Posts in Futago Hime Category

Futago Hime is apparently being shown on Chinese TV during primetime as 神奇星球luan生公主 (luan is a Chinese character not in Japanese) and is causing quite a stir on the Chinese side of the interweb among Chinese otaku, according to 「日中文化交流」と書いてオタ活動と読む. Only Chinese-made shows are allowed to be shown during primetime, so how does Futago Hime get around that? Easy -- by saying that it was made in China.

 
Left: China, Right: Japan

As you can see, the credits for genga (along with everything else) have been changed from Japanese names to Chinese names. Apparently the show is being pretty much broadcast as-is (dubbed in Chinese, but no edits to the content) with a Chinese OP/ED.

The Chinese "production" company behind this is 大連東方龍動画発展有限公司, of which TYO, the parent company of HAL Film Maker, owns a 31% stake in. That could make it "Made in China" in a rather stretched definition, but claiming others' work as your own is certainly out of bounds. Why lie when it's obvious it's made in Japan, and why go so far as to change the credits?

Fushigiboshi no Futago Hime DVD 7 came in yesterday, along with the artbox that comes with the first press.

The box holds the first 7 DVDs. Here's some scans of the box itself for a better look:

Miruro kawaii yo Miruro! (and Leonne too!)

In addition to the usual dances extra, this time there's a clean OP/ED and also a couple of ads for the first DVD. More than halfway through now, with 6 DVDs left :)

How many times did I say kawaii in Futago Hime entries? Check the random stats for Futago Hime to see ;)

Fine and Rein use the FInal Prominence to revive the Sun's Blessing but it's not working. Fine and Rein hear the voices of the other princes and princesses through the Grace Stones, lending them more power which finally starts to destory the Black Crystal. However, it's still not enough and the Black Crystal grows back even more than before. Fine and Rein keep on trying and soon the Grace Stones start absorbing their power to keep the prominence going since they're still lacking the last one. Pumo, seeing Fine and Rein start to disappear, decides to offer himself as the power needed and jumps in. He slowly disappears.. the Grace Stone that was hidden in the sea flies up and warps itself to the Sun Kingdom, lending its power...

There's a promo for Fushigiboshi no Futago Hime Gyu! at the end of today's episode of Futago Hime. So here it is. So that's where the "Gyu" comes from :) Anyways, song's in a different style than the first season, but it sounds okay to me. Everybody's looking pretty cute, especially Leonne and Miruro. Can just barely see Miruro at the side of one of the shots.

Some pictures of the Futago Hime Gyu display at the Tokyo Anime Fair here. A bigger view of the characters. Gotta love the naming of the other planets -- "Celeb", "Mathematic", "Orchestra". Little girl next to Fine, Shifon is from the math one (of course she's a genius). Also something about Leonne forming "Team Samba" together with a couple of the other characters. That should be fun :)

The Black Crystal grows out of control with Bright trapped inside of it. It uses the sadness of the people around to make itself grown even more. Inside, the Black Crystal tries to convince Bright to come back into the darkness since he's useless without having that power. Of course, Altessa's worried about her brother... Fine and Rein try to cheer her up with the daijoubu ("It'll be okay") dance and say they'll get rid of the crystal using the prominence. Pumo objects, but there isn't anything else they can do so they transform and use the prominence, freeing Bright. Fine ends up with Shade, saying that she wants something to eat (of course), and Rein looks after Bright, who's asleep. However, they're not done yet -- the Black Crystal shards fly up towards the Sun Kingdom...

