen Beryl until the end of the Negaverse. Mamoru tries to befriend them all, trying to rekindle their brotherhood. He does care for them and in turn, they are loyal to him.

PLOT CHANGES

The introduction of Hina added a new dimension to Mamoru and his relationship with Usagi. It showed us his devotion and that he is trustworthy.

Another change is that while Beryl captures Mamoru, she doesn’t brainwash him. She keeps him with her by threatening the generals and drains his life-force, but he remains faithful to Usagi.

Both of these serve as roadblocks to Usagi and Mamoru’s happiness and add more depth to their storyline.

Darien/Tuxedo Mask

Mamoru/Tuxedo Kamen

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

It’s after 4:00 PM on the east coast, so it’s after 10:00 AM out in Hawaii. I know my family has already ripped open our presents, dove into our stockings and scratched off the lottery tickets (I had the only winner. You should’ve seen my family trying to congratulate me). Shortly, we’ll go over to my Nana’s for more presents, more family and dinner.

But I want to take a minute a remember what Christmas is all about. I don’t often bring religion onto this blog, but I am a practicing Catholic. Last night at Mass, we sang a lovely song called “Happy Birthday, Jesus.” And let’s not forget that today we celebrate Jesus entering the world and bringing us hope and peace. And even if you don’t believe in any higher power or organized religion, that even for you, Christmas is about that: hope and peace.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Soldier of Beauty and Love

Now, we will discuss Sailor Venus. While she is the last sailor scout/soldier to be revealed to the audience, she is actually the first scout to receive her powers. In the anime, she is given the name Mina while her original name is Minako. To avoid the confusion, I will use Minako for the live-action version.

APPEARANCE

Anime: Mina is tall and blonde, with bright blue eyes. Her hair is held back with a big red bow. Her school uniform is similar to Ami and Serena’s, though with a different style tie. Mina is a model, often portraying popular game character Sailor V. Her school uniform greatly resembles Sailor V’s outfit, except Sailor V wears red heels and a mask. When she wears regular clothes, she is often in dresses. Her mode of transformation, like the others, is her pen. It is orange with the symbol of Venus on top. It spins out to form light that surrounds her to create her Sailor Venus outfit. Her sailor outfit resembles the others, except her skirt is orange and her bow is blue. She wears orange heels with a strap across her ankle.

Live action: Minako is small and fragile. She has brown hair and bright brown eyes. Because she is a superstar, she doesn’t go to school. Her outfits are a bit more flashier than the other girls, but she tends to favor skirts and hats. She also favors white and black rather than colors. While she is a singer and not an actress, Sailor V still makes an appearance in the series. Her outfit is the same, straight down to the mask. In the beginning, Sailor V is seen defeating some of the bad guys and fighting Tuxedo Kamen. When the others finally meet up with her, she changes from Sailor V into Sailor Venus. Her outfit resembles the anime’s except she has a chain around her waist. She also has jewels flowing down from her red bow, attached to her transformed blonde hair. Also, during the time when she was the Moon Princess, she wore a different tiara—a crystal one.

POWERS

Anime: Sailor Venus’ main attack is her Crescent Beam Smash. It creates a beam of light that hits the dark monsters. Later, she gets the Venus Love-Me Chain, a series of lighted hearts that can either hurt the monster or tie it up like a chain.

Live action: Sailor Venus’ main attack is the Venus Love-me Chain. She uses the chain around her waist, which glows and grows accordingly. She mostly uses this attack as she awakens her full power later in the series. Like the others, she too has a tambourine. And like the others, she can play it to turn it into a laser beam.

PERSONALITY

Anime: Mina is bubbly, outgoing and happy-go-lucky. She can be a bit of a ditz, though not as bad as Serena. As she appears later in the first series, her personality isn’t fully established until the next season. However, she is loyal to her friends and will do anything for them. She can be just as boy-crazy as Lita. She is also more athletic than the others, as she is seen playing volleyball. As Sailor Venus, she has the most experience fighting. She is the least likely to end up doing something stupid and getting captured. Though it’s never really established in the anime, Sailor Venus is the leader of the inner scouts and will take the lead when she needs to.

