JJBA CULTURE SHOCK

Who Framed Roger Rabbit is my number one favorite movie ever, but it’s not the comparison you want to make here. Adjusted for inflation it cost $141 million to make, the most expensive movie of its time, and its animation was helmed by a notoriously perfectionist director. Space Jam is even more than that at $168 million (once again adjusted for inflation, but god knows how much of that went into Michael Jordan’s salary), and even then people were unfavorably comparing its animation to Roger Rabbit when the movie first came out.

Coyote v Acme is not that. Its budget is $70 million, half of what Roger Rabbit would’ve cost today, and it was originally planned as a made for streaming movie rather than a big theatrical release. $70 million is about on par with that Chip n Dale movie from a couple years ago (but notably less than half of Space Jam 2, which did feature a whole animated segment), so that’s the level of fidelity we should be expecting. I think the actual animation (as in, the way the toons move and emote) in the trailer for Coyote v Acme already looks leaps and bounds better than the cel shaded models in the Chip n Dale movie, but, yeah, I agree that the lighting isn’t all there. But it’s hard to fault the movie for that when it just didn’t have the resources its predecessors had and was literally almost shelved as a tax write off.

Would I prefer a movie like this with the same high quality traditional 2D animation that Roger Rabbit had? Yes, absolutely. I’d murder my boyfriend for that. But that movie is lightning in a bottle. Yeah, we probably will never get another movie like that again. The money’s just not there, because big studios don’t see movies like this as profitable anymore. And in all fairness, they have a point—Roger Rabbit and Space Jam aside, movies like this historically haven’t been successful.

Looney Tunes Back in Action:

Rocky and Bullwinkle:

Cool World:

Monkeybone:

Compare the manga to the anime:

Note that in the manga, they specifically state that it doesn’t really matter where Sandman learned how to run like this and that it’s not some mystic native art or something inherent to his biology. In the anime, it’s strangely the opposite, which is really unfortunate because it ends up invoking racist ideas like phrenology and other discredited pseudoscience that claims that some races are better than others at running/sports. This “natural athlete” stereotype is a very real dehumanization tactic that racists use (primarily on black people, granted) to this day, and this scene now really reads like Steven’s applying those ideas onto Sandman. That’d be very period accurate for a rich white guy in the 1890s, I guess, but once again—the scene didn’t originally read like that!

I get that they wanted to make the first part of the race one long episode, and some things had to get cut in the process. But surely there was a better one line alternative than “this is the natives’ unknown power.” Here, I’ll brainstorm one really quick: “it’s his running style; I’ve never seen anything like it.” Maybe that’s still a little too long and clunky, but it still gets the point across without feeling racist.

My favorite episode is undoubtedly Episode 6: "Les Diaboliques." The introduction arc for Scanty and Kneesocks is brilliant and masterfully animated. It's a shame that they had absolutely fuck all to do in the latest season other than get yuribaited. To be clear, I have zero problem with SEXY scenes like these. The problem is that Scanty and Kneesocks were ONLY used for scenes like these. There's no payoff!

The pacing is absolutely horrendous. Any time there’s an episode with three shorter segments and one larger one, I groan and roll my eyes, because I know the first two segments will be inconsequential fluff with no real buildup or payoff and I’ll forget about them as soon as they end. The longer segments don’t fare much better either. Plots are very wishy washy and void of character. The way they’re structured always brings to mind that one lecture from the South Park guys about engaging storytelling—the new season of Panty and Stocking is a very “and then this happens” kind of show, which the original was not. The reformed Demon Sisters do basically nothing but be ship bait with the main duo and Brief has suffered serious character assassination. A lot of plot/emotional beats are straight up copied from the original show, which is kinda bold of them to do because it just brings attention to how much better they were originally handled. And like, the jokes just aren’t very funny. I’ve seen some people say that this is a sub issue, but I think it’s less that the punchline got lost in translation and more that they’re not written/paced very well. A lot of it is just random vulgarity without a strong throughline.

2) I'm as honest as a mirror when I say the only thing the new season did better than the original is that they got rid of Garter's donut lips. Everything else is worse than or on par with the original. That might sound "disingenuous" or perhaps "blinded by nostalgia," so let me put my money where my mouth is. Allow me to properly compare and contrast season 1 to season 2.

