Skip to content
SailorSoapbox.com
  • Sailor Moon Wallpapers
  • Sailor Moon Drops Resources
  • Sailor Moon High-Res Screenshots
  • The Animation Art of Ikuko Itoh
  • Setting The Record Straight
  • Patreon
  • Search Icon

SailorSoapbox.com

Sailor Moon Writing, Sailor Moon Photoshopping & Sailor Moon Dropping!

The Animation Art of Ikuko Itoh – Rashiku Ikimashou

The Animation Art of Ikuko Itoh – Rashiku Ikimashou

Observations:

  • I was planning to go back and show off the opening/ending animation sequences Ikuko Itoh animated, so I thought I’d start with “Rashiku Ikimashou” since that’s the ending theme used for SuperS.
  • This is one of my favourite ending themes (musically anyway), and I like that the animation for this sequence is varied and expressive. A lot of the other ending sequences are underwhelming, with endless looped animation (e.g. “Princess Moon”) or boring visuals (e.g. “Otome No Policy” and “Kaze Mo Sora Mo Kitto”).
  • That said…the lyrics (which were written by Naoko Takeuchi) make very little sense. The title itself seems to use a phrase that doesn’t translate – I’ve seen “Let’s Be ‘That Way’” “I’ll Go As Myself” and “I’ll Go With ‘My Looks’.” And even then it’s like…well, what does that mean?
  • I know there have been a bunch of alternate translations, but I’m going to look at the lyrics on http://www.sailormusic.net/.
  • “In the age of adolescence / It’s okay to rewrite / What is in your loving profile” Eh? What’s a loving profile? My best guess is just that the narrator wants to adapt to new situations based on what relationship potentials she might have?
  • “Listen, after school today, I saw that trickster / It was love at first sight, he looks like my old flame” Um…was this song intended to be associated with Chibiusa? Cause that line couldn’t be more Makoto if it tried.
  • “What should I do? / But I’ve decided now / I want to toy with him for a while” Damn, Naoko. You’re cold.
  • “I can win his heart with my sailor suit / I’ll go as myself” Wait, is the narrator going to win his heart with her school uniform, or as a Senshi? Cause if she’s in Senshi form, that’s not exactly “myself,” is it? Or is it implying that the Senshi form is the true one?
  • “Listen, over the weekend, I was walking along / With an older man” …no comment.
  • “When I find myself wanting to cry, I ring my pocket bell / And call for a rest from being a soldier” Oh, okay, this is Chibiusa as the narrator. Wait…then who’s her old flame? Peruru? I am so confused. And…how is ringing the bell resting? Maybe it means just communicating with Pegasus in general? And why was Chibiusa walking with an older man? Please tell me she meant Mamoru or I am going to be creeped out as fuck…
  • Aaaagh I give up let’s just talk about the screenshots
  • LEGS. Usually Itoh’s animation is perfectly on model, but those legs are super, super long. I do like the dancing lights at the beginning, like they’re at a club.
  • The brief interludes we see of Chibiusa hanging out with her loved ones all seem to have something to do with clothing. In the first one, Chibiusa is trying on a hat (which is similar to the one she was wearing when she met Hotaru). Mamoru’s expression is kind of inscrutable.
  • I love Mako and Ami reading over Chibiusa’s shoulder. Mako looks so intense, and Ami looks so embarrassed. What the heck is Chibiusa reading, anyway? I think it’s a fashion magazine, but it’s hard to tell.
  • Rei and Minako giving Chibiusa a little makeover is perfect. And she does look really cute with that old fashioned ruffled dress and ribbons. But Rei, though…honey, that hat. No.
  • The anime pushes the “girls dream about getting married” thing a lot, and I still can’t help but feel uncomfortable about Chibiusa admiring a wedding dress. I know her dream is to be an elegant woman like her mother, but this whole season just seems to be rushing her into adolescence instead of letting her stay as a child. I still resent that the kid got a boyfriend (boyfriends?) before the Inners did. That said, I didn’t know a single little girl (even myself) who didn’t dream of weddings and Princes and all that other stuff.
  • Diana’s habit of hopping onto people’s heads is adorable. And I like that Artemis and Luna wanted to hang out with Chibiusa. It’s unusual to see Luna just relax and have fun and, well, act like a cat.
  • The sequence with Chibiusa sitting by a window, watching the sunset while the Stallion Reve gleams beside her, is quite interesting. Her expression seems to sadden at the lyrics questioning if she’d have her heart broken again. As far as we know she’s never had a previous relationship (hush, shippers), so is she perhaps fearing that Pegasus will break her heart? She seems to trust him so absolutely.
  • The callback to the first opening sequence for R (where Usagi sees Sailor Moon as her reflection in a window) is really beautiful. It’s more simply animated here, but the mirror image is more effective, as is the sparkling blue special effect.
  • I am wondering (considering the reveal of Pegasus’ presence) if the final sequence takes place in Chibiusa’s dreams of Elysion. It’s certainly a beautiful, magical place.
  • Note that unlike most of the other ending sequences, your eye isn’t supposed to rest in the same place all the time. The shot angles and the spaces for the credits keep changing. And the visuals keep changing. As far as ending sequences go, it really tries to do something different.

