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At long last, Keijo is now an actual sport
This needs to be in the Olympics
Jul 24
// Salvador G Rodiles
You know an event is big when an anime and manga series inspires people to turn a fictional activity into a real thing. In this case, a group of Keijo!!!!!!!! fans from Portugal decide to turn the title's signature ...
Impressions: Golden Kamuy Manga Vol. 1
Jun 24
// Christian Chiok
[embed]35706:6207:0[/embed] Golden Kamuy takes place in early 20th century and it introduces us to Saichi "Immortal" Sugimoto, a Russo-Japanese War veteran, who has become a miner in Hokkaido to provide for the widow of his dead comrade, Toraji. When he stumbles across a map to a fortune in hidden Ainu gold, he sets off on a journey to find it. As expected, Sugimoto isn't the only one interested in finding the fortune, and everyone who knows about it is willing to kill to possess it. During his quest, he meets an Ainu girl named Asirpa, who helps him survive the harsh conditions of the northern wilderness, ruthless criminals, and rogue Japanese soldiers. The story starts with a flashback/dream where Sugimoto was still in the Russo-Japanese war and mercilessly attacking his enemies, showing how he earned his nickname as "Immortal Sugimoto." Then the story fast forward a little bit and we see Sugimoto talking to a man while scraping for gold, with no luck, however, and that's where he learns about the gold rush that happened back then in every river of Hokkaido. At the same time, there was a group of Ainu secretly gathering funds to build an army so they can fight back the Japanese and ban them from fishing and hunting. They managed to gather a lot of gold, however, a man was able to steal all of it and kill all the Ainu guarding it. Then the police were pursuing the man for quite a while until he's sent to prison and sentenced him to death. Before then, the guards, just like everyone else, were trying to figure out where he hid the gold. But because he couldn't send letters to his friends, the prisoners that shared the same cell with him tattooed the location of gold stash hid into their bodies If he reminds me of someone, it would definitely be Gold D. Roger from One Piece — it's probably why I enjoy it a lot, since aside from the Nakama bond and epic fights, I really enjoy stories revolving around the quest for treasure. Speaking of epic fights, while they are more realistic, they still keep you at the edge of your seat as he's been on the verge of death in a few encounters. He's also battle smart, as expected, so that's fun to see. If you want to explore new series, especially seinen, then Golden Kamuy is a great series to pick up. It offers a suspenseful story that keeps you at the edge of your seat as you flip every page and interesting story. If you enjoy stories about journeys with a resolution to find a fortune, but in a mature setting with badass and interesting characters, then Golden Kamuy is for you.
Call Me Immortal Sugimoto
One of my favorite things as an Otaku is being introduced to series that I had no idea they existed. When receiving my Dragon Ball Super manga volume from Viz Media, I got Golden Kamuy alongside it. J...
Impressions: Dragon Ball Super Manga Vol. 1
Jun 22
// Christian Chiok
Dragon Ball has always been alive in Japan as we always got video games here and there, and a few specials such as Episode of Bardock, Yo! Son Goku and his friends return, and the Plan to Eradicate the Saiyans remake, in addition to the Dragon Ball Heroes manga by Toyotaro. Then in 2013, comes Battle of Gods, which took the Dragon Ball fan base by surprise—we were finally going to get new material. Afterward, it led to 2015's Resurrection of F movie and finally the announcement of a new series, in both anime and manga forms, which we know as Dragon Ball Super, the latter which is aso being made by Toyotaro. For those who don't know, Toyotaro was previously known as Toyble, and was known for creating a Dragon Ball AF manga in the 2000s. Though the manga is still behind, I've been enjoying it much more than the anime and I'm really liking the touches Toyotaro is adding (or removing) from the story. The first arc was adapted much better as well. There's also some things that they added that I really like, like giving Vegeta a Super Saiyan God transformation, and things I didn't like as much, as Goku not having Super Saiyan Blue Kaioken transformation. Overall, I feel like the manga offers a more cohesive structured storytelling, though I recommend keeping up with both regardless. Dragon Ball Super's manga, just like the anime, starts with an adaption of Battle of Gods, and it's much better. Not only does it straight to the point, stretching the movie for no reason like the anime did, but the artstyle was much better. I felt like it highlighted the most important points of the movie well, minus the Bingo scene, sadly. A huge difference from the movie is that this arc introduces us to Champa and Vados—siblings of Beerus and Whis respectively. Considering the manga already expects the readers have seen both Battle of Gods and Resurrection of F, we are only given a few panels of the latter before it moves into the Universe 6 arc. If you're watching the anime and have yet to read the manga, please do so. Even though the manga is behind the anime, and from the surface both the anime and the manga are the same. You're missing out on an interesting perspective of the series and doing yourself a disservice if you're not reading the manga.
Subarashii Ningen!
Dragon Ball has been one of the most popular franchises in Japan during the last three decades, and with good reason, and when it finally ended, it really makes you feel empty, at least it did for me when I finished watc...
Infini-T Force
Licensing GET: UDON nabs Tatsunoko's crossover superhero manga
Jun 22
// Salvador G Rodiles
My experience with Tatsunoko may be small, but I did enjoy their modern iterations of their classic properties, such as Gatchaman Crowds. With Infini-T Force, a title that features some of the company's heroes in the same set...
