Sunday, March 31, 2013

Sub Thoughts - Dragon Ball: Episode 30: Pilaf and the Mysterious Army


Episode Data
Original Japanese Airdate:
September 17, 1986
Major Cast: Son Goku (Masako Nozawa), Pilaf (Shigeru Chiba), Shu (Tessho Genda), Mai (Eiko Yamada), Captain Silver (Banjou Ginga), Narrator (Joji Yanami)
Synopsis: After the Dragon Radar is stolen by a thief, Goku spots it in a secondhand goods store. A Dragon Ball signal shows up there! However, the Dragon Ball that Pilaf and co. buy from the store owner is a complete fake! The store owner also tries to sell a fake to a mysterious army who are searching for the Dragon Balls, but they see through this and shoot him. The real Dragon Ball turns out to be in a bird’s nest on the roof of the shop!! Startled by the sound of gunfire, the bird flies off with the Dragon Ball.

AMV Sunday - Summer Wars 2: The Cyrus Virus


AMV Link: Here
AMV Creator: Ileia (Uploaded by MyFavouriteAMV's)
Film: Summer Wars
Song: 'Party in the U.S.A.' by Miley Cyrus

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Sometimes, a good AMV comes along and makes you love it even when the song itself isn't that great. I'm not talking about the same phenomena I was in a previous entry, where it makes you like the song - I mean an AMV is just so well made that you love it despite disliking the song. This AMV is one of them.

Part of why this video works is because you're not really supposed to like the song any better by the end of it. No, the entire purpose of this one is to tear down the song you're hearing, and it's done in a great parallel to the actual movie itself (which you HAVE to see if you haven't already). It's just simply an amazingly well made video, with humor that works because it's taking itself so seriously in an almost over-the-top fashion. It gets particularly good when it starts splicing in footage of Miley Cyrus herself randomly.

If you can survive the song long enough to enjoy this video, you're not gonna regret it, I promise!

Saturday, March 30, 2013

'Hotties' Saturday - Itoko Osakabe


Hottie Stats
Name: Itoko Osakabe
Series: School Rumble
About: The physics teacher and Harima's older cousin. Itoko is also Harima's roommate and guardian, although she makes him pay for his share of the rent. She later evicted Harima after he volunteered to become engaged to Eri as a favor, resulting in him residing with Yakumo and Sarah in the Tsukamoto residence. Though she does not show it, she does care for him and realises just how much Tenma has changed him. Her figure is admired by the perverted boys of Class 2-C. She has a fear that her past will get brought up, a weakness which Sasakura uses against her.
English Actor: Stephanie Young
Japanese Actor: Yu Asakawa
Large Picture: Here

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Teacher's are another 'kink' for a lot of people, and just like nurses, I usually don't understand it. With her though, I totally get it...Rumble has the best tsunderes, heh.

 My pervy jokes aside (though they are so fun to make), she's not one of my favorites from Rumble, but is definitely a hottie in more than just a physical sense. As her description says, she really, truly cares for her cousin, and wants to see him happy (even if she gives him hell too, because that's fun). I think she really cares for all of her students too, and sticks up for them somewhat even in some of their more insane moments...such as the gun fights. All in all, she's a great lady who I hope ends up with someone awesome in the end.

Dragon Ball Multiverse - Page 687


Read it Here: http://www.dragonball-multiverse.com/en/page-687.html

Synopsis: Krillin lands on the ground, and raises his hands beside him. He is forced to jump and dodge another punch from Hirudegarn, and from midair he fires an energy blast right over Hirudegarn's shoulder. Yamcha (from the same universe as this Krillin) comments that it had to happen eventually, and it seems that Krillin's old age has gotten the best of him and screwed up his aiming. Videl (again, from the same universe) calls Yamcha a moron. Krillin comments that this is his last shot!

Thoughts: This could be it folks! Or it could not be. Actually, either way it probably is, but it may end badly for Krillin if this really is the last of his energy, because I don't see Tapion being so stupid as to just stand there and get hit surely. I'd like it if he was taken out, but that does seem a little much.

There has been some discussion about what exactly Krillin is doing here though. Is he just firing a generic energy beam, or is it the same 'splitting' technique that he used to kill a bunch of Saibamen early in the Z portion of the series? It'd be interesting to see that come back, especially if Tapion does dodge, so I'm hoping for that. It has also been suggested that perhaps it's the Mafuba, which the hand positions do kind of support...but seeing as how Krillin didn't grab anything out to seal Tapion into, I'm not thinking it's that.

Sub Thoughts - Dragon Ball: Episode 29: Another Adventure - The Wandering Lake






Episode Data
Original Japanese Airdate:
September 10, 1986
Major Cast: Son Goku (Masako Nozawa), Kuririn (Mayumi Tanaka), Yamucha (Toru Furuya), Bulma (Hiromi Tsuru), Kame-sennin (Kohei Miyauchi), Oolong (Naoki Tatsuta), Puar (Naoko Watanabe), Namu (Kaneto Shiozawa), Giran (Banjou Ginga), Narrator (Joji Yanami)
Synopsis: Searching for the Dragon Balls, Goku comes to a desert region where he hears the legend of the moving lake. There, Goku rescues Namu as he is attacked by monsters. Namu has gone upstream to investigate why the river has dried up! After discovering that Giran and his tribe had damned up the river, Goku breaks the dam with a Kamehameha, but this time a sandstorm buries the river!! The villagers despair, but after the sandstorm leaves, it leaves behind the legendary lake.