Live-action: Where Rei and Usagi were toned down, Minako is completely different from her anime counterpart. She’s quiet and serious. She is aware that she is highly competitive—it is why she signs Rei up to be her rival singer, it is what Rei uses to get Minako to not give up singing. She is given a reason for remaining aloof—she is suffering from Generic Terminal Disease and doesn’t want people behind who will be hurt when she dies. She can be warm, as seen when she is around children, Usagi and Artemis.

As a Sailor Senshi…She is a bitch. As a distraction, she pretends to be the Moon Princess. When she does so, she barks at the others, orders Usagi to stay away from Mamoru and treats Rei like crap. Even after she reveals her ruse, she doesn’t stop being a bitch. She remains separate from the group rather than working with them initially and in despite being the leader. She also sticks firmly to the past life, treats it like gospel truth. Anyone who believes otherwise (Rei) is kicked off the team. However, Minako changes her belief when Makoto nearly sacrifices herself for the past life. She had been warming up to the other scouts as friends and decides to forego the past life. She also decides to get the surgery, which costs her her life.

RELATIONSHIPS

Anime: Not much is made of Mina’s home life, though it appears she does have two parents like Serena. She also appears to be an only child, though some have mentioned a woman named Katrina who may have been Mina’s sister or like her sister. However, this really only appears in the manga so as far as the anime is concerned, Mina is an only child. It is seen that she doesn’t seem to have many friends outside of the Sailor Scouts and that she isn’t well-liked at her school. The others find her snobby, so her true friends are the Sailor Scouts. Her best friend is clearly Lita, whom she spends most of her time with and who she goes boy-hunting with. She does hang out with Serena a bit as well.

Live action: Minako doesn’t appear to have parents and nothing is mentioned about them. She seems to live on her own, with only Artemis by her side. She also has a manager, but he is nothing more than a clown. It is Artemis who cares for Minako, who counsels her and tries to get her to undergo the surgery. While she has dozen of fans, she doesn’t seem to have much in the way of friends. Her band does seem to care, especially when she collapses on the stage, but are hardly seen. When she meets Usagi, she is first surprised to find out that the girl is Sailor Moon. However, as the girls spend more time together, they become friends and Minako genuinely cares for Usagi. She also forms a volatile relationship with Rei, whom she seems to be close to despite being cruel to her most of the time.

She has no romantic pairings, though one could almost read her relationship with Rei as the Western idea of “hate turns to love”.

PLOT CHANGES

The biggest changes are, of course, Minako’s personality and superstar lifestyle. There is also the plot where Minako pretends to be the Moon Princess in order to protect the real princess, Usagi, as she has not realized this yet. Minako also gets a good rival in Mio, a minion from the Negaverse. She uses her position as a superstar to remain in the same circles as Minako and get close to Usagi, to undermine her confidence. Minako realizes that Mio is from the Negaverse and tries to protect Usagi as best she can.

The other change is the Generic Terminal Illness Minako suffers from. It adds an extra dimension to her character. It also explains both her aloofness and why she is so focused on the past life.

Mina/ Sailor Venus

Minako/Sailor Venus

Soldier of Thunder and Nature

The fourth member to join the Sailor Scouts/Senshi is Kino Makoto, called Lita in the dub. Lita is the name of one of Jupiter’s moons, which is probably why it was chosen. For convenience sake, I will refer to Lita for the anime and Makoto for the live-action.

APPEARANCE

Anime: Lita is the tallest of the Sailor Scouts and is described as being the most ample. There is a long-running joke amongst anime fans about this. There is an episode where the girls argue over who gets to play Snow White. Lita says she should because she has the most talent. The original script calls for her to say it is because she has the biggest breasts. They didn’t change her motioning to her chest for the dub, so that’s what anime fans now refer to as “talent.” She is a brunette, wearing her hair in a high ponytail held with a green scrunchy. She often wears pants. Even though she attends the same middle school as Serena and Ami, her uniform is different. It is said that it is because the school didn’t have a uniform in her size. It consists of a white tie up shirt and a brown skirt. Her mode of transformation is a green pen with the Jupiter symbol on top. As it spins out, lightning surrounds her and forms her uniform. Her skirt is green and her bows are pink. She wears green ankle boots.