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Hatsune Miku
Hatsune Miku: Future Delivery manga to hit the US in late 2017
I Dream of Miku
Feb 22
// Red Veron
The multimedia empire of the digital diva Hatsune Miku is ever expanding and a new manga is set to arrive later this year from Dark Horse comics! Hatsune Miku: Future Delivery by writer Satoshi Oshio and artist Hugin Miy...
Tsurezure Children
Tsurezure Children anime adaptation to hit this summer
4-Koma Summer Lovin'
Feb 11
// Red Veron
Tsurezure Children, translated as "Tedium Children", is about the different love scenarios of a large cast of high school students, will receive an anime adaptation that will air in the summer season of 2017. Originally a 4-k...
Impressions: Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders Manga Vol. 1
Dec 13
// Christian Chiok
For those unfamiliar with Jojo's Bizzare Adventure, it all starts with the legacy of Jonathan Joestar, the protagonist of Phantom Blood, the first part of the series. In short, the series consist of his struggles with his adoptive brother Dio Brando, which ends with Dio being defeated, or so we thoughts. A hundred years later, we are introduced to Jotaro Kujo who is the grandson of Joseph Joestar, the protagonist of Part 2: Battle Tendency and grandson of Jonathan Joestar. The volume starts off introducing Jotaro, starting off with his childhood years then transitioning to his present teenager years. During a school fight with four delinquents, he discovered that an "evil spirit" possessed him so when incarcerated, he decided to stay. Then comes Joseph Joestar, who already knew the "evil spirit" that possessed Jotaro when Holy mentioned it to him over the phone. This "evil spirit" is known as Stand, which will be a common thing throughout the series. A stand us a powerful apparition created by one's energy and because it stand's next to the user, it's called a "Stand." With Holly being part of the Joestar bloodline, just like her father and son, she gained the power of a Stand, but unfortunately because of her gentle and non-violent nature made her lack the mental strength necessary to control the Stand, slowly making her ill with a harmful high fever and putting her life at risk. Knowing that, Jotaro and Joseph decided to make a trip to Egypt to defeat Dio and stop the curse. As soon their trips began, Dio's lackies already started assaulting them and intervening with their trip to prevent them from finding Dio's hideout. From beginning to end, I was definitely satisfied with how Viz Media handled the first volume. If you're a huge fanatic of Jojo prior the new wave of fans that just discovered the series due to the 2012 anime, you probably already have it, but if you're part of the latter and never read the manga, then I would recommend you to do so. It's better to start from Phantom Blood, but since you are already up to date with the series, it should be fine to start your manga collection from Stardust Crusaders and experience the series in its original form.
A Very Bizarre Adventure
If I have to name my favorite Shonen series, more specifically battle series, then I would have to say Jojo's Bizzare Adventure. If you been keeping up with Japanator and read my Top 10 from last year, you'l...
Manga Contest
Do you have what it takes to get published in Weekly Shonen Magazine?
Sounds like a rad opportunity
Oct 18
// Salvador G Rodiles
For a good while, I've always been behind the idea of contests that let people get the chance to get their stories published if they win. Speaking of which, the Comic Website MediBang is teaming up with the folks at Weekly Sh...
JoJo's Bizarre Movie
Takashi Miike to direct live action JoJo's Bizarre Adventure movie
Based on Diamond is Unbreakable
Sep 28
// Nick Valdez
Hirohiko Araki's JoJo's Bizarre Adventure was the one manga I never thought I'd see a live action version of. After struggling for years to even get an anime version off the ground, it seemed very unlikely. But thanks to the ...
JapanaSeven: The 7 best boys of Kuroko's Basketball
Sep 27
// Karishma Roy
Which Team Vorpal Swords member would you want to go on a date with? The bad boy : Daiki Aomine [Image credit : deviantart.com] THE ACE OF THE GENERATION OF MIRACLES. "The only one who can beat me, is me". He's cocky, rebellious and indifferent. Watching Aomine in THE ZONE, handling the ball as if it's an extended part of his body, gave me the effing chills. Like, hell yeah he is unstoppable! The streetball he plays suits his aggressive and I-don't-need-nobody attitude. Aomine reads a lot of porn and prefers girls with big boobs. Despite his overwhelming talent for basketball, he fits the good-looking but stupid stereotype in terms of academics and his friends call him "Ahomine". He would excel in bed but don't expect anything more from him. However, you will probably end up catching the feels 'cause he's hot and will inevitably break your heart. That's exactly why he is the bad boy. All you ladies out there, be wise! Mr. Perfect: Seijuro Akashi [Image credit : deviantart.com] Alright, this dude is an overachiever. Top at academics, basketball, shogi, you name it… it's his "duty to win". He captained the Teiko basketball team – leading that bunch of prideful misfits to consecutive victories and earning them the title "Generation of Miracles" must require mad skills. He continues to be the captain in EXTRA GAME. I much prefer Akashi's real, more level-headed personality when compared to the scary one where he orders everybody around. Although, it was pretty badass how he commanded Seirin players to get down on their knees when he was in THE ZONE. Unrealistic, but badass. And his heterochromatic eyes give him a dangerous but delicious look. Which Akashi do you guys prefer? His real self would be a caring, considerate and chill boyfriend. Bet you he would treat his girl like an empress! The cool guy: Taiga Kagami [Image credit : picsart.com] The fiercely ambitious and stubborn deuteragonist of the show. He has a short temper and is adorably scared of dogs and ghosts. All you dog lovers out there, will you sacrifice the chance to own a puppy for Kagami? Soz, not me. But for real, this guy easily rivals the GOM players. He is indeed the "The Miracle who did not become one of the Miracles" and is currently the best in Japan