Sub Thoughts - Dragon Ball: Episode 28: Clash!! Power V.S. Power


Episode Data
Original Japanese Airdate:
September 3, 1986
Major Cast: Son Goku (Masako Nozawa), Kuririn (Mayumi Tanaka), Yamucha (Toru Furuya), Bulma (Hiromi Tsuru), Kame-sennin (Kohei Miyauchi), Oolong (Naoki Tatsuta), Puar (Naoko Watanabe), Narrator (Jouji Yanami)
Synopsis: Jackie blew away the moon, guarding against Goku ever becoming an Oozaru again!! At the same time, Goku returns to his normal form, and the match is restarted. With their energy rapidly falling from exhaustion and hunger, the two muster the last of their power, and their clash unfolds. Having received slightly less damage, Jackie declares that he has won the championship, and he achieves victory. Having learned that there are many strong people in the world, Goku and Kuririn vow to train even harder!

Richard Griffiths Passes Away


BBC News has reported that Richard Griffiths, the actor best known to myself and probably most in the US as Vernon Dursley in the Harry Potter films, has passed away due to complications following heart surgery. He was 65.

I may have only known Griffiths for Mr. Dursley, but even that is enough. He was an amazingly good actor in that role, and in a way made it his own. In the books, you never really come to care about Mr. Dursley in any way at all, but the way Griffiths played him had a certain amount of humor to it - it made you love to hate the character rather than just outright hating him. That is quite the accomplishment in-of-itself. Godspeed Mr. Griffiths, and thank you for this role and all others you did. You will be missed.

Gurren Lagann 'Rescued' By Aniplex


Aniplex of USA have announced that they have re-secured the North American rights to the Gurren Lagann TV series, and plans to re-release the series via two different formats. The company already owned the rights to the two feature-length movie versions of the series.

The series will be re-released on DVD in a set featuring the entire TV series (in English and Japanese), an 'unaired' episode, two soundtrack CDs, a 36-page-booklet, a double-sided poster, a 12-post card set, and two stickers of Kamina's quotes. Video extras will include a 3D test animation footage, staff interviews, the 'Yoko Goes to Gainax' video, amongst other extras. The DVD box is set to be released on May 9th, at a price of $174.98.

The Blu-ray box set however will be an import of the same Blu-ray set due to come out in June in Japan. The set will include the TV series in both Japanese and English, both movies (which only exist in Japanese form, but will have English subtitles), and various extras. The set will include 10 Blu-ray discs and 5 CDs, amongst a variety of other 'exciting' extras. This Blu-ray set will cost $669.98 MSRP.

If this news report sounds a little more sterile than most of my other ones, it's because I am thoroughly un-excited by this news. I already have the TV series via the Anime Legends set from Bandai thankfully, but the very idea that Aniplex is hiking up prices this badly (something they're known for) makes me see red. I am truly livid.

For those that don't know, this kind of pricing is pretty standard practice in Japan, where actually owning a copy of a show isn't something most 'regular' people do, it's more for the extremely hardcore fans. That sentiment isn't shared in the US however, so for Aniplex to try and use the same marketing strategy over here is insane. Pardon my French, but Aniplex can kiss my ass - even if I didn't already own the series, there would be no way in hell I'd pay that much for this series, no matter how good it is.

I highly urge everyone to vote with their wallets however. Try and find copies of the Bandai releases of the series and buy those, rather than doing anything illegal, because then Aniplex will have absolutely no power or right to complain about your way of getting the series. This is a great series, but no series should cost your first-born child to own it.

Thursday, March 28, 2013

Bleach: Chapter 531: Everything But The Rain 4


Synopsis: As he observes the mysterious creature from behind, Isshin muses about how weird it is to see a black Hollow. The creature turns to face him and slowly opens it's mouth, and lets out a loud howl as it's power rises substantially. Isshin observes that it's black all over and it's hole has been filled in with something, but it's definitely a Hollow. The Hollow rushes towards Isshin, who swipes his sword out in return.

Naruto: Chapter 625: The True Dream


Synopsis: Hashirama's comrades freak out at Madara's suggestion, as does Tobirama, but Hashirama shushes them. Tobirama asks him if he's really going to kill either himself or his own brother to appease Madara, and Hashirama thanks Madara, saying he knew he could reason with him. Hashirama takes off his armor and pulls out a kunai, saying that out of Madara's options, his choice is clear, and that Madara probably knew what he'd choose, knowing all too well about brotherly bonds. Hashirama holds the kunai in front of his chest, and tells everyone to listen to his final words. After he dies, everyone in the clan is forbidden to kill Madara, and that no more fighting will be permitted between the Senju and Uchiha clans. He tells them to swear this on the names of their fathers and their unborn children, and then bids them farewell.

Sub Thoughts - Dragon Ball: Episode 27: Goku's Greatest Pinch!


Episode Data
Original Japanese Airdate:
August 27, 1986
Major Cast: Son Goku (Masako Nozawa), Kuririn (Mayumi Tanaka), Kame-sennin (Kohei Miyauchi), Yamucha (Toru Furuya), Bulma (Hiromi Tsuru), Oolong (Naoki Tatsuta), Puar (Naoko Watanabe), Narrator (Joji Yanami)
Synopsis: Becoming serious against Goku, Jackie uses the Yoiko Min-Min Ken! Goku enters a deep sleep. He somehow manages to escape this pinch, but he is assaulted by Jackie’s special attack, the Bankoku-Bikkuri-Sho! With a shockwave like an electric current running up his entire body, Goku is robbed of the ability to move. But just as he’s about to surrender, his eyes catch sight of the full moon! Against Goku, who has transformed into an Oozaru once again, Jackie fires an extra-large Kamehameha!! What is Goku’s fate…?!

Soul Eater: Chapter 108: The Dark Side of the Moon V


Synopsis: Excalibur chides Lord Death about giving all of his fears to only one of his fragments, but Death retorts that laws are built out of fear and laws and madness are always fated to be two sides of the same coin. He then says that he used his son for an experiment to corner the witch Medusa, so the responsibility is his own - it wasn't something he wanted to impose on the children. Excalibur says that's no reason to die however, and Death seems to agree, though he wonders what side the new Shinigami will take.