Live action: Makoto is the tallest of the Sailor Scouts and doesn’t consider herself feminine. When others compliment her, she is often surprised. She has brown hair and brown eyes. Her school uniform is different from the others, recreating the anime’s. When she isn’t in her uniform, she often wears pants and sporty outfits. Her mode of transformation is a bracelet with a green stone. Her outfit is a recreation of the one from the anime, with a belt added. Her hair becomes lighter, almost red and put into the ponytail.

POWERS

Anime: Lita derives her powers from thunder and lightning. Her first power is “Jupiter Thunderclap Crash” which hurls lightning at her enemy. Otherwise, she can also do hand-to-hand combat.

Live-action: Makoto has the same powers as Lita. Though once she is awakened as a Senshi, she gains more powers that show up every so often. And like Sailors Mercury and Mars, she has her own tambourine to play and shoot down enemies.

PERSONALITY

Anime: When we first meet Lita, she is the transfer student in Ami and Serena’s school. The others are gossiping about her, saying she was kicked out of her old school for fighting. But Serena soon learns that Lita isn’t the bad girl everyone thinks she is. She is a cheerful person who is loyal to her friends, who also likes to cook. She is a tough girl and will beat you up if you hurt her friends, though. As for Sailor Jupiter, she is one of the toughest fighters and usually one of the first ones to jump into the action. Like Sailor Mars, this can either help or hinder her. While she can easily get captured, she can also easily land some strategic blows to the monster.

Live action: Like Lita, Makoto starts out as the transfer student in Usagi and Ami’s school. Like Lita, she is subject to the same rumors. Usagi befriends her and Makoto soon becomes attached to the young girl. Especially since both like Minako. Makoto also befriends Motoki, the young man who works at Crown Karaoke. As Sailor Jupiter, she is often the first one to dive into a fight. She will fight with all her heart and is willing to sacrifice herself at one point to protect the earth. Makoto is the one who accepts her past life as destiny in her current one. However, she overcomes this belief and fights for her the future, not the past.

RELATIONSHIPS

Anime: Lita is an orphan after her parents died in a plane crash. She lives by herself and is fully independent. She is used to being by herself, but welcomes the other girls in wholeheartedly. In a sense, they become her family.

On the romance front, there is a running gag in the series. All the guys Lita spots remind her of her old boyfriend, Freddy. However, the true story is a bit more heartbreaking and turns this running gag into a case of obsession. Freddy was an older student whom Lita had a crush on, but who broke her heart by going out with another girl. The only person she could rely on was her friend, Ken. He was there for her during the heartbreak and she’s there when he needs her…for an episode, then we hardly see him again.

Live action: Makoto is an orphan after her parents died…somehow. She lives alone and is fully independent. She is used to being by herself and even says that it was determined in the past life, which is why she is okay with it. The girls end up being like family to her, and she takes care of them when need be—when Ami is sick, when Rei and Ami run away, etc.

On the romance front, Makoto is pursued by Motoki. At first, she doesn’t return his feelings but just views him as a friend. As they spend more time together, she grows to love him as well. She eventually reveals to Motoki that she is Sailor Jupiter and he takes it pretty well. She even wears a good luck charm he bought her and he realizes he has a chance.

PLOT CHANGES

If the creator of Sailor Moon made the live-action series tone down Makoto’s obsession with her sempai, praise the Lord! I also like the romance between Motoki and Makoto, which gives you someone else to root for besides Usagi and Mamoru. And they are adorable.

Lita/Sailor Jupiter

Makoto/Sailor Jupiter

Soldier of Passion and Flame

The third Sailor Senshi/Scout to join the group is Rei Hino, a priestess living at a temple.

