The Animation Art of Ikuko Itoh - Rashiku Ikimasho

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.