Dragon Ball Multiverse – Page 686



Synopsis: Hirudegarn throws a punch towards Krillin, which Krillin is barely able to dodge. Hirudegarn then attacks with another few stabs of his tail, which Krillin is also barely able to dodge. Krillin is finally forced to drop his Kaio-ken and land on the ground, out of breath and seemingly out of energy. Tapion watches all of this, and thinks to himself that Krillin is finally getting tired, so this fight should almost be at it's end.

Thoughts: I've decided on the major reason I really don't want Tapion to win this - he's not doing anything! He's just letting Hirudegarn attack Krillin, like some kind of summon or Pokemon/Digimon type situation, rather than actually doing anything himself. I was liking the idea of Tapion using Hirudegarn's power as his own at first, but not when it's done like this. If he was just using it's power from within his own body (kind of like Naruto in Fox Mode in Naruto), then I'd like it more, but as things stand now...yeah. I'm really, really hoping Krillin can figure out a way to pull one over here.

Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Sub Thoughts - Dragon Ball: Episode 26: The Final Round!! Kamehameha


Episode Data
Original Japanese Airdate:
August 20, 1986
Major Cast: Son Goku (Masako Nozawa), Kuririn (Mayumi Tanaka), Kame-sennin (Kohei Miyauchi), Yamucha (Tohru Furuya), Bulma (Hiromi Tsuru), Oolong (Naoki Tatsuta), Puar (Naoko Watanabe), Narrator (Jouji Yanami)
Synopsis: The finals for the 21st Tenkaichi Budokai have been decided! Goku is knocked out of bounds by Jackie. But he spins his tail like a propeller and comes back! Goku and Jackie at last put forth their best. The two fire a Kamehameha at the same time!! Goku’s Kamehameha evenly matches Jackie’s, and knocks it back!! Demonstrating a back-and-forth display of such attacks as the Zanzoken, the Suiken, and the Saruken, their red-hot battle continues!

Persona 3: The Movie #1 'Spring of Birth' First PV Revealed


The first short teaser trailer for 'Persona 3: The Movie #1: Spring of Birth' since it's announcement at the end of the Persona 4 movie, is finally out!

The teaser, like it's name, doesn't do much more than that, as it only really shows us the MC (Main Character), often nicknamed Minato by fans, walking along during the Dark Hour, and preparing to summon his Persona. For fans though, that's enough to get them really excited for the movie - myself included. As more of a fan of Persona 3 than I am for Persona 4, it's great to finally see this game get some attention as well.

Update: Via the ANN article posting, it seems the MC's name in this series of movies will be 'Makoto Yuki' instead of the long held fan name of 'Minato'.

IGPX Returning to Toonami, Plus 'New Look'


Toonami has announced two very big things coming on April 27th. First of which is that IGPX, the only 'original' show that Toonami produced, is returning to it's home and will be airing anew on the block (time to be determined).

Here's a brief synopsis of IGPX, courtesy of ANN.

In the year 2035 Team Suzaku and Team Sledge Mamma are preparing to meet in the final round of the 12th Immortal Grand Prix (IGPX). Takeshi leads Team Suzaku, which is made-up of a group of young amateur pilots who must make the most of their limited funds and weaponry in order to prepare for the competition designed for professionals.

Secondly, April 27th is also the date that they'll be rolling out the 'revamp' of Toonami, with a new design for T.O.M. and the Absolution, a new online Toonami comic giving a 'story' reason for all the changes, and just a whole new look all around. When One Piece is coming to Toonami is still being decided.

I for one can't wait to see IGPX as I never got to see it before, but the main thing I'm excited for is to check out the new look for the block.

Zetman Dub Cast Announced


Viz Media has finally announced the primary dub cast for Zetman, which is due to start airing on their 'Neon Alley' streaming service on April 20.

Jin Kanzaki - Jason Griffith
Koga Amagi - Grant George
Konoha Amagi - Sophie Roberts (an 'alternate' name for Michelle Ruff)

For anyone unaware of what Zetman is about, here's a brief synopsis from ANN.

There are two forces in the world: the Zet, who are entrusted with the survival of humanity, and the Alphas, who have chosen an extreme form of justice. In a certain city, Jin lives under a bridge with an old man, struggling to pay off debts. He carries the destiny of humanity's survival. Kouga lives on a hill and stands to inherit vast wealth. In his admiration for heroes, he seeks out the meaning of justice. They don't know it now, but they are destined to one day meet.
I haven't yet seen the anime (though I understand it's not near as well done as the manga it is based on unfortunately), so I'm even more unsure what to think of this casting than I already was. Hopefully it gets a good dub to keep me interested despite how inferior this show may be to it's original manga.

Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Sub Thoughts - Dragon Ball: Episode 25: Get Up, Goku! The Fearsome Tenku Pekeji-ken






Episode Data
Original Japanese Airdate:
August 13, 1986
Major Cast: Son Goku (Masako Nozawa), Kuririn (Mayumi Tanaka), Kame-sennin (Kohei Miyauchi), Yamucha (Toru Furuya), Bulma (Hiromi Tsuru), Oolong (Naoki Tatsuta), Puar (Naoko Watanabe), Namu (Kaneto Shiozawa), Narrator (Joji Yanami)
Synopsis: The sixth match is Goku and Namu’s semi-finals fight. Goku attacks Namu by imitating the Zanzoken that Jackie displayed during his fight with Kuririn. Namu skillfully dodges this attack! Namu attempts to finish Goku off with his special attack, the Tenku Pekeji-ken! Goku is hit by the attack and downed, but revives right before the count of ten! Namu further comes out him with the Super Tenku Pekeji-ken, but Goku breaks through the technique. Goku then advances to the finals!

