We’ve been looking back at our favorite things from years ending with a 4, so this month’s
Lightning Round Topic is Our Favorite Films of ’54!
Jen-sensei’s s gonna start, so so are y’all ready to “conduct the lightning’?
The Ladies of The Mew:
HAI! LIGHTNING ROUND GO, NYAN!
Jeannie:
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Godzilla, and On the Waterfront. (tags Elizabeth with a brush of the tail)
Elizabeth:
That year’s Bugs Bunny, Looney Tunes, Merrie Melodies animated short films! (tail-tags her wife to go next
Broken Lance, Executive Suite, and The Barefoot Contessa! (tags
Yvonne)
Yvonne:
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, The Caine Mutiny, and The Bridges at Toko-Ri, nyan! (tags Mary Nyan)
Mary Nyan:
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Creature from the Black Lagoon, and Godzilla! (tags Mielikki)
Mielikki:
Walt Disney’s Donald Duck animated shorts and The Vanishing Prairie, fur shur! (tags Nyanko with a flit of the wing)
Nyanko:
I will nominate Godzilla, Seven Samurai, and Late Chrysanthemums! (tags Petra)
Petra:
Seven Samurai, Rear Window, and Quo Vadis, nyan! (tags Bunnii)
Bunnii:
Animal Farm, Seven Samurai, and Sabrina! Back to Mike!
Mike:
Oh, I gotta go with 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Godzilla, and Seven Samurai! Well, that was another expedient little Lightning Round, and let’s continue our
TV, DVD & Movie Mewsings, with our
semi-annual DVD & Blu-ray wish list!
Yvonne:
Hai, here is our semi – annual wish list of recent, old, foreign, domestic, animated and – and live-action TV shows and movies that we hope could be released here upon the Region one NTSC DVD and – and / or the Blu-Ray, nyan! We would like them with their original mewsic and songs to be intact; and we purrfur that any foreign purrductions would be available in their original spoken language with optional English subtitles, nyan!
Petra:
I will start the 1964 cinerama film To the Moon and Beyond, James Cameron’s Xenogenesis, John Dods’ Forest Story, Neal Adams’s Nannaz, Mark Sullivan’s Nightspeed, Gene Roddenberry’s Spectre, and Steven Speilberg’s Amblin’! Of course, we hope that the missing epurrsodes of Doctor Who from the 1960’s that are still lost will be found or re-created with the animation and released here on DVD or Blu-ray, nyan!
Elizabeth:
Hai hai, that should also apply to the forthcoming new episodes, which should not just be streaming or downloading, but on the physical media too! I will start with the more recent Japanese anime such as Uma Musume Pretty Derby, the 2021 Battle Athletes anime, Aria The Crepuscolo, Aria The Beneizione, Girls und Panzer Final IV, Amanchu, Kemono Friends season 2, and Enccouragement of the Climb!
Becca:
The older anime such as Queen Millennia, Flying Ghost Ship, Bagi the Monster of Mighty Nature, Anne of Green Gables, Heidi of the Alps, 3000 Leagues in Search of Mother, Tico of the Seven Seas, Campus Guardress, Yokohama Kaidashi Kiko, Macross Zero, Stratos Four Advance, The Adventures of Kotetsu, the Ghost Sweeper Mikami movie, and the initial four 1994 You’re Under Arrest OVAs!
Metamorphoses (a.k.a. Winds of Change), the original Space Battleship Yamato TV series seasons 1-3, Yamato 2520, Great Yamato, Yamato 2199: Odyssey of the Celestial Ark,Yamato 2205: New Voyage, Be Forever Yamato: Rebel 3199, Angel Beats, Nasu: Summer in Andalusia, the Studio Ghibli Museum’s animated shorts, the Godzilla Planet anime trilogy,
Mary Nyan:
I will nominate WKRP in Cincinnati with all of the original songs restored, Neil Young’s A Journey Through the Past, Kate Bush Live at Hammersmith Odeon, the 1979 Kate Bush TV Special,Twice Upon a Time, the 2011 live-action Ranma 1/2 TV special, the 2014 live-action Kiki’s Delivery Service; and the Australian 1997 Ocean Girl live-action series!
Bunnii:
The Green Hornet TV series, The Sixth Sense TV series (1972), the e three Gilligan’s Island TV reunion movies, and the two I Dream of Jeannie TV reunion movies, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic seasons 8 & 9, The Equestria Girls TV series, the 1967 Spider-Man animated series, the animated Gen 13 film, Young Justice season 4, and Batman: Caped Crusader season1!