after having defeated all of the GOM players. Watching him fight for his team and entering THE ZONE is so damn inspiring. He is the face of determination, the cool guy that everyone loves and looks up to. Now he may be academically atrocious - "Bakagami"- but his family is rich and he makes a mean curry. He has a huge appetite though so he might eat it all himself. Also, look at that smokin' hot bod! For all his confidence on the court, I imagine he would be petrified on a first date. The lazy foodie : Atsushi Murasakibara He's 6'10 and loves to snack, especially on sweet stuff! Ladies, the way to this guy's heart is through his stomach so sharpen up on those cooking skills. If Team Vorpal Swords had an eating contest, who would win it between Atsushi and Kagami? I want to say Kagami but would Atsushi lose to him again? Not sure... He's childish and has a mean streak. It's like he needs someone to look up to – in middle school he obeyed Akashi and in high school, Himuro seems to be filling up that role. I think an older woman who can offer wisdom and guidance in life would suit him best. As a player, he's better at offense than defence as we found out. I'm looking forward to seeing him play at full strength in the EXTRA GAME. How hot was he when pulled his hair back into a ponytail in the match against Seirin!? Phew, more rage please Atsushi! And let's not forget that crying scene after Yosen was defeated. It was mostly sad but kind of funny - he goes from daddy on the court to baby off of it. The womaniser: Ryouta Kise [Image credit : tumblr.com] To quote Britney Spears, "Oh you're a womaniser, baby". Kise's got a pretty face and he takes advantage of it through modelling and flirting with chicks. I find his carefree personality quite charming. He's the kind of guy who'd act all cute to make out with multiple girls in a club. But when he finds the right lady, I don't think he'll have a problem in committing and settling down with her. As a player, his "copy-cat" ability is quite interesting. The fact that he was able to copy Aomine's moves shows that he is just as capable of being an awesome player. He can actually copy every GOM member's signature move and although he can't sustain it for more than 2 minutes, it's still freakin' amazing! He's got so much potential to tap into. The serious guy: Shintarou Midorima [Image credit : gexing.com] Okay, he's kind of weird. He fervently believes in horoscopes and carries around lucky items from a stuffed bear to a toy frog named Mr. Ribbit. He meticulously files his nails and tapes his fingers. All of this, according to him, is to ensure he does everything within his power to win at basketball games. I guess there is something admirable about this obsession. He's also very smart and his alternate career choice to basketball would be medicine. But I can't deal with the fact that he believes in blood type compatibility. It's curious to note that while the blood type personality theory is not backed up by concrete scientific evidence, Japanese people are very big on it. A number of East Asian online dating websites ask for your blood type (Of course, I only know this through a friend). So ladies, if you're type B or AB, rejoice for you are most compatible with Midorima's B blood type. The nice but boring one: Tetsuya Kuroko [Image credit : pintrest.com] Ah, the protagonist of the show. "The Gatekeeper". I'm sorry if some of you are offended by the boring tag but he kind of is, okay. You might miss him on the first date even though he is standing right in front of you because of his "lack of presence". But Kuroko is a nice guy. He'll be the one to bring you flowers, write you songs, rescue a cat stuck on a tree, try to cheer you up by being surprisingly funny… typical boyfriend material. As a player, his supernatural ability to pull off misdirection, ignite pass, vanishing drive, cyclone pass etc… is impressive to watch. Kuroko is a symbol teamwork and friendship in this anime and I admire that. Which player is your favourite? Who would you want as your bae? Leave your thoughts in the comments below!
Which player are you crushing on?
Time to face it: we all have an anime boyfriend or two that we fantasise about. Have you seen a beautiful main character eating lunch by himself at a cafeteria and thought to yourself, "Senpai, I'd have made you a...
Introducing Hei Stories: Inspired by Anime & Manga, Welcome to the Universe of Kaleidoscope
Aug 18
// Yussif Osman
Anyong and Salam! So this piece is important to me, so if I guess if I want it to mean something to you too, I should start by introducing myself. I'm Yussif and more than anything else, I'm passionate about stories and it's really Japanese culture which got me into storytelling. Growing up, I wanted to tell my own stories, so I did plenty of writing, but it's only recently that I decided to take the plunge and start an enterprise focused on storytelling and the worlds I created. I'm writing to you, to introduce the startup I founded, Hei Stories, a platform, the tales of which are heavily inspired and influenced by Japanese animation and manga. I hope you'll stay a while and hear me out, because I think Hei Stories is full of the things which we love above fiction; complex characters and developed world, human themes and stakes we can invest in. And maybe, something new too. I would like to introduce you to Kaleidoscope, to a wholly new and unique universe, which although it is populated by living stars and ghosts made of songs, ruled over by an Eclipse King, protected by superheroines and challenged by explorer revolutionaries scouring the frontiers of starlight, it is a world based on our own, where hope, dreams and compassion are our armour, sword and shield. Welcome to Kaleidoscope, I hope you find something of yours in here too. Bear with me, but the first things I'd like to talk about are 'magic' and 'love'. Perhaps this will make more sense if I use Miyazaki's work as the foundation for this discussion. By 'magic', I refer to the sense of wonder that is conjured by weaving secrets and fantastical settings that tease and play with our inbuilt desire for adventure and the mysterious. I found a combination of the two when I came across Spirited Away; but in addition to 'magic', films like Chihiro's say something unique about what it means to