Sub Thoughts - Dragon Ball: Episode 24: Kuririn's Desperate Offensive and Defensive Battle


Episode Data
Original Japanese Airdate:
August 6, 1986
Major Cast: Son Goku (Masako Nozawa), Kuririn (Mayumi Tanaka), Kame-sennin (Kohei Miyauchi), Yamucha (Toru Furuya), Bulma (Hiromi Tsuru), Oolong (Naoki Tatsuta), Puar (Naoko Watanabe), Namu (Kaneto Shiozawa), Narrator (Joji Yanami)
Synopsis: The fifth match is the semi-finals fight, Kuririn vs Jackie Chun. Kuririn and Jackie’s battle unfolds at ultra-fast speed that the eye can’t follow!! The spectators who came to watch the Tenkaichi Budokai are extremely excited by the pair’s high level battle!! Kuririn puts up a good fight against Jackie, but he rushes to win! Because of this, he is hit by Jackie’s karate chops after Jackie goes around behind his back, and is downed!! Sadly, Kuririn is defeated during the semi-finals.

Leo, Mikey, & Donnie Cast in New TMNT


In addition to the previous casting of Alan Ritchson as Raphael in the TMNT reboot film from Michael Bay/Jonathan Liebesman (currently set for a June 6, 2014 release), we now have actors cast for the other three Turtles.

Pete Ploszek (who I'm unable to find any credible link for) will play Leonardo. Noel Fisher, best known for Mickey Milkovich on Shameless and Cael Malloy on The Riches, will portray Michelangelo. Jeremy Howard, who has thus far done mainly random background roles, will be Donatello.

The news report also indicates that Megan Fox will (not surprisingly) indeed be playing April O'Neil, and that the Turtles will be achieved by motion capture much in the line of 'Avatar'.

While I remain cautiously optimistic about these unknown faces for the Turtles, I am hesitant as always about Megan Fox as April. I'm almost even more hesitant about the idea of 'Avatar' graphics, as if they go too far in that route, the Turtles won't merge well with the reality around them in the film. Granted, that could be the least of our problems, but we'll just have to see how this all plays out.

Dragon Ball Multiverse - Page 685



Synopsis: Krillin makes a beeline for Tapion, leaving Hirudegarn behind as the beast begins to reform. He begins to approach Tapion from behind, but unfortunately for him Hirudegarn has reformed first, and stabs at him with it's tail, which Krillin just barely manages to dodge.

Thoughts: Oh Krillin, of course it's not going to be that easy just because you've figured out what to do at last. That's why I'm a little shocked by him screaming 'Hey!!' when Hirudegarn almost impales him. What did you think it was going to do, just stand there and let you take out Tapion? Yeesh.

Sunday, March 24, 2013

Sub Thoughts: Dragon Ball: Episode 23: He's Here! The Mighty Foe Giran


Episode Data
Original Japanese Airdate:
July 30, 1986
Major Cast: Son Goku (Masako Nozawa), Kuririn (Mayumi Tanaka), Kame-sennin (Kohei Miyauchi), Yamucha (Toru Furuya), Bulma (Hiromi Tsuru), Oolong (Naoki Tatsuta), Puar (Naoko Watanabe), Namu (Kaneto Shiozawa), Ranfan (Yoko Kawanami), Giran (Banjou Ginga), Narrator (Joji Yanami)
Synopsis: At last it’s Goku’s turn! The one facing Goku in the fourth match was the powerful opponent Giran!! Goku is knocked around by Giran’s stream of unfair attacks! Giran traps Goku in the rubbery Guru-Guru Gum that he shoots from his mouth!! Goku is in an absolutely desperate pinch! Just as he is about to be thrown out of the ring, his chopped-off tail suddenly grows back, and his power multiplies! Seeing this, Giran surrenders!!

New Battle of Gods Promos


Now I know even a small part of what Kanzenshuu feels, as even MORE Battle of Gods news has come out before we even get to the release date! Thankfully this time it's not very substantial though, and comes in the form of just four new promos airing on Japanese TV.

Feeny to Cameo in 'Girl Meets World'


Boy Meets World fans can throw up their arms in jubilation while shrieking the Feeny call from building tops - like I plan to - because the Feeny is back!

If you haven't been following along with the news, the beloved sitcom is getting a spin-off sequel entitled Girl Meets World, which will follow the adventures of Cory and Topanga's young daughter, Riley. The series (or pilot as of now, but it seems extremely likely that it will get picked up by the Disney Channel as a new series), will seek to show the same kind of world exploring from youth to adulthood that the original series did, just from a girl's POV this time rather than a boy's.

AMV Sunday - Buttons & Girls (NSFW)


AMV Link: Here
AMV Creator: OBZ Productions (uploaded by inuyashafan4everX4)
Series: Girls Bravo
Song: 'Buttons' by The Pussycat Dolls; 'Girls' by Beastie Boys

'Hotties' Saturday - Tae Anegasaki


Hottie Stats
Name: Tae Anegasaki
Series: School Rumble
About: The school's infirmary nurse who is also loved by the boys. This has encouraged many boys to get injured or feign injury so that they can get close to her. Prior to taking this job, she briefly let Harima stay at her apartment when his dream of becoming a manga artist was temporarily crushed after he found out that his idol, the manga artist Nijō jō was really Karasuma. Anegasaki is attracted to Harima and calls him affectionately by his pen name Hario, although Harima has rejected her advances. Her belief in and support of Harima helped him get over his depression and return to school. She later becomes the faculty sponsor for the girls' basketball team.
English Actor: Colleen Clinkenbeard
Japanese Actor: Sayaka Ohara
Large Picture: Here