APPEARANCE

Anime: Rei is about Serena’s height with long black hair. She has bright purple eyes. As a priestess, she is constantly seen in her robes—a white top with a red bottom. She doesn’t go to the same school as Serena and Ami, going to T*A, which many believe is a well-known Catholic school. Her uniform consists of a gray skirt with a white shirt, complete with red scarf. Otherwise, she generally prefers either red or purple and often wears pants. Her mode of transformation is a pen, like Ami. Hers is red with the symbol of Mars on top. It spins out to start the flames that form Rei’s Sailor Mars uniform. Her skirt is red, but her bow is purple. Unlike Sailors Moon and Mercury, she wears red heels.

Live action: Rei has shorter black hair and brown eyes. Like her anime counterpart, she often wears the priestess robes of her temple and her school uniform looks the same as well. When she isn’t wearing those, she is usually in dark colors and pants. Like Ami, her mode of transformation is a bracelet with a red stone in the center. Her uniform is the same as her anime form, but her hair grows longer.

POWERS

Anime: Rei’s powers are derived from fire. Her first power is the fireball. She can also use her priestess powers to banish evil spirits. She eventually gains the power to throw flaming rings at evildoers as well. With her priestess powers, Rei is usually able to sense the presence of the Negaverse before the others.

Live action: Like her anime counterpart, Rei once again gains the power of fire. Her attacks look more like a beam of red light, though, than anything resembling fire. Once she is awakened as a soldier, she gains more powerful attacks that barely stick around for more than two episodes. Like Mercury, she too gets a “weapon”—another tambourine. When played, she can use it to defeat the monster.

PERSONALITY

Anime: Rei…is probably just as annoying as Serena. She is hot tempered and often directs her rages at Serena. A classic screen shot in the series is usually Rei and Serena sticking their tongues out at each other. When she isn’t on a rampage, she can be quite nice. When she isn’t being judgmental, she is quite loyal to Serena and the other girls. Serena isn’t the only one who can raise her ire. Further into the series, washed-up rocker Chad moves into the temple. His laid-back attitude conflicts with Rei’s Type A one and she often chases him around with a broom. She wants to be a rock star when we first meet her and is not shy.

As Sailor Mars, her fiery temper can either serve her or hinder her. There are times it can lead to her getting hurt or captured but other times it spurns her to fight harder.

Live action: Rei…is less annoying than her anime counterpart. She isn’t quick to anger, though her temper is not something one wishes to experience. She is guarded and doesn’t easily let people in. She eventually lets the Sailor Senshi in and will do anything for them. She doesn’t want to be famous, unlike her anime counterpart. She is forced into the role and does it out of her kindness toward children, who she is shown to have a gift with. But when she does step out in her star role, it is clear she has a good voice. While she doesn’t seem to like parties—and often states it—she still likes to enjoy herself once in a while. As Sailor Mars, she is less impulsive than her anime counterpart. But she will fight with all her heart, especially to protect her friends. Rei reacts the most vehemently about their past life. She doesn’t think it will dictate what will happen in this life and argues with anyone who thinks otherwise. She fights to protect the world.

RELATIONSHIPS

Anime: In the anime, not much is said about Rei’s parents. She lives at the Cherry Hill Temple with her grandfather, who is quite a skirt chaser. It doesn’t help that he is no taller than most women’s knees. While she loves her grandfather, his antics usually annoy her. Not much is known about her school life, so it is unknown if she has any school friends. Serena is listed as her best friend, though they often clash. She is close with the other Sailor Scouts, indicating they may be her closest and only friends.

On the romance front, there are only two possibilities. At first, she tries to go after Tuxedo Mask, even though Serena already expressed interest in him. Rei does go on a date with Darien, but realizes that they aren’t compatible. Then there is Chad, mentioned above. While it is clear that he is smitten with Rei, the anime never makes her feelings about him clear. Other than sheer annoyance, that is. So, it’s up to the viewers—they are either friends or they have the possibility to be more.