be human and to live and love and in doing so, are doing something quite intimate. By exploring childhood and life, from films like Only Yesterday to Howl's Moving Castle, Miyazaki involves us in the story and in doing so, makes the fantastical elements believable, making the entire experience truly magical. Work in Hei Stories tries to do the same, through a blend of magical realism and Romance. I use my work, Zoe Taylor as an example; a young woman who travels from one world she creates to another, in search of a love she has long forgotten, each world she hopes bringing her closer to home than the last. Or Monsoon, in which Abhu dreams of her big sister; her thoughts and feelings entering the sky, becoming ghosts, gods and asura, connecting her with the person she is looking for. In these stories, it is my hope that I have not only drawn inspiration from the likes of Miyazaki, or Makoto Shinkai, but that the tales set in Kaleidoscope explore themes such as love, hope and pain in unique ways - whether that's Asem's ability to draw power from the human heart or the Lovecraft militia, who through pure fury, manifest their pain in terrifying power. It's my aim to explore what we mean by such ideas as 'love', how it is an idea which empowers us, the way Petra sees beyond Asem's trauma, or how Abhu's longing for her sister connects them through the sky. My view of the world has been heavily shaped by the stories I watched and read growing up. Among them, was Dragonball Z. What did I love most about Dragonball Z? Vegeta, plain and simple. Why? Well, he used to be a bad guy- now, that doesn't just make him a badass, it makes him fascinating. This may have become a common Shonen trope, but think about it. As a kid, I was suddenly introduced to the notion that the world is complicated and that maybe, just maybe, there is goodness in everyone (except maybe Frieza). Sometime later, it happened, Naruto confronted Pain and what did he do? He talked to him. This blew my mind, even if Pain could never justify the things he did, he had reasons, and was himself suffering from sorrow which made him what he was. By talking to him, Naruto liberated them both from the circle of hate and made it possible for their world to move forward. This, which to me, was an impossibly amazing moment, would inspire me to go and study Peace as a discipline at university. But above all, it made me want to tell this story to others, it made me want to tell people that there was another way, that people are complex and can be reached. I began creating villains I wanted readers to empathise with, villains the heroes could empathise with. Villains who were more than just antagonists. I created Rakshasah, who gives up his freedom to the insurgent leader Asura to save his village, in exchange for being raised on a philosophy of hate; ultimately giving up on himself, seeking to force Neha, whom he loves to see the world the way he does, so he doesn't have to suffer alone. But even though Neha is accompanied by a rain demon, she would stop Rakshasah not by fighting him, but fighting what had been done to him. Then there is Iconoclast, someone so utterly rejected by the world that she felt the need to conquer it in order to change it. Is she good? Evil? More appropriately, a revolutionary, in the tradition of Lelouch. One of the aims of Hei Stories became to contribute to social and global commentary, by spreading positive and progressive messages and engaging in a discussion to humanise and spread tolerance, understanding, positive change and empathy. I believe stories have the power to create significant change in the way we view the world and it is our aim to contribute to the discourse of making the world a better place. From LGBT rights to the need for the world to welcome refugees, from peace to overcoming depression and heartbreak, I hope these stories can be there for people around the world overcoming adversity, dreaming and hoping towards better futures. The way Luffy and Naruto were there for me. And for anyone who is like me, searching for their place in the world, I am writing Centillion Lights episodically on Patreon, a saga about a race across multiple plains of existence, from Flower Kingdoms to Art Empires, to find Earth, a very different place in the heart of each racer, seeking to make the world something of their own. A coming of age story which takes the 'spring of youth' concept found in so much anime and really pushes it with what it means to be young and trying to work out who you are in an unknowable world. So Hei Stories is seeking to branch into different mediums including spoken word, literature, audio and ultimately animation. It is our aim to begin production on an animated feature/series set in the world of 'Kaleidoscope' in 2017. To this end, I've begun crowdfunding on Patreon, initially contributions will fund things like a concept artist (I've done the art to date, but I'm not a professional) and comiccon space to spread the word, but combined with funds gathered from public readings we're doing in London and prospective grants from established institutions, it's my hope that we'll be able to fund the animated series. If you like what you've heard, you can support us on patreon.com/heistories, or you can explore more of the world I've created on heistories.wordpress.com/blog or on Youtube @ Hei Stories. In addition, it is our aim to create opportunity for young and emerging artists. The actors who will be performing in 'Asem', the major public reading we're doing soon, are in the early stages of both their lives and careers and it is our hope to give them exposure and help them grow as well as give them support. Poets and musicians are also involved in this project and it is our sincere wish to help nurture and support the young artistic community and see it thrive, because quite simply, art makes life better. I think that's one of the reasons that we love anime, because it combines music and visual art, drama and writing in a spectacular collaboration to produce something like Sword of the Stranger or Princess Mononoke. And exploring genres, produces a literal kaleidoscope of artistic collaboration. In the tradition of Ghost in the Shell, or Darker Than Black, I explore neo-noir and urban horror in Lights and Letters From the Sleepless Wars, trying