Rein reads a letter from Leonne -- seems things are just as bad there as they are elsewhere with everyone crying. And it's the same in the other kingdoms. Miruro even did the waratte waratte dance (smile smile dance). kawaisu! Sure her mom was probably thinking something along the lines of "What did those two [Fine and Rein] do to her this time?" Anyways, the power of darkness is growing stronger, but they all have to try their best... or so they say, but Fine and Rein don't know what to do. Fine thinks of using the power of the Grace Stones... Naginyo shows up with another song to warn them against doing that -- if they don't have all of the stones the effect will be to suck power away as it was in the Sea Kingdom. Rein goes off into her own little world again, imagining what would happen... A sorry ain't enough for that one, Rein. Speaking of Grace Stones, Pearl-chan and Bumo are still searching the Sea Kingdom for the last one. Bumo's having a pretty rough time dealing with the absolutely fearless (because she doesn't know any better) Pearl-chan. Love is tough, ain't it?

In the Sun Kingdom, Bright begins to wonder why things have turned out this way with him all alone. He goes to the Jewel Kingdom to seek advice from his parents, but like everybody else they're crying. That isn't what he wanted... Fine, Rein, and Altessa hear that Bright went to the Jewel Kingdom, so they head that way. However, he's already left the castle when they arrive so they search throughout the town. Bright walks through town and sees all of the people crying... this isn't what he wanted...

All of the castle workers from the Sun Kingdom are in the Moon Kingdom castle, and they're all crying. The queen and king, along with Princess Milky, try to cheer them up but it's no use. After being so happy at the end of the last episode, Fine, Rein, Altessa, and Bumo finally seem to realize what a predicament they're in and are appropriately gloomy. But they're got to smile.. even if it's forced (ouch..). Altessa wonders if Bright knows that everybody's so sad now.. they ask Pumo to take them to the Sun Kingdom to go see him, and he agrees...

Meanwhile, in the Sun Kingdom, Bright's going to make everyone realize that he's king of the Mysterious Planet now. He'll use the power of the Grace Stones to make the Black Crystal even more powerful... however, instead of giving him power the Grace Stones suck power from him. Omendo watches then rushes to a control panel for the Sun's Blessing in the library -- turns out that he pretended to betray his kingdom to stay behind and keep watch over the Sun's Blessing. However, Bright now realizes that and comes to get rid of him. Omendo tosses books at Bright and Bumo, and makes a direct hit with one on Bumo. But Bumo seems to have found something in that book -- the location of the last Grace Stone. Omendo grabs the book, but Bright forces him out a window. Thankfully, Fine and Rein arrive just in time to stop his fall.

Omendo explains what's been going on and gives them the book... it's the diary of the Sun Kingdom princess of 100 years ago. How wonderful, Pumo says. Fine and Rein kept a diary once -- for three days. Turns out that the princess 100 years ago only kept the diary for that long as well... it must be in the genes as Pumo says (^^;;) Altessa opens the diary and reads...

Today I went swimming at Coral Beach. Keeping it a secret from mom and dad, I brought along a piece of decor with one of Grace's treasures on it.

But before I realized it, the treasure had fallen into the ocean. Oh no, oh no!

But if nobody finds out it'll be okay.

...sounds like a couple of somebodies we know, as Altessa says. Has to be in the genes (^^;;)

In the Sea Kingdom everybody's crying as the people from the Sun Kingdom were. Bright arrives to speak to Princess Pearl... Back in the Sun Kingdom, Camelot and Lulu arrive to take Omendo away, and Fine, Rein, Altessa, and Pumo telepumotion to the Sea Kingdom. Of course they end up in the ocean (^^;;)

The other princesses and princes watch from their respective kingdoms as the Sun Kingdom is enveloped in darkness... Shade seems to have an idea of where the Moon Kingdom's Grace Stone is after remembering a song he heard while at a small town with a mountain that looks similar to one in a painting in a castle. He, Tio, Fine, Rein, and Altessa head there to check things out... Bright also goes to the same town to ask about the whereabouts of the Grace Stone from a little rabbit girl named Candy, the daughter of the mayor of the town, that he once got a fan letter from. He's got a favor to ask of her... Fine and Rein and the rest arrive at the mayor's house to ask about the Grace Stone. Candy answers the door, but she sounds odd... all of her sentences end with "de bumo". Altessa is immediately suspicious that it's Bumo, and that it is -- he's hiding in Candy's backpack -- but Fine and Rein, being unable to doubt her believe what she says and leave. When Candy goes back inside she finds Bright questioning her parents about the Grace Stone. And when he doesn't get the information -- the black crystal shines, controlling his body and making him pull out the dark prominence boomerang and use it to turn Candy's parents into stone. He himself can't believe what he's done, but Bumo is rather happy. If Candy wants her parents back she'll be listening to what Bumo says...

