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Forum - View topicREVIEW: Fairy Princess Minky Momo Episodes 31-46 Anime Series Review
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MarshalBanana
 Posts: 5423 |
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I wonder what the legacy of the Magical girl genre would be like in America, if it was Minky Momo that was shown on Cartoon Network instead of Sailor Moon.
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mdo7
 Posts: 6311 Location: Katy, Texas, USA |
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I don't know if Minky Momo would've had a big impact on America if it had been shown on Cartoon Network given that CN wasn't created until 1992, and the anime has never gotten shown on American TV channel (it was released on VHS courtesy of Celebrity Home Entertainment and Harmony Gold) back when it got licensed in 1984 in North America, it doesn't help this anime was heavily altered and censored at that period (this was before streaming like Crunchyroll existed). So that's why it would probably never appeared on Cartoon Network and given that there was no channel to show this back when it still hot off Japan, we have to wait many years for this anime to finally get a uncut streaming release. |
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MarshalBanana
Posts: 5423 |
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It is a "What if?" scenario. So it would be in a situation where a company in the 90s, had dubbed the show, and maybe edited it for an American audience, and then CN had broadcasted it.
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mdo7
Posts: 6311 Location: Katy, Texas, USA |
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Then I think the 1990's 2nd series probably would've worked for Cartoon Network given that the 2nd series came out in 1991, and CN came out in 1992. So the Minky Momo 1991 TV series would've worked for CN had maybe Saban or whoever can picked up Minky Momo 1991 at that time. The 1980's probably wouldn't worked for CN back then, but it's too bad the 1991 version wasn't picked up for NA when it was still hot off the market back then. |
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Cryten
 Posts: 1050 |
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DBZ aired in English 7 years after the Japanese animation, Sailor Moon 3-4 years after and 7 Years for Ruroni Kenshin (3 years in European / UK Market). At the very least it was possible for older series to feature if enough was thought of the material by its licensors.
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mdo7
Posts: 6311 Location: Katy, Texas, USA |
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Sailor Moon and DBZ are exceptional and I think those animation still age well even by today's standard and both of them are anime icon. I'm not a Rurouni Kenshin fan, so I can't speak for that show or the franchise. But Minky Momo on the other hand is not the top anime icon compared to the 3 you mentioned, but you have to remember that in the same 1990's, there was already a 2nd Minky Momo TV series that was already created at that period and still hot off the market at the time, so if any Minky Momo show was going to be broadcasted on Cartoon Network for US/North American audiences in an alternate 1990's scenario, that would be the one and not the original 80's given the way the market was probably operating at that time. Speaking of the 90's Minky Momo series, I wondered if Crunchyroll has any plan to pick up & stream that show too. It would be nice for fans that just finished watching the original 80's series and wanted more Minky Momo stuff would probably like to watch the 90's series. |
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CamiChan19
 Posts: 24 |
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This made me chuckle at my work desk. Great writing as usual, Rebecca. 
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MarshalBanana
Posts: 5423 |
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I think I should expand. The reason I brought up this hypothetical scenario, was to wonder how magical girls would be viewed in the western mainstream, had Minky Momo been that popular magical girl show on Cartoon Network, instead of Sailor Moon. Minky Momo had been the show that so many girls grew up with, it coloured their perception of what a magical girl is. Western media, inspired by Japanese Magcial Girls, are mainly influenced by Minky Momo.
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Nipasu
 Posts: 105 |
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I disagree with this. Minky Momo is an icon (at least within the magical girl sphere) and it had it's influences: 1. I believe it was the first MG series to be centered around merchandise. 2. It was the first MG series to have a "bank transformation" sequence. Plus the show's infamous "hit by a truck" episode is a piece of anime lore alongside the supposed "Minky Momo curse". |
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FishLion
 Posts: 68 |
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That is a fun question next to mentioning how Sailor Moon helped float early Toonami in the recent TWIA column. I'm not sure if it would have been "successful" in Toonami's slot specifically but would probably have a cult following. Personally, I think we see very narrow types of children-targeted anime in America for a long time because shows like Minky Momo weren't seen as appealing or different enough from other cartoons to be imported. The Toonami section of shows succeeded because they were appealing to animation fans looking for something a little more mature and other early extremely popular anime franchises like Pokemon and Yu-Gi-Oh still had massive merchandising opportunities and plenty of appeal to older children before animations focusing on teens and young adults were popular to make here. This is especially true when you have some light sexual innuendo like spoiler[the criminal begging the police version of Momo to arrest him because she's gorgeous.] that American media has a very puritanical attitude towards and probably wouldn't want the letter writing campaign that comes with having a children targeted show engage in that type of humor. All that said, I am sure it would be beloved! I adore the Sailor Moon variety of magical girl, but having a girl who gets to try out all these jobs and is really just trying to help people with regular problems (another shoe could drop there as I am early on in the series) is very relaxing and fun. One of the neatest parts of Minky Momo has been learning how much variety as been in the genre all along, I wonder if in this hypothetical scenario I am discovering Sailor Moon instead and talking about how neat it is that there are combat oriented magical girls I never knew about |
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mdo7
Posts: 6311 Location: Katy, Texas, USA |
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You are aware of the curse, are you? If you're not familiar with the curse of Minky Momo, watch this video from Kenny Lauderdale. He dived in the topic on why Minky Momo never got the same type of global icon compared to Sailor Moon today. That's why it has been mostly forgotten by today's audiences that watch anime. Additional video that talked about the curse: Minky Momo earthquake urban legend (english subtitle included, turn on CC for subtitle), and a REALLY cursed anime: Minky Momo That's why Minky Momo will never reached the same status as Sailor Moon no matter what and how relevant this anime is. |
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MarshalBanana
Posts: 5423 |
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@FishLion Thank you for the reply. I had not considered where that would have put Sailor Moon in the western fandom.
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