to push the boundaries of what we understand to be real. Or in the tradition of epic Romance like One Piece, I created the Sunflower Diaries which explores a universe which challenges what we understand the world to be, all from the foundations of a young girl's dreams. We weave stories around unique countries like the Moon Kingdom, actually inspired by the aesthetics of Klonoa with its solar temples and moonlit palaces. Then there is the whimsy of the bizarre and fun, such as Space Dandy, in stories like our Mighty Mighty Mighty Thunderclap Coalition who aim to spread Earth culture in a post-Earth solar system. And with these stories come a variety of aesthetic, inspired by animators like Yutaka Nakamura as I imagine Bonfire Engines assemble themselves from a will to be, or worlds racing past as a 'Runner' sprints through the universe- or a girl turning a flower into a small bird as subtly as when Chihiro tapped her feet to make sure her shoes were on. I have spent a-lot of time talking about what has inspired Kaleidoscope, but I want take a risk here and dare say that Hei Stories does some things that are new. Sometimes we seem inundated with 'harems' and battle adventures and MMO reality swapping stories. But look at the uniqueness of the premise of Erased, D.Gray-Man's Noah Family, all of Makoto Shinkai's and Ghibli's work; the biggest way in which anime and manga has inspired me, is by encouraging me to create something new. From watching the breathtaking, experimental animation of Mob Psycho 100 or experiencing how 5cm Per Second blends the cosmic with the Earthly. These stories have pushed our imaginations, visually and in how we think about storytelling and the world. In particular, I would like to site Bounen no Xam'd and Eureka 7, both works from Bones which are significantly original stories which push how we understand genre and bring human drama to the fantastical with original ideas, whether that's the sentient 'Coral' at the centre of the Earth, which we have to come to terms with co-existing with in Eureka, or the way an Emperor declares war on the world because he has lost his name in Xam'd, set in a world where emotions create immensely beautiful beasts whilst a love story is told, based on a relationship that is never traditionally defined. Or we can look at Sore Demo Sekai wa Utsukushi which pushes the boundaries of how love evolves and what motivates people. It would feel arrogant to inundate you all the ways I think Hei Stories is original, but here is a short list of examples of how the world we've created pushes the boundaries of fiction as inspired by anime, from setting, to story structure: Kaleidoscope is a universe not based on material space, but rather 'place' is painted across a landscape of thoughts, emotions and concepts, materialised in starpaint and hyperdimensional oceans. It is my aim to make accessible sensitive issues like extremism and tolerance and trauma through fantastical settings, whilst exploring new character archetypes, with 'hyperambition' which blurs good and evil or a revolutionary that is in love with the world. We explore time and story beyond the three act structure, exploring legacies, world histories and ideals, all interconnected by characters and ideas. Watching Gainax push the scale of how we understood stakes, inspired me to push it as well, in both a cosmic and Earthly sense, in terms of relationships, concepts and action. So what does Hei Stories and the universe of Kaleidoscope come down to? It comes back to where I started, 'magic' and 'love'. To enchant and inspire. It is my hope, to truly bring something positive into the world. Kaleidoscope is a universe crafted on the principle of hope, where the fantastic serves the real and so, to illustrate that, I would like to end with this excerpt, where Hubble, the literal spirit of the Hubble Telescope who watched us for centuries, speaks: First, there were Chart Makers, they are the stars and ideas which make life possible. Independently, Stargazers were born, life in the material world, humans, animals, the Brave, species from across Kaleidoscope, across the universe. Stargazers and Chart Makers fell in love with one another, the living fell in love with life and life fell in love with the living. And in the space between that love, we, Constellations were born, an expression of every thought and hope and sadness. And for a time, love was law. Until he found you, Naenamh, you know him as the Eclipse King. Even we, Constellations, aren't sure what the Eclipse King is exactly, but he existed before the advent of life, he was alone in the dark. So when light and life began, he saw your joy and was enraged at the reality of his sadness. He came to hate everything. In his grief, he declared war on love and sought to spread his sorrow to the living. He murdered Aset, partner of the Chart Maker, Sirius. Sirius, not knowing how to deal with grief or loss, attacked the world on the Eclipse King's behalf. And so began the wars between Finality and Infinity, grief and love, spanning long into the millennia and deep into the human history. Yet every time, you win. I've watched you conquer over despair, time and time again. When the Eclipse King finally decided to simply destroy you, the only reason the Forge you call Amazing was able to find you and stop him, was because he could hear you through bottomless space. He followed your music and laughter, shouts and speech across an ocean of stars. And from him, Fragments were born, another miracle born of the underbase of love and life, a substance created by human interaction and will. And then Asem. You all created her, your world raised her and taught her to love. Thanks for reading, I really appreciate it, feel free to get in touch to talk about anything, whether that's here, one of the links or on
[email protected]
. Speak soon - live, love, hope and eat oreos. In Kaleidoscope, every child has a memory of the day the sun stood up, it's my hope to remind us. "I would like to make a film to tell children it's good to be alive." - Miyazaki.
Introducing a storytelling start-up
[Editor's Note: Here at Japanator we work on stuff that's not directly related to the site. this thing here is Yussif's new jam.] – the sun itself, uncurled and stood. Mountain shadows scattered as she rose. She stood a...