Saturday, March 23, 2013

Sub Thoughts - Dragon Ball: Episode 22: Yamucha V.S. Jackie Chun


Episode Data
Original Japanese Airdate:
July 23, 1986
Major Cast: Son Goku (Masako Nozawa), Mayumi Tanaka (Kuririn), Kame-sennin (Kohei Miyauchi), Yamucha (Toru Furuya), Bulma (Hiromi Tsuru), Oolong (Naoki Tatsuta), Puar (Naoko Watanabe), Namu (Kaneto Shiozawa), Ranfan (Yoko Kawakami), Narrator (Joji Yanami)
Synopsis: It’s the second match, Yamucha vs Jackie Chun! The mysterious old man Jackie Chun defies Yamucha’s rapid attacks, and breaks through even his special attack, the Wolf Fang Fist!! Furthermore, Jackie seizes victory by raising a wind with a swing of his left hand, blowing Yamucha out of bounds! In the third match, the serious Namu is assaulted by Ranfan’s sex appeal strategy!! But Namu achieves a turnabout victory when he defeats Ranfan with a single blow after freeing himself from distracting thoughts!

Alan Ritchson To Play Raphael in TMNT


Work on the new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film moves forward, with yet another actor announced (the first since the travesty of Megan Fox most-likely playing April), this time for one of the Turtles themselves. Alan Ritchson, known best for Aquaman from the Smallville series and soon to be Gloss in The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, has been cast to play Raphael in the film.

While nothing has been officially said yet, it's most likely that this movie will be using motion capture and CGI for the Turtles rather than actors in suits, and possibly the same actors for the character's voices. I'm unfamiliar with any of Ritchson's work, but at the very least, he has a little experience in both fields - he previously performed motion capture for the lead character in 2007's Beowulf adaptation, and he performed the voice of Aquaman for Justice League: The New Frontier. I'm remaining cautiously optimistic about this casting since I know nothing about the actor, hopefully he'll do well in the role compared to my hopes (or lack there-of) in regards to Fox.

Friday, March 22, 2013

Dragon Ball Multiverse - Page 684


Read It Here: http://www.dragonball-multiverse.com/en/page-684.html

Synopsis: Krillin throws a Kienzan (or Destructo Disc) towards Hirudegarn in a desperate attempt to topple the monster, but Hirudegarn simply dissolves into smoke to dodge the attack. Krillin realizes that nothing is working on it, so it's become clear that it's not Hirudegarn that he must attack.

Thoughts: Took you long enough to figure it out, didn't it Krillin. :P Jokes about how quickly we all knew what he should do aside, I figure this is one of those things where the pace is better if we'd had the past few pages in sequence rather than a few days in-between. With any luck, Krillin will be able to potshot Tapion and win this.

Sub Thoughts - Dragon Ball: Episode 21: Watch Out Kuririn!


Episode Data
Original Japanese Airdate:
July 16, 1986
Major Cast: Son Goku (Masako Nozawa), Kuririn (Mayumi Tanaka), Kame-sennin (Kohei Miyauchi), Yamucha (Toru Furuya), Bulma (Hiromi Tsuru), Oolong (Naoki Tatsuta), Puar (Naoko Watanabe), Bacterian (Yasuro Tanaka), Ranfan (Yoko Kawanami), Namu (Kaneto Shiozawa),
Synopsis: The first round of the Tenkaichi Budokai main event is Kuririn vs Bacterian! Bacterian is a formidable opponent who uses his filth as a weapon, with his foul smell paralyzing his opponents. With bad breath, farts, and the like, he assaults Kuririn with foul-smelling attacks!! The helpless Kuririn is finally downed!! At that time, Kuririn awakens from this nightmare of smells when Goku tells him “You don’t have a nose!”. Launching a fierce counterattack against Bacterian, Kuririn breaks through the first round!

Thursday, March 21, 2013

Sub Thoughts - Dragon Ball: Episode 20: Will It Appear?! The Power From the Training


Episode Data
Original Japanese Airdate:
July 9, 1986
Major Cast: Son Goku (Masako Nozawa), Kuririn (Mayumi Tanaka), Kame-sennin (Kohei Miyauchi), Yamucha (Toru Furuya), Bulma (Hiromi Tsuru), Oolong (Naoki Tatsuta), Puar (Naoko Watanabe), Bacterian (Yasuo Tanaka), Narrator (Joji Yanami)
Synopsis: The Tenkaichi Budokai is held once every five years! A mere eight people are able to participate in the tournament’s main event! The preliminaries to select those eight people are divided up into four blocks!! Goku and Kuririn fully display the results of the harsh training that they received from Kame-sennin!! Tossing a veteran to his defeat, Goku splendidly gains the right to participate in the main event! What’s more, Yamucha also advances well, and wins his ticket to the Tenkaiichi Budokai main event!!

Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Dragon Ball Multiverse - Page 683


Read It Here: http://www.dragonball-multiverse.com/en/page-683.html

Synopsis: Krillin's Kamehameha hits Hirudegarn's foot, but bounces right off due to the difference in power. Krillin is shocked, as Hirudegarn turns and begins to breath fire towards him. Krillin just barely jumps out of the way, as he goes to a higher level of Kaio-ken.

Thoughts: Things aren't looking up for Krillin so far, but I can still see lots of options for how he might win (as can others who actually brought this idea to me). If Krillin can just manage to knock out Tapion, Hirudegarn might get pulled back into the bracelet by default. If he doesn't, then he may still be running around causing havoc, and Tapion may get disqualified for that. Or he could destroy the bracelet, and that could let Hirudegarn free (or maybe somehow manage to kill him, who knows what Raichi had to set up to make this work). There's still hope yet, especially now that Krillin is going even higher in power!