Something that's immediately apparent about the new season compared to the original is that they often have more segments per episode. Whereas the first season only had one episode with more than two segments (and perhaps very tellingly, I think it's the worst of the bunch), the new season has six, almost half of its thirteen episode run.

Another obvious difference in the show's structure between seasons is the amount of characters. Studio Trigger obviously needed to create some new characters to help market the show with, and therefore we got the newgen angel brothers. However, they end up filling more or less the same roll that the demon sisters did in the original, being slightly pompous rivals to the more down to earth (quite literally, since they've been cast out of heaven) main characters. But the demon sisters are still immensely popular fan favorites, so it's not like they can just get rid of them, and with Corset dead in the first episode of the new season they really have nothing to do. The solution the show gives? Just have them start living with Panty and Stocking.

I don't think this idea is entirely without merit, but the new season doesn't execute it well. They don't really do anything interesting with them; early on they're competing with each other to defeat ghosts, but that idea gets all but abandoned by the half way mark. Most of the time it feels like whenever they get any prominent screentime, it's just so they can be used as shipping bait with Panty and Stocking. This gives the new season the problem that a lot of long-running cartoons do: filling the show with too many characters that contribute nothing. I also find it hard to believe that characters as prideful and self-absorbed as Scanty and Kneesocks would ever willingly live with their archnemeses, so the setup could've worked if they were somehow forced into servitude to the Anarchy sisters rather than invited to live at the chapel, and they instead spent the whole season scheming to get out rather than just acting as another duo for us to keep track of.

So yes, from a basic, objective view of how the show is laid out, the structure is different.

But just because there's a higher quantity doesn't mean they have to sacrifice quality, right?

Let's analyze some of the segments themselves.

One of my favorite episodes of the original show is The Diet Syndrome. This is the one where Stocking gets an eating disorder, and it perfectly follows Matt Stone and Trey Parker's lecture on writing good comedy that I linked in my original post. Say what you will about modern South Park's centrist undertones, but Matt and Trey are Emmy/Tony award winners with an Oscar nomination under their belts, so I don't think it'd be disingenuous to say that they know what they're doing.

The episode opens on a brief monologue from Garter about how throughout the ages, women have created strict dieting programs for each other in order to stay skinny. But Stocking isn't like other girls; we cut to her gorging her face on sweets. Therefore Panty, who just came back from working out, warns her sister that she's gonna get fat if she keeps eating carbs and sugar, but Stocking insists she's "too busy being super flawless" to get fat. Therefore, Stocking keeps eating sweets, but they actually do end up giving her a muffin top.

I also want to point out here that the original show (or at least the English dub) is more candid than explicit. It has its moments, like in the booger episode, but a lot of my favorite lines from the original have less to do with the fact they're saying a hehe funny no-no word and more to do with how casually they say the most out of pocket shit. The kind of lines where you have to stop and ask yourself "did they really just say that?" Probably my all time favorite is the kid in the first episode that randomly says "it's not my fault you look like Hitler!" and here we get the banger "I would rub you all over my body if it weren’t for the yeast, I swear I would!" The new season isn't devoid of moments like this ("weedless brownies" lives rent free in my head), but they are very few and far between.

Anyways, back to the synopsis. Stocking's put on some weight, therefore she starts jogging in the morning to try to lose it (and because she can't let Panty figure out that she was right), but it doesn't work. Therefore, Stocking starts trying other weight loss tricks, including one of those weird vibrating belts and giving up on sweets entirely, but because she's acting so differently, Panty quickly finds out what her sister's up to (another candid line here: "I’m the reason tweens make themselves hurl!"). Therefore Stocking declares that it's not that even that much weight and she'll be able to lose it easily, but after a montage of her trying every trick in the book, she only ends up getting fatter and looking more sickly. Therefore, she snaps and goes on a bulimic binge, eating everything in sight, but all that food ends up making her hugely, unnaturally, comically fat, to the point that she's now just a giant Stocking-colored ball. Therefore, Garter comes to the conclusion that this must be the work of a ghost and sends Panty and Stocking off to defeat it, but by the time they reach the ghost, Stocking has gained so much weight that she's stretched out her stockings to the point that they don't work as swords anymore. Therefore the ghost the ghost feels safe to just wail on them, but Stocking uses her fat ass (well, more aptly her mouth) as a human shield to give Panty time and cover to take out the ghost herself. The ghost has been defeated, so therefore Stocking shrinks back down to her normal size, but she decides that the agonizing experience she went through during her workout montages wasn't worth it and therefore decides to keep eating sweets. The end.