Review: JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Eyes of Heaven
Jul 11
// Nick Valdez
[embed]35131:5738:0[/embed] JoJo's Bizzare Adventure: Eyes of Heaven (PS4 [reviewed] and PS3) Developer: CyberConnect2Publisher: Bandai Namco EntertainmentReleased: December 17, 2015 (JP), June 28, 2016 (NA), July 1, 2016 (EU)MSRP: $59.99 With a story overseen by series creator Hirohiko Araki, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Eyes of Heaven takes place after the events of the manga's arguably most recognizable arc, Stardust Crusaders. After Jotaro Kujo and crew defeat the evil vampire Dio, Jotaro is suddenly caught up in a new adventure. As deceased friends come back to life and start attacking thanks to the effects of a purple fog, Jotaro and the gang realize they have to collect pieces of a mystical item called the Holy Corpse across different periods of time and space. Then time shenanigans lead to an overpowered villain who can alter reality and every iteration of the eight generation strong JoJo family must band together to stop them. Eyes of Heaven is created with fans in mind, so unfortunately, they are the only ones who can truly appreciate what the game has to offer. Other than a brief summary detailing the final events of each arc before story chapters, there is no real introduction to the game's 50+ characters (all unlocked from the jump). Assuming you already know every member of the cast, the game's central plot moves at a breakneck pace with characters constantly being introduced through its six to seven hour run time. The only problem with this being that even while you end up fighting some characters multiple times (as the game continues to pad its short plot with repetitive battles), you never learn anything new about them even when there is plenty opportunity to do so. But in that same breath, the plot itself is just a huge excuse to give into "fandemonium" and give fans situations that would not normally occur otherwise. For example, seeing 17-year-old Jotaro interact with his 20-something-year-old future daughter from Part 6 lead to some cute exchanges between the two. I know JoJo is not a show known for its plot, but the property's charm stems from it essentially making mountains out of molehills. Eyes of Heaven had the potential for a great, hilariously dramatic JoJo story but lacks the follow through of a traditional manga arc. That seems to be the problem with the title overall. Lots of Heaven's problems are rooted in poor follow through. So many interesting ideas are crushed under the weight of its poor systems. Beyond Eyes of Heaven's story mode, the core of the game is focused on its battle system. Each fight is a two vs. two affair (which can involve four players online if at least four people have the game, which I have yet to see myself or even connect to on Heaven's piss poor netcode) on a 3D map littered with pitfalls and hazards a la games like Power Stone. Unlike most arena fighters, however, each attack has cooldown times meaning you cannot spam skills as you wish. To counter these skills, each character also comes equipped with a rechargeable "Flash" gauge with allows them to either break out of a characters combo or cancel their skills mid-attack. Coupled with the team based Dual Combo system (which builds up a meter with you and your computer controlled partner's hits before a super finish) and Dual Heat Attacks (which unite both characters in a flashy super skill) and you could potentially do a lot of damage. The problem is the game is incredibly stiff and it's got quite the adjustment curve. It does not take time to learn the game's systems, but it is going to take some time to get used to how often the attacks miss. Rather than sparking strategy, the cooldown system instead breeds frustration. To put it bluntly, battles are ugly. Each battle comes with a cluttered HUD, including giant controller symbols signifying when each skill is available. On top of that is the wonky lock-on system which leads to some terrible camera angles that caused far too many losses than they should. Which means a lot of the time, Heaven is unfair. Often times I found myself missing my opponent directly in front of me, and since each skill locks you in a single animation for some time, it gave them plenty of opportunity to do damage to me. And despite the game's attempts to balance this by incorporating RPG like skill trees, none of the skills have enough of an effect to warrant utilizing them. No matter how much you level up a character, they'll still do the same amount of damage per hit. And the computer opponent will always do more damage than you. recover their gauges faster, and you will always constantly struggle against the game's ugliness and poor design to completely catch up. Playing through JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Eyes of Heaven is a purgatory from which I could not escape. With no attention paid to non-single player modes, it is also a battle fought alone. With no support in sight, and with no reward for the struggle other than occasionally seeing your favorite character do something you like, there is little reason to stick through Eyes of Heaven even with its occasional bursts of personality. JoJo's Bizarre Adventure may have had its eyes on heaven, but its soul is trapped in hell. [This review is based on a copy of the game provided by the publisher.]
Sighs of heaven
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure is the only property with such, well, bizarre characters, insanely disproportional art, backbreaking victory poses, operatic plot, and enough bravado to carry all of this on machismo alone. Thanks to ...
Ghost in the Shell
Ghost in the Shell live-action gets Rila Fukushima
But who will she be?
May 27
// Josh Tolentino
The seemingly unending saga of Hollywood's adaptation of Ghost in Shell continues, as hubbub about the long-in-making film has morphed from justified concerns over the quality of the adaptation (which haven't gone away, ...