New Battle of Gods Clip


Over on Japanese iTunes, a new clip from Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods, has gone up! It doesn't really show us anything we didn't already know, but it does show us how great the animation is, and a lot more of Bils' non-fighting attitude. You can view the clip for yourself here.

 A brief synopsis of the trailer: Bils is sitting at his table after having just woken up, wearing his bathrobe. He uses some weird ability to see the past, by which he views Goku's final fight as a Super Saiyan against Frieza. Whis explains to him what happened, and Bils begins to ponder over the implications of 'Super Saiyan' as it really starts to sound familiar to him. He eventually figures it out, and is excited. The video then shifts to a different scene, where Goku has powered up to Super Saiyan 3 to fight with Bils. He rushes Bils with an attack, but Bils blocks it easily, and with a mere flick of his finger, sends Goku sliding across the planet. The flick alone does enough damage to knock the breath out of Goku, as well as make him bleed a little. Bils beckons Goku back, and Goku strikes again, attacking with a flurry of blows that Bils dodges easily and jumps behind Goku. Goku goes in for another punch that blows a hole in King Kai's planet, but the punch misses, and Bils re-appears from behind Goku, and knocks him out with a simple tap to the neck.

Keep in mind that this summary is based on a raw copy of the video (IE no subtitles), and I don't speak Japanese. Having seen the entire franchise prior to this in subtitled form and knowing the plot of the movie however, I'm able to decode what's going on at least this far.

It's amazing how much we're getting out of this movie before it's even officially released. I'm sort of going to miss it all once it's all said and done, but then there's the US release to wait for.

Sub Thoughts - Dragon Ball: Episode 19: The Tenkaichi Budokai Begins!


Episode Data
Original Japanese Airdate:
July 2, 1986
Major Cast: Son Goku (Masako Nozawa), Kuririn (Mayumi Tanaka), Kame-sennin (Kohei Miyauchi), Lunch (Mami Koyama), Bulma (Hiromi Tsuru), Yamucha (Toru Furuya), Oolong (Naoki Tatsuta), Puar (Naoko Watanabe), Narrator (Joji Yanami)
Synopsis: Goku and Kuririn continue their training by wearing 40 kg shells on their back! The two are aiming for the Tenkaichi Budokai, which opens in a month!! The day before the tournament, Kame-sennin takes them to the island where it will be held! At the tournament registration area, Goku reunites with Yamucha, Bulma, Oolong, and Puar. Goku is delighted when he learns that Yamucha is also participating! The next day, the Tenkaichi Budokai is at last decided!!

Naruto: Chapter 624: Aiko


Synopsis: Hashirama and Madara look back at the river as they rush to leave it, only to see their fathers and brothers rushing onward into combat. It's clear from their previous fights that their fathers are equal, but the presence of their little brothers shake things up. Both fathers know that seeing the other's son die will demoralize them and give them a chance for victory. As Hashirama and Madara both yell for them to stop, Madara's father throws a short dagger at Tobirame, while Hashirama's father throws a kunai at Madara's little brother Izuna. Before either blade can hit their targets however, they are knocked out of the air by rocks, the very rocks with messages written on them that Hashirama and Madara had tossed to each other before as warnings. After saving their brothers, both boys drop down in front of them, with Madara yelling that he doesn't care who it is, he won't forgive anyone who tries to hurt his brother.

Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Sub Thoughts - Dragon Ball: Episode 18: The Turtle Hermit's Intense Training


Episode Data
Original Japanese Airdate:
June 25, 1986
Major Cast: Son Goku (Masako Nozawa), Kuririn (Mayumi Tanaka), Kame-sennin (Kohei Miyauchi), Lunch (Mami Koyama), Narrator (Joji Yanami)
Synopsis: With their early morning training over, Goku and Kuririn continue on to their morning training. In order to strengthen their arms and legs, they train by plowing a field barehanded! After breakfast it’s study time!! After lunch, they take an afternoon nap until 1:30. During the afternoon they help out with construction work. It’s training where they sweat, toughen their muscles, and even receive a part-time job salary! Furthermore, they carry themselves through rough training to toughen their reflexes, swimming ten laps around a lake while being chased by sharks and dodging the frenzied attacks of bees, to finally end a full day of training!

New Battle of Gods Screenshots


'Let's GOD!!' indeed! As I keep pressing, the countdown to 'Battle of Gods' official premiere in Japan is getting closer and closer, but oddly enough the main story of the movie is actually pretty well fleshed out thanks to a member of Kanzenshuu who was able to see the movie at a preview screening. I'm waiting until the full synopsis is up there to go into a full thoughts post, but for now, have some more screenshots from the movie to dig into!

Monday, March 18, 2013

Sub Thoughts - Dragon Ball: Episode 17: With Life at Stake! Milk Delivery


Episode Data
Original Japanese Airdate:
June 18, 1986
Major Cast: Son Goku (Masako Nozawa), Kuririn (Mayumi Tanaka), Kame-sennin (Kohei Miyauchi), Lunch (Mami Koyama), Bulma (Hiromi Tsuru), Yamucha (Toru Furuya), Oolong (Naoki Tatsuta), Puar (Naoko Watanabe), Narrator (Joji Yanami)
Synopsis: The basic training finally begins! To start off, Goku and Kuririn are given milk delivery as their early morning training! Carrying the milk boxes, they do things like skip and zig-zag around rows of trees!! Furthermore, they climb stone stairs that rise high into the air, cross over a valley on a large tree, cross through a desert of quicksand and a raging river while keeping their balance, and get chased by dinosaurs as a bonus! This is their ultra-hard milk delivery training that surpasses ordinary knowledge!!

