Imagine We Still Had VHS: "Cat Planet Cuties" and the Curse of Too Much Physical Media

*Blog post started on February 19, 2021.

Trying to optimize my Twitter feeds (@maineventzombie, @catbusruss, @russthebus) yesterday has put me a day behind in terms of writing. What is the point of staying up late for content if it is not fresh in your mind the next day? There is a chance that the thoughts that ruined your original intentions bleed over into the next day. When you are obsessive compulsive like me, if one thing is optimized, all must be optimized.

That can kill some time at the day job. I may be going through my blogs to make sure that forwarding the reader on to my different blogs is not that tasking on the eyes. In other words, the reader maybe frustrated with reading through have a screen of text to be reintroduced to the same text again when they click on the "Check out..." link. Some further editing is definitely needed.

As for my Wednesday content search, it is a good thing that it was an anime television series. I got home from work, practiced some self care, and made dinner and watched the "NBC News Nightly News" from my DVR. With no wrestling on Thursday (I would say the best day for AEW's next program, but after Dynamite, everything is down hill to BTE on Monday.), it is the perfect day to binge the streaming services or watch those series you impulsively buy on DVD.

When it comes to streaming, I have two hours to catch up on "WandaVision". If WWE does something offensive to my taste on Sunday, the real superheroes can take their place. Which reminds me to cancel the WWE Network for the last time (There is no point to pay $9.99 for 17 days when it will be on Peacock on the 18th). Sorry NXT UK.

When it comes to DVDs, I can obviously make any night a wrestling night in my household, but there are some TV shows that I just have to own. This seemingly means half of post "Game of Thrones" HBO series ("Watchmen" and "Westworld" tell the audience that you need the special features) and what ever affordable anime series I can grab at Disc Replay or Best Buy. There definitely not as many of those.

I have considered getting Crunchyroll or Funimation subscriptions, but Shudder is definitely the greater priority. It might also just be the hunter/collector in me who does not want to have everything at my finger tips. My "Speed Grapher" collection might be the pride of my 2000's/2010's collection. To get all the episodes on four-episode DVD's, the extra $100 spent was worth it. Truthfully, Ebay allowed me to make that hit a lot less.

Not being an anime streamer may also be a need not to develop another hobby. I know there is quite the Japanese animation lineup on Netflix, but I am starting to ponder if that service is worth maintaining. There are some great comedy specials, but again, I do not need the hobby. Especially when I need those sub two-hour time slots for NinetyForChill.com - The Podcast. They may have one series a year that is worth subscribing for. Is each series worth 15 bucks? How do I tell all those using my info that I am cutting it off?

It all comes down to having too much physical media. Yes, there are special features, but what is the point, aside from Steelbooks? I say physical media allows us to be of more critical minds. There are no worries of "Available till" messages, so when you watch them, you can take your time and find out the answers to why something does or does not work.

You can claim that can be done with streaming services, but I have yet to find a remote control that functions as well as those of a physical media player. Personally, the more buttons, the better. Of course there are special remotes, but you can usually buy at least two DVDs for the price of one of those.

Ironically, anime rarely has those kind of expansive extras to warrant a physical copy. But does "Cat Planet Cuties" need that when I could grab it for $10 bucks? I could not pass up something catcentric at that price. It is still a gamble because it is an anime. This is an anime with an American title that implies loads of fan service.

Fan service is best kept as an implication like the promises at the end of episodes of "Evangelion" or "Blue Seed". As a series, I have seen that backfire so many times like "Agent AIKa" and "Knights of Ramune".

 

 Eris from Cat Planet Cuties - ACDb

 "Cat Planet Cuties" - Episodes 1-3

 

"I am coming to drop by." That is the first extra-terrestrial message that humanity has received. It is not necessarily ominous, but the Japanese Self Defense Force is still on edge since the object they are tracking seems to be eying Okinawa as a landing zone. There is an incident of a smuggler's ship blowing up, but otherwise all was quiet the night of the message.