Tales Worth Telling: On Manga, Anime, and how they changed Japanese storytelling
May 16
// Yussif Osman
Japan has a long and vibrant tradition of storytelling. Of course, there is the current massive industries of anime, manga, light novels and video games, but long before television and anime there was kamishibai, a practice where a street performer would narrate a tale whilst flipping through illustrations on a mobile stage; or rakugo, where the comic or storyteller would perform multiple characters in dialogue with one another with nothing but a fan with which to gesture, meaning characters had to be well developed and distinct. And then there is kodan, the heroic tale and predecessor to modern Shounen series. Stories told in these ways, for the Japanese people became news and sensation, novel and theatre for people of all classes. A culture so drenched in the art of storytelling has a great deal to teach the world about how to build worlds, create characters and set plots in motion. In contrast to much of Western media, the bestbetter anime and manga do not patronize the viewer or reader. One Piece for example, is not about what someone thinks people want to see, it is about the story the author and artists want to tell. Hayao Miyazaki was once asked about the creative process for a creator in Japan, in contrast to a creator in the West. In the West, films are often made by committee. I am not saying there is anything wrong with writers' rooms, on the contrary, collaboration can be a wonderful thing, the problems arise when a studio, which has ultimate creative control over a property, makes assumptions about what people want to see. A number of films come to mind, Fox's interference on Josh Trank's Fantastic Four or the X-men movie universe as a whole, where executives felt the need to simplify characters for an audience who just 'won't get'. I also think of the 4Kids dub of One Piece, where it was assumed that orchestrated music would not appeal to young viewers and certain themes would be inaccessible. I'm not saying that this never happens in Japan, in fact it's probably happening now more than before, but for the most part, Japan with its massive storytelling industry has put emphasis on the importance of story and not just delivery. This is evident in a passion for characters in and of themselves and in a will to drive story and touch readers and viewers, to say something true about the human condition, more than just attempting to entertain. This is storytelling for storytelling's own sake. When composing each new story, Hayao Miyazaki was concerned with just that, the story, something he has said himself. Japanese animation has confronted the world with rich and deep stories with both real and bizarre characters that speak about what's real in us, in the human condition. One Piece, which is the manga and anime I will use as my primary case study comes to mind here. Overwhelming enemies who engage in fantastic and brutal battles with the rubbery Luffy says a lot about life and the need to overcome moments of adversity by literally bouncing-back and meeting life head on, thus the head-strong, if not simple character of many Shounen heroes. Even these stories, in all their whimsical adventure, do more than just entertain, they resonate, like I've said before in my article on Digimon, high stakes make for high hopes and therein I believe lies the appeal of epics like Attack on Titan and why it became so popular. And outside the Shounen genre and the work of Hayao Miyazaki we have a plethora of incredibly moving stories, from Makoto Shinkai's 5cm per Second to works such as The Girl Who Leapt Through Time and The Boy And The Beast, you have a compelling and grounded premises with fantastical characters and circumstances which only enrich and make more vivid the narrative as the characters themselves remain very human, full of awkward subtleties and quirks which make it possible to empathise with them. At this point, I would like to bring up the tradition of drawing on manga to create anime. There are huge benefits to doing this, not simply because you can simply copy a story on to the screen because it often doesn't work that way, often anime take a concept and re-interpret or build upon an idea, but the benefit of manga is the vast worlds that the characters have emerged from and that has been built around them. Something I find that Japanese media has done very well, whether that's anime, manga or video games, is build tremendous and beautiful worlds and I don't just mean that on an aesthetic level, I refer to histories and politics, nations and ideologies all built from scratch from which incredible stories can spiral. More developed worlds, mean longer runs for readers and viewers to become invested, people grow-up with the characters and see them through their journeys and become committed to the worlds they live in. Worlds you can invest in are richer, richer worlds help make more interesting characters with more interesting histories and good characters with a great world to interact in, makes for a great plot. These three components: world, character and plot when executed well, I believe are responsible for producing a great story. Recently in Western media, this has also been evidenced with the Marvel Cinematic Universe. But I will illustrate this now with an anime/ manga which I believe does this best in One Piece. In One Piece, we're faced with the setting of a number of oceans and seas in their own hierarchy of fury and adversity, inhabited by a complex hierarchy of pirates and forces, such as the Marines and the Seven Warlords of the Sea, the revelation of each one being something we always look forward to. Hierarchies and structures within which characters explore their given world, create a framework in which viewers and readers can actually look forward to things, to more of the Wizard Saints in Fairy Tail or more Dragon Slayers. Then there is the notion that the most expansive sea in the series, the New World is largely unexplored and home to range of bizarre islands, from lightning countries to flaming tundras. But perhaps the most thrilling part of reading or viewing a great world is discovering it from scratch as characters do and One Piece, like many anime and manga does this artfully, leaving us thirsting for more. One could also turn to the slow revelation of the plethora of villages in Naruto or the wider cosmos in the Dragonball series'. And of course one of the most compelling parts of One Piece, is the world's history itself, the missing century and lost civilization which left behind ponelyphs describing its history, secrets that revolutionaries and pirates are trying to unearth and the World Government is trying to keep hidden. I hope what I've illustrated here is a network of circumstances and characters which interact in complex and far-reaching ways to create what is a compelling plot. Whether they were exploring a new country, liberating one or unearthing new secrets, the Straw Hat Pirates have never bored me and when it has been less thrilling, it is only because of the drastic scale that the series can often rise to. And even away from the high-stakes of One Piece story arcs, the characters and the themes they represent are warm and intimate, such as friendship and how it should be cherished, Usopp's wish to be brave or Robin's wish to live. I'm not saying great things don't come out of the West, when it comes to animation, I would in particular like to highlight such work as the Batman and X-men animated series' or Transformers which were all incredible, but I'm not trying to make a point about Western media, I'm trying to make a point about