Live-action: In the show, Rei lives at the Cherry Hill Temple alone. Her father is alive and appears in the show, while her mother is dead. It is shown in the show that her mother died from Generic Terminal Illness and that a young Rei stayed in the hospital with her. Her father though was nowhere to be found. We learn he is a politician and often puts his career in front of his family. Any time he tries to talk to Rei, it is to plead for her to appear in press photos and interviews. So, understandably, she doesn’t have a strong home life like Usagi or Ami.

She initially tries to rebuff Usagi and Ami’s attempts to befriend her, but eventually gives in. Her biggest relationship amongst the Sailor Scouts seems to be with Minako, whom she befriends and argues with constantly. But she convinces Minako to get a needed surgery and reacts the most when it is revealed that Minako died. In the end, their friendship drives her.

PLOT CHANGES

The focus on Rei’s family really helps delve into the character. Another good change is her personality. Once again, the creator of Sailor Moon was more involved in this series than the anime so she may have been responsible for toning Rei down. This makes her more likeable and allows the audience to feel for her.

Rei’s denial of her past life being gospel in her current one also adds another layer. I know when I was watching the show, I was yelling about how everyone just accepts that everything is going to be like the past life. Rei’s rejection made a lot more sense.

Rei/Sailor Mars (Anime)

Rei/Sailor Mars (Live action)

It’s a Fine Life…

Last week: The girls worked with Andrew Lloyd Webber and hit the stage. The Olivers worked with the High School Musical tour people to work on basketball. As Harry advanced to the finals, Rachel and Sarah fell into the bottom two. In the end, Sarah was sent home. Who will go home tonight! Avoid Wikipedia and find out!

Graham suit watch: Gold shirt and I don’t even know what color his suit is. He welcomes the fans, the band, the panel and Andrew to the (not-so) live show. The final six girls sing “It’s a Fine Life.” They leave the stage as Graham returns. He points out that half the remaining girls have been in the sing-off: Rachel, Niamh and Ashley. Tonight, there will be a battle of Nancy’s, as the girls will be divided into trios. And there is our panel: John Barrowman, Denise van Outen and Barry Humphries. And of course, Andrew is there. Graham says everyone has an opinion on who Nancy should be, but who do the girls think isn’t Nancy. Here is the results:

Jessie: Niamh

Niamh: Ashley

Ashley: Niamh

Jodie: Niamh

Samantha: Rachel

Rachel: Samantha

Since Jessie booked it off the stage after the opening song, she is our first Nancy. The other girls are jealous of Jessie’s comments from the judges. She doesn’t want to give up her dream. Graham says the girls will be showing the different sides of Nancy. Jessie begins the evening with “Fighter.” I guess she’s Tough Nancy tonight. I think diction is a bit of a problem tonight—I’m not understanding all the words. But I wouldn’t want to meet Jessie in a dark alley right now. And they made her do Christina’s vocalization? Really? She’s improving on her movement.

Jessie approaches Graham to stand before the judges. Jessie says the pressure is healthy and keeping them from slacking off. John felt that Jessie was defiant and he agrees with me that diction was a problem. John is afraid her diction will go under pressure. Barry didn’t mind that Jessie’s Irish lilt came out and that Nancy could be Irish. John asks if that is what the people expect. Denise believes the problem really is the diction and it wasn’t the best performance Jessie ever gave. Andrew believes it was the wrong song for Jessie—and John argues it isn’t a talent show—but then goes to say that Nancy could have been Irish.

Coming Up: Another performance!

Niamh is our next Nancy up. We are reminded that Andrew is concerned about her age. The girls go to see Celine Dion in a concert. Niamh is excited and amazed as Celine sings “My Heart Will Go On.” They take a picture with Celine, but when she’s talking, her back is always to the camera. Hmm. Anyway, she’s singing “True Colors” to be Maternal Nancy. I love her outfit. And as always, it’s a lovely vocal. I’m not sure how maternal she comes across. It’s more like she’s cheering up her best friend. She throws someone a kiss.