This episode is one of my favorites both because of a lot of the funny banter between the sisters and because it's so tightly written. There's nothing superfluous and everything has a direct cause and effect. The vulgarity of the characters isn't even essential to the plot; you could easily tone down some of the more out there things the girls say to each other and this episode would be right at home on Nickelodeon or Cartoon Network. It's just an extra flavor to help give the show its identity. They never rely on it as a crutch.

It's also a weirdly progressive episode, especially for a show like this. Garter posits in the opening monologue that women come in all shapes and sizes and staying skinny isn't necessarily healthy ("The closer they can get to resembling stage-4 cancer patients..."), and Stocking ultimately comes to the conclusion that she'd rather be a little chubby if it means she can eat what she wants. That's not a moral you usually see in "the character gets fat for an episode" type stories; usually they exposit the virtues of exercise and a balanced diet. But Panty and Stocking aren't virtuous characters, so of course they'd flip the script like that.

So there's an episode of the original. Let's compare it to one of the new episodes.

By far the best episode of the new season is the Indiana Jones parody, which I admittedly hadn't seen when I wrote my original post. That one does genuinely feel like it's right out of the original run. It gets a pass. Other than that, there's...I don't know, I'm really struggling to remember some of these segments...the social media episode? Yeah, let's do that one. What was it called? Oh, Bitch Perfect. Awesome, it's even referencing a movie I don't like.

We open up on Stocking posting selfies and eating sweets. She gets a lot of likes on her most recent most, which therefore makes her happy. But Panty doesn't get it, therefore Stocking explains that it's better than sex. But Panty doesn't think anything is better than sex! Please ignore that Panty and Stocking are two different characters with different likes and preferences. And...then...the demon sisters show up, who are apparently top influencers themselves.

So, we've reached our first and then. Not a good sign. But surely that'll be the last one, right? I'll at least give them credit that at least the demon sisters are still being used as rivals for Panty and Stocking.

Okay, the demon sisters show up, and then (shit! there it is again!) they steal Stocking's spot as the top influencer. Therefore, Stocking gets jealous and starts arguing with the demon sisters, but Panty decides she wants a piece of the pie too.

W-wait, that's not grammatically correct. Panty becoming an influencer has nothing to do with Stocking beefing with the demon sisters. What's Panty responding to here? A need for attention? A desire for a pleasure better than sex? Is she looking to avenge her sister? So, it shouldn't be "but Panty decides she wants a piece of the pie too," but rather "and then Panty decides she wants a piece of the pie too."

Fuck!

So, Panty posts a slutty selfie, which therefore launches herself to the spot of top influencer (I guess? Sex sells, but is Panty really the only hot girl on instagram posting lewds of herself?), which makes all three of the other girls jealous and therefore (wait, weren't we supposed to have a but in the middle there somewhere?) they start competing with each other. Cue a montage of the girls wearing different outfits and making pop culture references. And then they get invited to an influencer contest, something that's never been mentioned until this point, where they "reveal the top influencer."

What defines a "top influencer?" Is it just follower count? If that's the case, then I don't feel like there's any need for a contest. You can always check and see who has the most followers at any given time. That's what caused the girls to start fighting with each other over this to begin with. Are they judging it like it's America's Got Talent? That seems to be more the angle they're going for—they even show caricatures of all the show's current judges—but it seems silly to compare Stocking's goth cosplay pics to Panty's lewds. Maybe it's supposed to be a commentary on AGT, but the show never leans into that outside of just pointing and going "look, it's that thing you know!"

These questions might seems pedantic, but to me its evidence of sloppier writing. These aren't problems that existed in the first season.

Back to the episode. They're at the contest and, for whatever reason, all the girls have gone through drastic physical changes (except Panty, who's just dressing extra slutty). We see a panel of judges...and then the audience starts voting on their phones (once again, this would be excellent commentary of AGT if they actually leaned into it). Therefore, the four girls become extra aroused from all the attention they're getting, and then a ghost shows up.

