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[1556] A magical girl transformation sequence

Posted: Sun May 26, 2019 7:20 pm
by paarfi
Fred has posted the comic to his Patreon. He'll post it to the main site and elsewhere probably tomorrow.

Re: [1556] A magical girl transformation sequence

Posted: Sun May 26, 2019 7:37 pm
by paarfi
Erika and Largo make such a surprisingly great couple. I love how comfortable Erika is with Largo's weirdness. And Largo strikes just the right combination of concern for her safety, confidence in her power and ability to handle things, and willingness to be there for her if needed. It's really sweet.

Like I mentioned in the last comic thread, I think the key here is how Erika has gradually become more comfortable with being an idol and playing Moeko. I think it a lot of it has to do with her feeling in control. This isn't a character she's forced to play because of her job an feels foreign and fake to her, like it did before she quit a couple of years ago. Instead this is something she's choosing to do. Where before it made her feel powerless and not in control of her own life, now it's a way of expressing her own power and helping people like Largo, Piro, and now Moeko.

She's the one who has made that internal transition, but I think the support of Largo and her other friends has helped her do that. Sure the Moeko dialogue is cheesy to the max, but Erika is off to do good, like the magical girl she's playing would do. And that's pretty awesome.

At first I wasn't quite sure if this was Erika taking what Largo said and using that as a staring point to get into Moeko-mode, or if this was like the Moeko taking over, especially since she's so close to the source. Pretty sure it's former now. Though the latter would be much creepier.

I wonder how Moeko will feel meeting Erika-Moeko. If she could talk, and I assume she can't because coma, would she rather meet the fictionalized life she could have been had she been healthy, or would she rather talk to the real Erika? I wonder if we'll find out.

Re: [1556] A magical girl transformation sequence

Posted: Sun May 26, 2019 7:53 pm
by Invisigoth
Too much focus on Largo there, Paarfi.

Of course Erika can take whatever oddball thing Largo does in stride. She can match him weirdness for weirdness all day long and then do a faux MG transformation that leaves his pupils as tiny pinpricks as he scurries for cover.

Re: [1556] A magical girl transformation sequence

Posted: Sun May 26, 2019 10:28 pm
by LogicalLube
Well well, now this is an interesting side of Erika I wouldn't mind seeing more of.

Re: [1556] A magical girl transformation sequence

Posted: Mon May 27, 2019 7:12 am
by Invisigoth
LogicalLube wrote:
Sun May 26, 2019 10:28 pm
Well well, now this is an interesting side of Erika I wouldn't mind seeing more of.
I suspect that your wish will be granted

Re: [1556] A magical girl transformation sequence

Posted: Mon May 27, 2019 7:30 am
by garapagosu
Huh.. Doki with ellipses.

*Doki...*

An authentic (tiny) heat skip, and Erika says, "eh, I'll roll with it."

Re: [1556] A magical girl transformation sequence

Posted: Mon May 27, 2019 7:44 am
by Yl33 D4 N00b
I don't think that crush is so secret.... ;) Erika is max adorable here! :D

Re: [1556] A magical girl transformation sequence

Posted: Mon May 27, 2019 10:54 am
by Teddy-Werebear
And there is the actress in Erika shining thru and totally freaking out Largo. This is kinda funny.

Re: [1556] A magical girl transformation sequence

Posted: Mon May 27, 2019 11:49 am
by Mamma Peach
He really is freaked out there. I wonder what's going through his mind right at that moment.

Re: [1556] A magical girl transformation sequence

Posted: Mon May 27, 2019 1:57 pm
by Missingno_force
Wow, did Largo just gain int3n53 intensity of focus to execute an in54n3 combo resulting in ma55iv3 d0ki for Erika?
From the looks of it, neither he nor I expected this kind of reaction... not that I'd mind it though.

Re: [1556] A magical girl transformation sequence

Posted: Mon May 27, 2019 2:05 pm
by eomdal
Mamma Peach wrote:
Mon May 27, 2019 11:49 am
He really is freaked out there. I wonder what's going through his mind right at that moment.
This aint Largo's bailiwick. This whole magical girl thing just weirds him out.

Re: [1556] A magical girl transformation sequence

Posted: Mon May 27, 2019 2:58 pm
by BetaCygnus
Haha! This is max funny!

Great transformation scene here, Fred! Every panel is just a little more Moeko from Erika’s side!

Thanks for the update! =)

P.S. — And it didn’t even have to imply nudity. =D

Re: [1556] A magical girl transformation sequence

Posted: Mon May 27, 2019 4:23 pm
by MoneyMan
Largo's face is connecting what he just witnessed to the power of love he has been warned about.

Re: [1556] A magical girl transformation sequence

Posted: Mon May 27, 2019 6:08 pm
by cidjen
Yay thank you for the new page Fred :) !

The battle couple are going to meet their demon king?
But Erika forgot the bunny ears.
How well will the weapon systems, fare against the uncertainty with no bunny ears?...

Re: [1556] A magical girl transformation sequence

Posted: Mon May 27, 2019 6:16 pm
by paarfi
In case some people miss this, I should also point out that when Erika says "bad boy I have a secret crush on", she does not literally mean that her liking for Largo is a secret crush. She is playing the Moeko magical girl role, and getting into character for her impending visit with the real Moeko. Magical girls go doki doki, act tsundere, battle against evil, and have secret crushes on bad boys. Getting into character like that is what the "magical girl transformation sequence" in the comic title is referring to.