Graham asks Niamh about meeting Celine Dion. Niamh was so excited to meet her. Graham goes to Barry. He calls her performance “lovely.” But he says it’s hard to imagine her fighting Bill Sykes, but she was supposed to be maternal. John doesn’t think it wasn’t entirely maternal but he disagrees with Barry. He tells him to watch her in the mission. Denise enjoyed Niamh’s performance and she is a contender. Now, Andrew. He still is worried about her voice but she has it. He likes that she asks questions and that she’ll go somewhere (like your new show, Andrew?)

Coming Up: Andrew wants to put Ashley on a bus.

The third Nancy up is Ashley. She realizes she has to thank the public for keeping her in. She goes back to visit her students. They give her flowers as well. Ashley sings “I Say a Little Prayer” to portray Love-struck/Devoted Nancy. She starts off weak but I think this type of song is good for her. However, I can’t see her sustaining a musical. And I know when I don’t write much, I like the performance. Not with Ashley. I actually zoned out during her performance and was focusing on my plans for tomorrow.

Graham reveals that Ashley is a backseat driver, complete with footage from the Nancy car. Denise liked her vocal but the performance was very cruise ship-like. Denise calls it cheesy. Barry calls her indestructible but calls the performance “casual.” John also calls her cheesy and tells her to hold back. Andrew, I think, has just given up. He tells her to take a bus.

Coming Up: “I want some more!”

We’re at the halfway point, Nancy solo wise. They still tease the Nancy show down. But now, time for our weekly dose of adorable. The boys are brought to the Ragged School Museum to meet a Victorian schoolmarm to give them a taste of being in Oliver’s orphan. They will be tasting gruel. All make faces and realize how hungry Oliver really was. A former child actor comes to help the Oliver’s, playing the scary orphanage worker whom Oliver asks “Please, sir, I want some more.” Cameron announces that the next Oliver through is Laurence. We learn he is 11 and plays the trumpet (and the piano). He also wants to be an inventor. Graham congratulates Laurence and holds onto his Oliver hat for later. Once again, the Oliver’s picked a Nancy to sing with. Laurence reveals that Nancy is Irish with brown hair. The Oliver’s then sing “Give a Little Love.”

Could Be Oliver:

Gareth

Jordan

Harry

Joseph

Sam

Chester

Arthur

Gwion

Kwayedza

Alexander

Jonny

Laurence

Our fourth Nancy is Samantha. She says she’s realizing she could be a leading lady. So, she goes to the production of Dirty Dancing to meet with the actress who plays Baby. Holy crap, she looks like Jennifer Grey circa “Dirty Dancing.” Samantha sings “Survivor” to show Defiant Nancy. I can see the defiance—Nancy telling Bill she’ll survive without him. Overall, a fantastic performance.

John loved her diction and feistiness. Barry thought it was great and praises her ability to dance in high heels, which he knows is difficult. Denise apologizes for questioning whether Samantha should be put through—she is now a leading lady. Andrew calls it a “wonderful” performance. He praises her range.

Coming Up: Jodie

And here she is. She says she was just trying to tell the story but her performance suffered. To help her focus, Graham says the love of her life visited. And no, it’s not her fiancé, it’s her dog. Who is adorable, by the way, and may eclipse the Choir of Adorable. Jodie sings “If I Ain’t Got You” to show Devoted Nancy. I don’t think this song properly shows what Jodie’s voice can do, but it does show her loving side.

Denise thinks Jodie has the voice of Nancy and loves how Jodie acts with her eyes. John agrees and wants to see her next week. Barry calls it “passionate” and says he heard every word to a song he had never heard before. But he loved it. Andrew thinks she has a fantastic voice but that she overacts. He isn’t clear on whether or not that’s good or not. But he wants to see her choreographed.

Coming Up: Rachel holds back

Rachel is our last Nancy to perform. She says it was her most uncomfortable performance. Her family has been supporting and we meet Rachel’s sister, who talks about her early career. Rachel sings “You’ve Got a Friend” so I’m guessing she’s going for Maternal Nancy? I love Rachel. That is all. Denise tells the public that they have to realize that Nancy has to be able to perform 8 days a week. Denise doesn’t think it was stunning performance and wants better next week. John loves Rachel as well. Barry has heard of her song but that Rachel wasn’t feeling the emotion. He calls her an understudy. Andrew says Rachel deserves to be there but she needs to communicate with the words. Some man in the audience really disagrees with Andrew.