Sunday, March 17, 2013

Super Saiyan God Revealed, Plus New Footage


There's still TONS of Battle of Gods news coming your way, but I can't post about it just yet because I don't have the whole story yet (as well as it rightfully belonging on Kanzenshuu first), so please bear with me. Until then though, I do have some other tidbits to share with you!

First up is that the appearance of 'Super Saiyan God' has been revealed! It was first shown in the above magazine scans (which you can see in a larger form here), after a description being given by a member of Kanzenshuu who was able to see one of the early screenings. 'Super Saiyan God', which is achieved by a ritual of six 'pure-hearted' Saiyans banding together and granting one of them an incredible power, takes on a more normal appearance than previous forms. The user's hair changes to a reddish color, with the eyes altering to something closer to SS3's eyes, and their body is wrapped in an flame-like aura. While the form itself is a little basic looking, and I'm really 'meh' on the way it is achieved, I'll have to wait until I can see it for myself to truly judge it.

In addition to this, two new pieces of footage have come out! The first of which is a new scene that was aired on a TV show in Japan, showcasing various heroes (Majin Buu, Tien, #18, Piccolo, and Gohan) taking a crack at Bils, only for each of them to fall to his incredible power with ease. The second new video is a new short commercial for the film, which shows a new brief shot of Bils standing next to Uisu, and then Goku confidently approaching the two while his friends and family look on.

As always, my excitement to actually see this film grows by leaps and bounds. I literally cannot WAIT to share the other new info with you, once it's all collected together.

AMV Sunday - Cowboy's Gonna Cut You Down


AMV Link: Here
AMV Creator: Dark Crystal (Upload by RemyKiddoSky)
Series: Cowboy Bebop
Song: 'God's Gonna Cut You Down' by Johnny Cash

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I'm not much for this type of music, but ever since I heard this particular Johnny Cash tune playing in the trailer for the True Grit remake, it caught my attention and quickly became one of those songs that I really enjoy despite myself. And as usual, once I come across a song like that, I look to see if there's any good AMVs using it. That's how I stumbled across this particular little gem.

Believe it or not, I'm also not near as big of a Cowboy Bebop fan as most are, but man does it fit perfectly with this song. The main theme of Bebop, as I interpreted it anyway, is that you can't escape your past - be it the criminals that Spike and the gang hunt down for bounties, or Spike with his own unscrupulous past - it doesn't matter, your past is going to catch up with you. A bit of a dark thought, but one that is expressed perfectly in the lyrics and tone of Cash's song.

While I'm not the biggest Bebop fan, I do really, really love it's movie, so the fact that this AMV uses mostly (if not all) footage from the movie rather than the show works greatly for me, though that does diminish the effectiveness of the song's meanings toward Spike. It'd be a little better with some footage of Spike's past and Vicious, but that's still not enough to detract from how great this video is.

Sub Thoughts - Dragon Ball: Episode 16: Training -- The Rock Hunt


Episode Data
Original Japanese Airdate:
June 11, 1986
Major Cast: Son Goku (Masako Nozawa), Kuririn (Mayumi Tanaka), Kame-sennin (Kohei Miyauchi), Lunch (Mami Koyama), Narrator (Joji Yanami)
Synopsis: Moving to a large island, Kame-sennin begins the training. First, in order to learn Goku and Kuririn’s ability, he measures how fast they can run 100 meters. The two look promising, and Kame-sennin gives them some training before dinner. It’s a great trial where he throws a stone with the “kame” mark on it into the jungle, then tells the two to find it! The person who doesn’t manage to find it will go without dinner! Goku and Kuririn take this severe training in earnest!! The sly Kuririn seizes victory in this contest!

Dragon Ball Multiverse - Page 682


Read It Here: http://www.dragonball-multiverse.com/en/page-682.html

Synopsis: Hirudegarn's foot stomps down on the arena, with Krillin just barely able to dodge it. Tapion apologizes, saying that he's only here for the wish, not the sport. Krillin lands nearby, and begins to charge up a Kamehameha, which he fires towards Hirudegarn's foot.

Thoughts: I was actually surprised to see the pacing switching back to the fight already. I really thought we'd see more reactions from people, perhaps something amusing from Babidi (since Hirudegarn's origins is an obvious nod to Majin Buu), but I guess they wanted to get the show on the road again. Tapion's pretty ruthless for a nice guy I guess, but he does have a lot at stake. And while I continue to hope for Krillin, I don't see this Kamehameha doing much.

Sub Thoughts - Dragon Ball: Episode 15: The Peculiar Girl, Lunch


Episode Data
Original Japanese Airdate:
June 4, 1986
Major Cast: Son Goku (Masako Nozawa), Kuririn (Mayumi Tanaka), Kame-sennin (Kohei Miyauchi), Lunch (Mami Koyama), Narrator (Joji Yanami)
Synopsis: Goku and Kuririn set out in search of a pichi-pichi gal, the fee for becoming a pupil of Kame-sennin. Saving Lunch, a girl who was pursued by the police, they immediately bring her to Kame-sennin’s place! Having passed the test, Goku and Kuririn are recognized as Kame-sennin’s pupils!! But it turns out that Lunch is an incredibly peculiar girl with two personalities, and becomes either violent or peaceful each time she sneezes!!