Ikuko Itoh

Post navigation

PREVIOUS
The Animation Art of Ikuko Itoh – Watashi-Tachi Ni Naritakute
NEXT
The Animation Art of Ikuko Itoh – Episode 5

One thought on “The Animation Art of Ikuko Itoh – Rashiku Ikimashou”

  1. Pingback: The Animation Art of Sailor Moon: Ikuko Itoh – “Rashiku” Ikimasho | The Art of (Overanalyzing) Animation

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Crystal Tokyo Radio

Navigation

  • Sailor Moon Wallpapers
  • Sailor Moon Drops Resources
  • Sailor Moon High-Res Screenshots
  • The Animation Art of Ikuko Itoh
  • Setting The Record Straight
  • Patreon

Myrna ❄️Follow

Myrna ❄️
SailorSoapboxMyrna ❄️@SailorSoapbox·
40m

I’d laugh too. #NotTheAsshole

Am I the Asshole?@AITA_reddit

AITA for laughing at my co-worker's call with Dick? https://bit.ly/3uzQsiQ

Reply on Twitter 1365097282304155655Retweet on Twitter 1365097282304155655Like on Twitter 13650972823041556551Twitter 1365097282304155655
Retweet on TwitterMyrna ❄️ Retweeted
CagleCatsthe Cagle Cats@CagleCats·
2h

Too small!!!

Reply on Twitter 1365078083531919368Retweet on Twitter 136507808353191936895Like on Twitter 1365078083531919368639Twitter 1365078083531919368
Retweet on TwitterMyrna ❄️ Retweeted
HunterFeltHunter Felt@HunterFelt·
2h

Meanwhile on the shelves of Philip K Dick's Sporting Goods.

Reply on Twitter 1365071740276252678Retweet on Twitter 1365071740276252678361Like on Twitter 13650717402762526781375Twitter 1365071740276252678
SailorSoapboxMyrna ❄️@SailorSoapbox·
1h

Well, guess I’ve had a good run 🤷🏻‍♀️

Culture Crave 🍿@CultureCrave

Twitter is developing an anti-troll feature called 'Safety Mode'

It will automatically block accounts that are spammy, use insults, strong language, or hateful remarks

Reply on Twitter 1365092169242058764Retweet on Twitter 13650921692420587641Like on Twitter 13650921692420587643Twitter 1365092169242058764
Retweet on TwitterMyrna ❄️ Retweeted
IzandraLaid Back Izandra@Izandra·
2h

wtf

how are they doing this? Like how Hatsuharu proved his hair is half white half black? that's gross

this whole thing is gross and racist https://twitter.com/NHKWORLD_News/status/1364920295581233153

NHK WORLD News@NHKWORLD_News

Many Tokyo schools are asking students to prove why their natural hair is not straight and black.

Reply on Twitter 1365072246146916353Retweet on Twitter 13650722461469163533Like on Twitter 13650722461469163535Twitter 1365072246146916353
Load More...
© 2021   All Rights Reserved.