Everyone evacuates from the Sun Kingdom since the power of darkness is getting stronger, forming dark crystals around the Sun's Blessing and causing storms. Bright and Bumo arrive and take over, with help from an unexpected source: seems Omendo has gone over to the dark side, as he activates an anti-gravity machine that sends the queen and king outside of the castle...

Fine, Rein, Altessa, and Pumo escape to the Moon Kingdom with Shade and Tio and think of what to do next. Bumo makes a visit to drop off something from Bright -- Milky rams him with her star and drives him away, however. GJ, Milky!Seems that Bright has sent invitations to a party to everyone. The other princesses come to the Moon Kingdom to talk about what they should do. They all agree not to go... each kingdom doesn't want to get involved in things, but the princesses will do what they can to help out. Sophie'll help out Altessa in her own way, of course ;) Rein seems to be worried about Bright, though... Meanwhile, Bright is having too much fun preparing decorations for the party. He's even got his dark knights helping him out, and Bumo gets dragged into helping, too, of course. He imagines Fine being so impressed with his decorating that she dances with him. I don't think so (^^;;) Back in the Moon Kingdom, Fine boards the Sun Kingdom airship and takes off, but Pumo manages to grab on at the last second...

Bright goes to King Rando of the Windmill Kingdom to ask for the kingdom's seal, which would make Bright king of the Mysterious Planet. However, the king doesn't quite believe what Bright says and would like some time to think about it. Bumo suggests they come up with a plan to make Fine and Rein look bad. Bright doesn't want to hurt Fine, though... but victory's near, Bumo says, letting out a huge evil laugh (^^;;)

Fine and Rein go to the ballroom, ready to win (yeah, like that'll happen..). But of course Altessa's going to be the princess that wins. Sophie says that this is her last chance (gakeppuchi - lit. [on] the edge of a cliff), so if she doesn't win she'll be stuck a loser. Fine and Rein do the gakeppuchi dance and Sophie joins in. Thank you, Sophie (^^;;) Bumo watches, ready with some surely evil plan. He spreads a rumor that a treasure of the Sun Kingdom is in the garden maze. Auler comes up to Fine, Rein, and Sophie, telling them to hurry along since it's about time for the party. He extends a hand to Altessa -- for a second she blushes, but then goes back to the usual tsuntsun, saying that her leg's just fine. The rumor Bumo started spreads around the ballroom, eventually reaching Fine and Rein. They want to check it out, but Shade thinks that it's a trap. But everybody else wants to go, so off they go to investigate the maze.

The princess party starts, but without any princes or princesses. The king hears that Fine and Rein have taken everyone off to search for that treasure in the maze. Bright walks in, praising the king for having such a wonderful party. The king's now convinced that it was a plan by the Sun Kingdom to mess up the party (*sigh*...)... Now all that's left is to come up with a plan to keep Fine and Rein lost in the maze -- Bumo calls it the... wait for it -- maigo wa iyaaaaiyaaa (maigo - a lost kid) plan. Bright and Bumo do the iyaiya dance at the appropriate part (^^;;) Bumo lets out yet another evil laugh, but it seems he's laughed a bit too much as his hip goes (^^;;)

Fine, Rein, and the rest arrive at the maze, ready to search. The walls of the maze were originally higher when it was built, but now they're lower so that you can see the whole maze. After entering the maze the walls suddenly grow higher and separate everyone.. yup, a trap.