Marvel Studios’ series and specials such as The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Loki, What If…?, Hawkeye, Moon Knight, Ms. Marvel, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, Werewolf by Night, The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special; aDaredevil seasons 1-3, Jessica Jones seasons 1-3, Luke Cage seasons 1 & 2, Iron Fist seasons 1 & 2, The Punisher seasons 1 & 2, and The Defenders!
Mielikki:
The Star Wars 1978 Holiday Special, Forces fo Destiny, The Mandalorian season 3, Ahsoaka season, The Clone Wars season 7, The Bad Batch seasons 1-3,T he Book of Boba Fett, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Star Wars Visions, Light and Magic, and CD re-issues of The Star Wars: A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi Radio Dramas, fur shur!
Mike:
That’s all for the wish list, and now here’s Jen-sensei to review
Star Trek Discovery: The Final Season DVD!
Jeannie:
Hai. For our review of Star Trek Discovery’s 5th / final season, please see the July 2024 Edition of The Mew. I was eager to get this final season set which has the unrated 10 epurrsodes (totaling appurroximatelty 576 meownutes plus several special features (totaling appurroximately 110 meownutes) upon the four disks that are quite tightly clenched in the plastic case which is inside the outer cardboard sleeve.
The video is purrsented in the 16:9 widescreen format with 5.1 Dolby Digital English and French audio with the optional English SDH and French subtitles. On disk 4, the special features include the optional audio commeowntary by actors Soniqua Martin-Green and David Ajaia, executive puirducers Michelle Paradise and Olatunde Osunsanmi. The special features also include the deleted scene, the nearly 4 meownute gag reel, and five documentary featurettes.
“A Team Effort” is the 20 meownute look at the making of the epurrsodes, with commeowntary by Martin-Green, Paradise, Osunsanmi, executive purrducer Alex Kurtzman, supurrvising purrducer Jason Simmerman, purrducer Ted Miller, supurrvising art director Matt Middleton, art director Jm Goodall, set decorator Ian Wheatley, assistant set decorator Summer Gaal, purrduction designer Doug McCullough, SFX supurrvisor Darcy Callaghan, stunt coordinator Christopher MacGuire, and stunt double Eve Harlow.
“Discovery’s Creative Force” is the nearly 10 meownut look at the design, with commeownts by Martin-Green, Paradise, Osunsanmi, Kurtzman and Zimmerman; “Being Michael Burnham” is the 13.25 meownute discussion by Martin-Green; “Character Development” is the 23.5 meownute discussion by Paradise, Martin-Green, actors Anthony Rapp, Wilson Cruz, Mary Wiseman and Doug Jones; and ”The Voyage of Season 5” is the 39 meownute discussion by Paradise and Osunsanmi,
I wish there were more special features such as art galleries, isolated mewic tracks, and more extensive documentaries, but the set’s special features are quite entertaining and informative, and I am rather pleased with the quality of the epurrsodes and the special features. I am done, so nyow here is Mie-sensei to discuss
Alien: Romulus.
Mielkikki:
Arigato! So like, upon seeing the preview trailer for this movie, I wondered when its tale occurred within the Alien and / or Predator series, and later read that it is set between Alien and Aliens, Furthermore, apparently the Alien and Predator crossover movies are now considered part of Predator canon but not the Alien timeline. In both cases, I tend to prefer the first two films of each series, although I must say that for me, Prey became my 2nd favorite of the Predator series, especially the Comanche language version, fur shur!
So like, directed and co-written by Fede Alvarez, who directed the Evil Dead remake snd Don’t Breathe has done a fine job of refreshing the Alien franchise, with a good story, environments, designs, cinematography FX, sound and music, and a totally awesome cast, especially Cailee Spaeny (who I lliked in Civil War) as Rain, and David Johnson (who I liked in Endeavor) as Andy. As a prequel / sequel, Romulus also admirably builds upon the Alien mythos, but does so very carefully, as to be accessible to new fans, fur shur!
Perhaps the biggest quibble that I have for Romulus is that I did not care for a few of the numerous nods, references easter eggs and homages to the prior Alien films, but like, I was so pleased with this movie that It might be my third favorite of the series behind Alien and Aliens but slightly ahead of Alien 3. I definitely like it more than Alien: Resurrection, Prometheus, Covenant, and I definitely definitely like it more than the two Alien vs Predator films, fur shur! That is all for our movie mewsings, and now here is Myayr to start
our purrinted-media mewsings, with her review of
Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou Manga Deluxe Edition vol. 5!