Once again, think back to the episode where Stocking gets fat. The ghost doesn't just come out of nowhere, there's a genuine build up to it with Stocking repeatedly trying and failing to lose weight. Not every episode of the original is set up like that, sometimes the ghost is introduced early on in the segment rather than at the end, but this social media episode seems to want to follow the same formula of "the girl(s) follow one of their vices, end up getting corrupted by a ghost, and need to rely on another character to get them out of it." But because this episode is a three parter, there's just not enough time to deliver the proper set up. The eating disorder segment of the original was eleven minutes long, while this social media one is only six. Therefore, everything is weightless and nothing feels earned.

But I digress, let's get back to it. A ghost shows up and eats all the girls. Garter declares that "there's only one way to save them now," and we cut directly to Brief climbing to the top of the skyscraper the contest is being held in. So we can assume that therefore Garter puts Brief to work, but there's no struggle to it. Brief is just suddenly climbing a ladder now, and then the ghost grabs him. A news helicopter shows up and starts broadcasting the footage, therefore the girls get even more excited than before. And then the ghost blows up, and the episode more or less ends there.

Wait, what? Wasn't the ghost powered by a need for attention? Wouldn't being national news just make it stronger, instead of implode on itself? None of this was built up to at all! The length of the segment bares repeating: everything from the girls getting eaten to the ghost blowing up takes place in the span of ONE MINUTE. I've taken shits longer than this episode. They don't even do the bit where they blow up a clay replica of the ghost!

I'd say that this is segment is just a dud, but unfortunately most of the episodes in the new season are like this. They introduce a concept and then sort of half heartedly meander around with it, until a ghost shows up and there's a big finish out of nowhere. If I had to compare it to anything, it'd be faking an orgasm. You can't just climax out of nowhere, you gotta build up to that! Where's the foreplay? Where's the thrusting? Where's the hardcore fingerbanging under the lunch table? What the hell kind of fucking school is this?

The pacing is absolutely horrendous. Any time there’s an episode with three shorter segments and one larger one, I groan and roll my eyes, because I know the first two segments will be inconsequential fluff with no real buildup or payoff and I’ll forget about them as soon as they end. The longer segments don’t fare much better either. Plots are very wishy washy and void of character. The way they’re structured always brings to mind that one lecture from the South Park guys about engaging storytelling—the new season of Panty and Stocking is a very “and then this happens” kind of show, which the original was not. The reformed Demon Sisters do basically nothing but be ship bait with the main duo and Brief has suffered serious character assassination. A lot of plot/emotional beats are straight up copied from the original show, which is kinda bold of them to do because it just brings attention to how much better they were originally handled. And like, the jokes just aren’t very funny. I’ve seen some people say that this is a sub issue, but I think it’s less that the punchline got lost in translation and more that they’re not written/paced very well. A lot of it is just random vulgarity without a strong throughline.

Zim is chronically incapable of keeping a secret. Dib would find out that he’s going after Kira to steal his powers and publicly vows to do everything he can to stop him from succeeding. Zim takes the bait, and the situation between them escalates until they’re both battling each other in giant mech suits (Zim’s being industrial grade Irken tech, Dib’s being made out of a conspicuously large McDonald’s that used to be a classified army base), with whole countries getting caught up in the carnage. Dib manages to defeat Zim by remotely hacking his mech and, while figuring out how to control it, accidentally activates a giant laser cannon aimed directly at the Death Note on Light’s desk by pure luck. Zim ejects from his now compromised mech and crash lands in Japan, right outside the house of a certain teenager having the crash out of a century over a pile of ashes on his desk. The media swoops in and somehow determines that this funny green skinned boy was the one who brought down the most dangerous serial killer in history, leaving Dib more furious than ever.

Also I know the “only works on humans” rule is pretty nebulous in the context of this blog, but I think Zim should get some extra points for “the notebook wouldn’t work on him” for two reasons.

First because Irkens have their own language, something the Death Note seems to be bound to since we see Light write names in English and Japanese throughout the series. Unless Light learns the Irken alphabet or gets the eyes, he’s not getting the proper spelling for Zim’s name (I also don’t think he’d be able to rely on Misa for this; she probably wouldn’t remember what all the letters in his name look like without having some kind of visual aid to refresh her memory).