The next afternoon seems like any other. There is a celebration for Kio's late grandfather going on, but the most stress that could lead to would be Kio's uncle pushing him to flirt with the cosplay girl who just randomly showed up. Showing immediate concern for the confused stranger, Eris, the sixteen year-old ends up getting black out drunk when he consumes the booze that the uncle had meant for the new girl. Fortunately for Kio, Eris is quite caring and is able to walk him home at his uncle's behest.

The next morning, Kio awakens to a half-dressed Eris being curled up by his side. This leaves him immediately startled and Eris further confused. Before she can offer an explanation, Kio's neighbors Manami and Maki stop by to check up on him and inquire about the girl they presume he took home to fulfill some furry fantasies. Eris reveals to them and proves by letting the two pet her tails and ears that she is an alien from the planet Catia. She is on a recon mission to hopefully establish diplomatic relations with Earth, a planet that may lag in technology, but none the less, is very similar culturally to her home world.

With everything explained and established on Eris's end, all should be alright provided the girls do not blab about it. Well, they are not going to go public with it, but that is because they are both covert operatives. Manami has aspirations to join the CIA, so bringing in an alien should secure her a spot.

Maki is a part of the Beautiful Contract, a secret society that is looking to ensure that first contact with space beings will be a magnificent moment in history. To find out that the cosplay ideal is what the superior lifeforms look like does not sit well with them. They intend to eliminate her to prevent the embarrassment.

On top of these two agencies, another one of Kio's friends has been instructed to rid earth of Eris. The shy Aoi is a Japanese immigration agent who specializes in eliminating any threat to Japan. This all sounds like too much for Kio to handle, but Eris has an army of cute helper droids that can carry out almost any command. She is more concerned about figuring out how humans operate especially Kio. It is about time for her first mating season and after seeing some of the manga under her host's bed, she has some ideas that Kio is probably far from ready for.

"Cat Planet Cuties" comes across as a refined "Excel Saga". "Excel Saga" was all about making fun of all of the tropes associated with anime making every episode its own entity. This cat-girl anime focuses on one trope and builds a 12-episode narrative around it. If you are not looking to laugh at all types of anime but want a ridiculous premise, "Cat Planet Cuties" will treat you a lot better than the abrasive nature of a straight up parody like "Excel Saga".

This anime is very well produced. I personally prefer to have my colors a little more subdued as if the project was a manga with motion, but for a bright and loud comedy, you cannot complain about it popping out of the screen at you. Along with a very versatile soundtrack, the premise may have just sounded too nuts for Funimation to talk Cartoon Network into airing it on our shores.

What I really liked about "Cat Planet Cuties", aside from the obvious (six cat tats and counting), is that the storytelling is very similar to one of my favorite anime franchises, "El Hazard". I suppose my comparison to "El Hazard" speaks to how I loved that P-Anime (Pioneer produced Anime from the 90's) more than the better known "Tenchi Muyo!" That title is more appropriate to compare it to since this is a story about an alien entering a teenage boy's life instead of the protagonist being placed in an alien world. Either way, the story revolves around our hero as all the girls for the most part hide their infatuation with him. Either way, for a narcissistic boy, it is my dream (and a really weird one at that when you smoke a bowl before bed.).

As for the fan service fears, the dirty minds of the audience are amused with near tongue-baths and accidental boob grabs, but it does not dominate any elements of the story. The series is nudity-free through the first five episodes, with the exception of the third. In that episode, that is all played up for laughs instead of "Ramune" and "AIKa" who wants the viewer leering at the screen the entire series.

The best homage to fans are through the peripheral elements of Eris. She attacks with a mallet (like Harley Quinn) and her assistant droids gradually become chibi-cat tributes to other famous characters (samurai, even a Hong Kong gunfighter...spoiler for episodes 4 and 5). This series's humor is not breaking new ground, but it is an ode to the serieses that I would pay $25 per 1-hour dubbed tape in the 90's.

"Cat Planet Cuties" shows how important it is too feature relatable and likable characters. When you have those, any premise can be translated into entertainment. After three (or five) episodes, this series has done no wrong. If you can create a series based around cats that is reminiscent of the best comedies of the 90's, any anime fan should be pleased with purchase.

Now to find away to expose this to Anime Ally from Ally's Accessories Shop on Etsy. I may need an expert opinion.