Mary Nyan:
Hai! This beautiful slice – of- life science fiction manga by Hitoshi Ashinano is the tale of the friendly gynoid named Alpha who owns the cafe in the small rural seaside village on Japan’s Miura Peninsula in the dystopian future, where bucolic life goes on after an environmental disaster and risen sea level. Originally published in Japan by Kodansha in 2009, this 492 page final volume is published in English by Seven Seas, is rated for teen readers, and it is purriced $24.99 in the USA and $32.99 in Canada.
Most of the story purrtains to the everyday activities of Alpha and her friends with her occasional scooter trips to travel around the purrefecture and to shop for supplies in what is left of the city of Yokohama. Among the recurring characters are Ojisan the elderly man who sells fresh purroduce and runs the gas station; his grandson Takahiro who regards Alpha as the older sister type; Kokone the courier who is another gynoid; the elderly lady doctor who treats the humans and the gynoids…
Maki the young girl friend of Takahiro, Director Alpha the older gynoid with the aerial drone, Maruko the android artist, Nai the android pilot, Ayase the traveller with the pet flying fish named Kamas, and Misago the mysterious feral girl! Collecting chapters 112 – 149, this 8.25” x 5.875” x 1.5” volume has the 448 Black & White pages, 44 color pages and the color covers. 78 of the pages are full-page pics and there is one two-page spread! It was translated by Daniel Komen, lettered by Ludwig Sacramento…
…purroof read by Brett Hallahan, edited by Linda Lombard, copy-edited by Leighanna DeRouen, in-chiefly edited by Julie Davis, and published by Lianne Sentar, with the layout by Karis Page, quality control byDave Murray, purrduction design by Lissa Pattilo & Ria Lynn Johnson, purrduction meownagment by John Ramirez, cover design by Nicky Lim, and the logo design by George Panella. The purre-purress technicians were Melanie Ujimori, Salvador Chan Jr. & Jules Valeri.
In this volume, humanity’s days continue wane, and more of the coastal cliffside slides into the sea as the final days seem to escalate, yet there is still the bittersweet serenity. There is still much that has not yet been explained about about the ecological disasters, the androids’ origins, what happened to Alpha’s boss, or what the rest of the world is like beyond Japan, but It is quite the pleasant, purretty, poignant, charming tale at the leisurely pace and so I will give it the “A” for Alpha! I am done and nyow here is Vonny to discuss
The Art of Arthur Adams!
Yvonne:
Arigato, nyan! Published by Flesk, which publishes many great art books, this 180 page trade papurrback book is the thorough retrospective of Arthur Adams, who is one of my favorite comic book artists, nyan! Purriced $39.95, this 9” x 12” x .5” book is brimming with hundreds of meowgnificent illustrations, many of them full-page pics, from the purrliminary sketches to the lavishly detailed finished works, plus photos of the artist in his studio, nyan! From his 1983 try-out for Marvel Comics to the 2022 gatefold, It is mostly black & white, but it does have several pages of color images, the color cover, and the color gate-fold, nyan! It is quite the sumptuously beautiful, very informative ands entertaining book, which i will the grade of the “A” as in Adams! I am done, and nyow here is Mike to meowntion the
recent appurrances of Marvel’s Tigra, nyan!
Mike:
Thanks Vonny! Greer Nelson a.k.a. Tigra is my favorite Marvel Comics character In her original costumed heroine ”purrsona” alias The Cat, she first appeared in The Claws of The Cat in 1972, but it in 1974 in Giant-Size Creatures #1 when she first transformed into Tigra the were-woman! She later gave the Cat identity to her friend Patsy Walker,, who changed her alias to Hellcat! This year is Tigra’s 50th anniversary, during which she’s appurred in several series! Written by Al Ewing and drawn by Javier Rodriguez, the 5 issue mini-series Defenders Beyond ended in January, in which she went on a cosmic mission to other planes with Loki, America, Taia, Blur Marvel and The Beyonder!
After that, Tigra returned to Earth 616 and in the Moon Knight series writen by Jed McKay and drawn by Devmalya Pramanik, she joined the Midnight Mission team of Moon Knight, Hunter’s Moon, Reese, Soldier and Eightball. After the death of Marc Spector alias Moon Knight, they clashed with an impersonator who claimed to be the reincarnated Moon Knight. That was on the eve of Blood Hunt, the epic 5 issue mini-series written by McKay and drawn by Pepe Larraz, which crossed over with the other Marvel titles, in which Tigra and man other heroes battled a worldwide army of vampires! I especially liked Stanley “Artgerm” Lau’s varianr cover art of her for issue #1!