Re: [1556] A magical girl transformation sequence

Posted: Mon May 27, 2019 9:50 pm
by Invisigoth
There's something much deeper happening to Largo, he's assumed all this time that Erika is an innocent and unaware of how things work. He becomes uneasy when he sees her manipulating mercenaries and fanbois with ease. Now he sees her slip into her fictional role as easily as putting on a comfortable jacket.

Erika IS everything that Largo believes that he needs to fight and he's scared

Re: [1556] A magical girl transformation sequence

Posted: Mon May 27, 2019 10:11 pm
by Rapierman
paarfi wrote:
Mon May 27, 2019 6:16 pm
In case some people miss this, I should also point out that when Erika says "bad boy I have a secret crush on", she does not literally mean that her liking for Largo is a secret crush. She is playing the Moeko magical girl role, and getting into character for her impending visit with the real Moeko. Magical girls go doki doki, act tsundere, battle against evil, and have secret crushes on bad boys. Getting into character like that is what the "magical girl transformation sequence" in the comic title is referring to.
Either that or she's got an extra personality that we didn't know about before. Spooky as hell. :o

Re: [1556] A magical girl transformation sequence

Posted: Tue May 28, 2019 4:00 am
by Roamer
Invisigoth wrote:
Mon May 27, 2019 9:50 pm
There's something much deeper happening to Largo, he's assumed all this time that Erika is an innocent and unaware of how things work. He becomes uneasy when he sees her manipulating mercenaries and fanbois with ease. Now he sees her slip into her fictional role as easily as putting on a comfortable jacket.

Erika IS everything that Largo believes that he needs to fight and he's scared
I'm not sure if this is acting...her body language as the panels progress become increasingly less like herself. When she was acting as Moeko earlier for the fanbois her body language was still her own, very closed in and minimally expressive. This is totally different. The last panel, her hair is in motion which suggests she's almost bouncing with each step, her arms are swinging in a very open fashion, and her expression - that's not an expression that Erika would have.

While I appreciate Paarfi's points about how Erika is more comfortable in the role now that it's her choice to play it, these changes are too sudden and too radical. Largo's detector is highly tuned, and I suspect accurate - I think Moeko's personality is bleeding over into her. "All that energy, all that will, and all that heart, trapped in a body that was never ok." And has been waiting all this time for someone she could communicate with.

That, or she's a much better actress that I thought, and is doing this for Moeko's sake. (Certainly not for Largo's mental health, such as it is.)

Re: [1556] A magical girl transformation sequence

Posted: Tue May 28, 2019 4:28 am
by mistersaxon
Or... Erika knows she needs to try much harder than with the fanbois if she wants to affect Largo or Moeko.

Also hi.

Re: [1556] A magical girl transformation sequence

Posted: Tue May 28, 2019 4:44 am
by BetaCygnus
Roamer wrote:
Tue May 28, 2019 4:00 am
That, or she's a much better actress that I thought, and is doing this for Moeko's sake. (Certainly not for Largo's mental health, such as it is.)
My vote goes to your ‘or’, Roamer. =)

Re: [1556] A magical girl transformation sequence

Posted: Tue May 28, 2019 5:36 am
by cidjen
Hmm having somewhat thought about this...

I also am sort-of sensing a surprise coming, since Moeko's vision has awaken Miho after almost-drowning, the Moeko who was in a coma, might not be asleep any more - they will see an empty bed instead... with a little taped-up bear... Or maybe she just got up and went to the 'bathroom' :) (yeah I know muscle atrophy and all, but she's magical isn't she...)

Re: [1556] A magical girl transformation sequence

Posted: Tue May 28, 2019 9:50 am
by GouryG
Invisigoth wrote:
Mon May 27, 2019 9:50 pm
There's something much deeper happening to Largo, he's assumed all this time that Erika is an innocent and unaware of how things work. He becomes uneasy when he sees her manipulating mercenaries and fanbois with ease. Now he sees her slip into her fictional role as easily as putting on a comfortable jacket.

Erika IS everything that Largo believes that he needs to fight and he's scared
I think that Largo realizes that he may be in over his head with Erica in full Magical Girl mode and he is scared. On the other hand if she gets in trouble I have no doubts that he will do whatever he can to help her.

Re: [1556] A magical girl transformation sequence

Posted: Tue May 28, 2019 10:00 am
by Invisigoth
Well what's the worst thing that can happen, they awaken one of the most powerful MG's in the universe and one who has a proclivity for "punishing all that oppose purity and goodness most painfully!"?

I can't imagine what might possibly go wrong :D

Re: [1556] A magical girl transformation sequence

Posted: Tue May 28, 2019 10:30 am
by darrin
I like how Erika is teasing Largo knowing full well that he is almost certainly completely ignorant of the various anime tropes with which she is teasing him. (And probably knowing full well that even if Piro sat him down and tried to explain said tropes, Largo would be bored in about twelve seconds and wander off to play with his cardboard box robots or something.)

And since Largo's typical approach to life is to crash on ahead and do whatever he wants, while expecting his companions to either keep up or stay out of the way, she no doubt feels perfectly justified in using the same tactic on him: it's not her problem if Largo doesn't get all the jokes. :lol:

Which I guess could be considered mildly disfunctional by the cynical ;) if it weren't for the fact that their priority is to have fun with each other. Honesty first, then presumably understanding will follow (eventually :lol:).

Re: [1556] A magical girl transformation sequence

Posted: Tue May 28, 2019 11:33 am
by cidjen
darrin wrote:
Tue May 28, 2019 10:30 am
if Piro sat him down and tried to explain said tropes, Largo would be bored in about twelve seconds
IIRC Piro did show him the stuff,I think Largo just incorporated this into his PH34R zone and w4ll-purg36 it already :)