'Hotties' Saturday - Eri Sawachika (School Rumble)


Hottie Stats
Name:
Eri Sawachika
Series: School Rumble
About: Born into wealth, Eri is the daughter of a prominent English businessman. Her mother is from Kyoto. Although Eri was born in Japan, she moved to England for her early schooling before returning to Japan to attend high school. Eri has a dual nature.  Talented, beautiful, wealthy, and popular, she is admired and envied by her classmates for the glamorous lifestyle that many believe her to lead. In reality, however, Eri uses this image and her outward confidence to mask her inward feelings of loneliness and insecurity. Her social status makes her unapproachable to many of her classmates and leaves her somewhat isolated from her peers. Even at home, her parents are away on business more frequently than not. She develops feelings for Harima, she usually denies it, but as the story goes on her feelings for Harima get stronger.
English Actor: Leah Clark
Japanese Actor: Yui Horie
Large Picture: Here

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The tsundere - the character type or trope that I'm usually not fond of at all in anime. But there's something about Eri that just makes it work for me. And oh how it works...jokes about her obvious physical attributes aside, Eri really is as sweet as she is temperamental. She truly cares for her friends, and you can see how much she really likes Harima through how much she denies it. I don't think even she realizes how much she likes the guy. That kind of dedication is a rare thing, and it's absolutely adorable to see in action.

Friday, March 15, 2013

Sub Thoughts - Dragon Ball: Episode 14: Goku's Rival Appears

Episode Data
Original Japanese Airdate:
May 28, 1986
Major Cast: Son Goku (Masako Nozawa), Bulma (Hiromi Tsuru), Kuririn (Mayumi Tanaka), Kame-sennin (Kohei Miyauchi), Yamucha (Toru Furuya), Oolong (Naoki Tatsuta), Puar (Naoko Watanabe)
Synopsis: Done with collecting the Dragon Balls, Goku heads to Kame-sennin’s place to receive training! However, in order to become Kame-sennin’s pupil, the fee is to bring a pichi-pichi gal!! At the same time, a person comes from across the sea. The boy, who calls himself Kuririn, came in order to become Kame-sennin’s pupil, just like Goku! In order to be received as a pupil, Kuririn presents a large stash of porn magazines that he brought. Will he manage to safely become a pupil…?!

Game Review - Carnivores: Dinosaur Hunter


Series: Carnivores 2
Title: Carnivores: Dinosaur Hunter
Genre: FPS (First-Person Shooter); Hunting
Story: 2190 AD. On a routine exploration mission, research vessel FMM UV discovered a planet with a suitable climate for humankind. During the initial scouting expedition this young planet was declared inhospitable for colony life due to its unstable terrain and immense population of prehistoric reptiles. News of this amazing planet spread and reports of the "Dinosaur Planet" led an earth corporation to purchase the rights to the planet, and create DinoHunt Corp. DinoHunt created the unique opportunity for paying customers to become dinosaur hunters for the first time in 50 million years.
Systems: PC; iOS; Android; PSP

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I recently picked up a new PSN card for $20, to treat myself to Tomba! after wanting it for years now, which left me some extra cash to get some other games. One of the things I ended up getting was a pack of two games for cheap, the 'Carnivores' pack. This is about just the first one out of the pack, which is the one that made me decide to get the pack at all. It was really a weird pick up for me, as I'm usually not much for first-person shooters, especially not hunting games. The allure of hunting dinosaurs caught my whimsy though, so I had to give it a try. Now if only I could make it play Jurassic Park music while I play.

Dragon Ball Multiverse - Page 681


Read It Here: http://www.dragonball-multiverse.com/en/page-681.html

Synopsis: Hirudegarn finally manifests fully - in his complete form - from the mist that exits Tapion. Krillin stands there shocked, commenting that that's sure something else, as Tapion calmly orders Hirudegarn to attack. Vegito (Universe 16) comments that Tapion can keep the whole of Hirudegarn inside of him after all, while Goku (Universe 18, the canon universe) is surprised that Tapion and Hirudegarn are friends now. Raichi watches from the sidelines and says that it's thanks to his amazing talents.

Thursday, March 14, 2013

Sub Thoughts - Dragon Ball: Episode 13: Goku's Great Transformation

Episode Data
Original Japanese Airdate:
May 21, 1986
Major Cast: Son Goku (Masako Nozawa), Bulma (Hiromi Tsuru), Yamucha (Toru Furuya), Oolong (Naoki Tatsuta), Puar (Naoko Watanabe), Pilaf (Shigeru Chiba), Shu (Tessho Genda), Mai (Eiko Yamada), Narrator (Joji Yanami)
Synopsis: Goku and the others have been captured once again by Pilaf. That night, Goku looks at the full moon, and suddenly turns wild and starts transforming into an Oozaru!! He smashes the prison that they are imprisoned in, and Yamucha and the rest manage to escape, but having lost his reason, Goku continues to rampage!! Yamucha then cuts off Goku’s weakness, his tail! Goku wakes up after returning to normal. The party promises to reunite, and the Dragon Team splits up.

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Dragon Ball Multiverse - Page 680


Read It Here: http://www.dragonball-multiverse.com/en/page-680.html

Synopsis: Krillin is surprised by how strong Tapion is, and comments that he seems to have some sort of shield. Tapion likewise realizes that Krillin is much too fast for him, he won't be able to keep up. Having no other choice, he finishes sheathing his sword, before apologizing to Krillin because he's about to be more violent. Holding onto the wrist with the bracelet, he yells for something to come out and fight for him, and a huge swirling mass begins to form in the air around him, as Krillin watches on.

Bleach - Chapter 530: Everything But The Rain 3


Synopsis: On a June 4th, at 8:22 PM in Karakura Town, two Soul Reapers are moving through the town. They mention that it's an overcast night, which might be a bad sign since two others have already been killed on rainy evenings. Isshin appears, having overheard them, and thanks them for the tip. When they freak out and ask why he's there, he tries to lie and say he went to take a pee, but they don't buy it. Isshin then tells them that if it starts to rain, they're dismissed, saying it's hard for him to pee if others are watching (the look of concern on his face shows his true meaning however). Elsewhere, a being forms in the moonlight behind some mist.