Speaking of variant covers, Tigra and Hellcat are among 11 roller-skating heroes gracing the “Disco Dazzler” variant cover by Todd Nauk & Rachelle Rosenberg for The Incredible Hulk #15! Although Tigra does not appear in that issue’s story, she does appear in one 3/4 page panel of “Malice of the Mitigator” written by Gail Simone, drawn by
Lydia Rasero and colored by Triona Farrell, which is one of the tales in this year’s Women of Marvel #1 (one-shot)! This year is almost 3/4 over, but we hope that rest of it will be a happy anniversary for Greer! Ah, that’ll do it for our printed media mewsings, and now I’ll turn The Mew over to Lizzy, Becca and Nyanko who will present this month’s
Celebrity Catgirl & Kemonomimi Spotlight!
Elizabeth:
Arigato! in this portion of The Mew, we commeowmorate famous therianthropes, monster girls, shape-shifters, anthropurrrmorphic ladies and other kemonomim! Fur-thermore, there are those who might not have beasty DNA, but do have the spurrit, cat-titude or clothing of the animal theme, who we will broadly consider as “honorary kemonomimi”! This month we are shining the spotlight on a few Virtual YouTubers, or Vtubers who have the delightful computer-generated kemonomimi avatars that talk, sing, and play games!
Born on June 12 (Gemini) and debuting ion 2018, Rosedoodle is the 5’ 1” tall english-speaking Canadian catgirl vtuber with the friendly kawaii purrsonality, fair skin, red eyes, and teal hair in the ponytail coiffure with the pink flower! She is at Instagram,Twitter, Tiktok, and Discord, her
YouTube channel is at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCihXhXRz8tj91hBptuSsQ0g,
more of her channels & pages are linked at her web site https://rosedoodle.com,
and you can read more about her at https://virtualyoutuber.fandom.com/wiki/Rosedoodle!
Born on June 6th Watame is the 4’11” tall hitsuji-mimi (sheep girl), songstress and hololive meowmber with the cordial, polite, calm dispurrsition, faiir skin, ong blonde hair, blue eyes, black ram horns, and the purretty off- shoulder white dress!
Her YouTube channel is at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqm3BQLlJfvkTsX_hvm0UmA,
her corpurrate purrofile is at https://hololive.hololivepro.com/en/talents/tsunomaki-watame, and you can read more about her at https://virtualyoutuber.fandom.com/wiki/Tsunomaki_Watame!
Becca:
Born on June 17th, Kiryu Coco is the ryumimi (dragon girl) of Hololive who debuted in 2019! 5’1” tall in her humanoid form, she is the honorable, tenacious, playful, busty, bilingual English / Japanese foreign exchange student from another realm. She is fair-skinned with Orangey red haiir with the ahoge cowlick, pink eyes, maroon horns and purrple tail!! Her YouTube channel is at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCS9uQI-jC3DE0L4IpXyvr6w,
her corporate purrofile is at https://hololive.hololivepro.com/en/talents/kiryu-coco/,
and you can read more about her at https://virtualyoutuber.fandom.com/wiki/Kiryu_Coco!
Nyanko:
Hololive’s delightful demon dog girl duo known as FUWAMOC is compurrised of the English-speaking twin sister songstresses Mococo and Fuwawa Abyssgard, who debuted in 2023! Born oin February 1st, the more reserved Fuwawa has the blue-streaked long blond hair and white-tipped fluffy tail, whilst the wilder Mococo was born on February 2nd and has the pink-streaked short blond hair tail.
Lastly but not leastly, appurring as a female inumimi (dog girl) of the Pomeranian breed, Buffpup is the apathagender / gender-fluid, pansexual English-speaking weredog of the who has had several transformations and debuts since 2018! Buffpup is the cordially kind, compassionate, optimistic, enthused Vtuber with the keen healthy fitness regime and the ripped physique with the toned taut tummy! Born on July 2nd, Buffpup is 5’3” tall in human form and 6’9” tall in werewolf form with the fair skin, blue eyes, orangey- red hair, ears, tail, furry forearms, hands, lower legs and feet!
The Catgirl Island Mewseum of Art!