Coming Up: The Nancy Showdown

Graham introduces us into the Nancy Showdown. Andrew has divided the girls into two trios. Jessie, Niamh and Samantha are one group while Jodie, Rachel and Ashley are a second group. It is the Young Nancy’s vs. the Older Nancy’s. Jodie says they will show that Nancy is a real woman while the Younger Nancy’s say they aren’t going to go down easily. The Younger Nancy’s perform “Candyman.” While they were all good, I really focused on Samantha. The Older Nancy’s perform “Man! I Feel Life a Woman.” Ashley does best in a group setting, but I focused on Rachel. Andrew can’t chose his favorite performance and just praises them.

Coming Up: Someone tries to take Captain Jack? Ha!

We come back to the results show as the Nancy’s sing a reprise of “It’s a Fine Life.” Graham suit watch: Red shirt and yellow suit. Graham reminds us that three of the current Nancy’s have been saved by Andrew before recapping the performances. Graham interviews the girls and Rachel says she’s confused. Ashley says she’s showing she has Nancy’s fighting spirit. Graham goes to the Nancy Mission—which is with John Barrowman. John seems to be stalked by a fan who wants his autograph. John fights the man, who fights back. John asks if he still wants his autograph and the guy agrees—John welcomes the girls to the stunt mission. They learn to throw a punch, turn a bottle into a weapon and roll. The girls perform an emotional scene, complete with a fight. John was impressed that though Niamh missed, she continued to fight. John chooses Rachel as his best.

We come back to the studio for the girls to perform “Nobody Does It Better.” Once again, I loved Samantha and Niamh. John said the mission showed who would panic and who would handle the live performance. Barry was drawn to Jessie, Denise was drawn to Niamh and Andrew was drawn to Samantha.

Coming Up: The results!

The girls have to convince the Oliver’s to let her performance with them. Graham asks Laurence to reveal the winning Nancy—Niamh. They perform “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.” And you were all clapping along, admit it! Andrew thought Niamh had the motherly quality they were looking for. It is time, though, for the panel to reveal who is not Nancy. John: Jessie. Denise: Ashley. Barry: Rachel. Time for the results! Samantha is through to the quarterfinals. Jodie is through as well. Rachel might be in the sing-off and is told to remain where she is. Jessie could still be Nancy. She attacks Jodie in a hug once she leaves the stage. Rachel looks like she knows she’s in the bottom two. Ashley is in the sing-off. Rachel is wrong, she could still be Nancy. So Niamh is in the sing-off with Ashley. If it were up to the public, Ashley would be out.

Coming Up: Niamh or Ashley? Does Andrew really have to think about this?

Ashley and Niamh must now sing “Don’t Cry For Me Argentina” from “Evita.” This isn’t really a nail biter. Niamh has always gotten better comments than Ashley. And Andrew has said he wanted Ashley to take a bus. So he saves Niamh. She leaves the stage as Graham comforts Ashley. She says she’s proud of what she’s done. Andrew says that Ashley needs to work on communicating but her students should be proud of her.

The final five sing “Be Back Soon” before Ashley sings “As Long as He Needs Me.” Niamh takes off her locket before Ashley lets out the last part. She takes a bow before the girls hug her.

Could Still be Nancy:

Amy

Keisha

Cleo

Sarah

Rachel

Jodie

Samantha

Ashley

Jessie

Francesca

Niamh

Tara

And the competition grows fiercer and the judges get nitpicky. Next week is the quarterfinals—who will advance further? Who will take the Nancy crown? If I do the calculations correctly, we won’t find out before I go to Disney, so the final recap will be delayed by a week. Otherwise, do you agree with Ashley’s dismissal? You know I do!

Next week: It’s the quarterfinals! And some Josephs return!

Quote of the Episode:

“That’s going to be a very quiet car ride back to Nancy Mansion.” –Graham after the girls’ pick who isn’t Nancy.