anime and manga. But while we're on the topic of Western media, this is a good opportunity to bring up a handful of ground-breaking series' which have been heavily influenced by anime and manga and in doing so, illustrate how the world's love of Japanese media has created a demand for better storytelling. An obvious series that comes to mind is the Avatar animated saga and its sequel the Legend of Korra. In the tradition of long-running manga, Avatar brought us a vast world to explore and high-stakes politics to understand alongside enchanting and compelling characters heavily influenced by Eastern culture and civilization. Less obvious is Steven Universe, which I have said in a past article, is heavily influenced by such anime as Revolutionary Girl Utena in its style and themes of fluid sexuality and gender roles. There are many others, such as the French conceived Sav! The World Productions and their creation the award-winning Oban Star Racers, or the more recent Miraculous Ladybug. I go as far to make the case that the popularity of anime and manga in the West, made it more acceptable to tell more serious stories for younger audiences and so helped to mainstream the now massive comic book phenomenon. Like you, I love the Japanese format of storytelling, the amazing characters and stories it produces set across interesting and diverse worlds. So I took it upon myself to try it, to take inspiration drawn from anime and manga to produce stories in the same vain. Hei Stories, a youtube channel which uses audio and illustrations in the kamishibai style is a platform for original stories in the fantasy genre which aim to stretch the imagination and compel listeners to invest in complex characters. The first story that is being uploaded is Seeking Scarlet At The End of The World, which takes influence from Middle-Eastern and Asian culture to tell the story of a young woman with phenomenal abilities set in a world under siege. As the Raindance movement is hijacked by the Great Secret Keeper, his acolyte, Iconoclast, assaults Polis Earth, with the Orion Alliance long gone, not even the mythical Guardian seems anywhere in sight to stop her. Despite the crisis, the displaced people of the Deepa Wali culture celebrate life into the night and continue to pray. In a universe where material beings are not the only life forms and where the cosmos is ruled by an Eclipse King, I wanted to create a story of hope and cover contemporary political and social issues we're currently faced with such as the refugee crisis. I hope you will enjoy it and join the conversation here and on youtube about storytelling and what kinds of stories engage, inspire you and humanize other human beings, whether they are in your city or across oceans. So what does make a good story? Sincere, warm characters full of agency in a developed world, from Shakespeare's turbulent Scotland to Tolstoy's revolutionary Russia, a good world and characters people can be passionate about go a long way in creating a story that can resonates with readers. With Japanese media so aware of this, I look forward to every season, knowing it is bound to bring something entertaining, inspiring and compelling and above all, shedding light on the human condition and the world we live in.
Stay A While, and Listen
I won't hazard a guess as to how many of you have read my previous articles, but something that may have come across is the emphasis I place on the importance of good storytelling. Whether it was Digimon or GAT...
AnimeNEXT '16
Aw, snap: Rei Hiroe and ZAQ are heading to AnimeNEXT
Bullets and delusions make a great combo
Apr 28
// Salvador G Rodiles
With almost a month left until June, it turns out that the man behind the original Black Lagoon manga, Rei Hiroe, and the singer of Love, Chunibiyo & Other Delusions' opening, ZAQ, are making an appearance at AnimeNE...
Manga and Recovery: Reopening a comic museum in Kamen Rider's hometown
Apr 12
// Yussif Osman
The people of Tohoku are unique in all of Japan, they have their own dialect, their own food and attitude, they're louder, more themselves than the rest of what is quite a conservative country. I found the people very brave and very proud, heroically living through and beyond what befell them in 2011, and so it doesn't surprise me that many of the most iconic and heroic manga characters originate from this amazing part of Japan. As I get off the bus at Ishinomaki, a town in Tohoku's Miyagi prefecture, severely affected by the tsunami, I have certain expectations, I basically expect devastation. But that's not what I find. Instead, I'm confronted by statues of Kamen Rider and his contemporaries. The members of Cyborg 009 are striking poses and Astroboy is with them. This way, people who arrive at Ishinomaki station by Robocon covered train or bus, get a flavour of the true character of this place instead of just associating it with tragedy, the way much of the world has. Instead, travellers are met with colour and hope. Among the heroes which adorn the city, there's also Robocon and Sea Jetter, plentiful in murals and wall art alongside posing statues. Amazingly, many of these statues actually survived the tsunami, defying tragedy itself and becoming symbols of hope. And there is sincerely something super heroic about this place, the way people continue to live and who they are. People laugh and gather, eat heartily and celebrate what they share at every opportunity, they work through dark hours, from 2am onwards, harvesting catches from the sea and come to one another's aid, to pull their lives out of the rubble and build something new. Miyagi is home to the world's largest temporary housing camp for displaced people in the world, in the form of the kasetsu units, but many of these kasetsu have been converted into entrepreneurial hubs, restaurants and bakeries; people make more than the most of what they have, in fact they redefined their entire situation. In the town of Funakoshi, a fisherman named Nakasato (in the absence of the town's traditional leadership) brings his community together to rebuild and aspire, they gather in the local school and celebrate their harvests of seaweed and fish whilst putting together plans to move their town uphill, away from the waters. In Ishinomaki, an amazing woman named Hashimoto cooks nightly a feast for volunteers and community members, bringing immense warmth to the oceanic cold. The town holds children's festivals and local organisations like It's Not Just Mud whom I worked with, build amazing playgrounds and return to the sea to swim and reclaim the community's heritage. Throughout my time there, I found people speak little about what befell them, instead they speak of the present and the future, making plans and moving forward. For some, that's opening a sake store or reopening a community antique shop, others are focused on their next harvest of clams or their next shipment of crafts, others are planning the reconstruction of their town and others looking forward to the next gathering, to the next community meal. I found the manga characters which adorn the city allegorical (and I believe the community does as well) to the state of the community itself. Sea Jetter defies the calamities of the sea themselves, Cyborg 009 are a family and team who through working together can achieve anything, Robocon and Astroboy are both gentle and mighty and Takeshi Hongo, the Kamen Rider, all in all represents every act of tenacity and heroism. So though as a manga fan, I may have been looking forward to the reopening of the UFO-shaped Ishinomaki Mangattan, or Manga Museum, I couldn't imagine how much it meant to the people who actually lived there and their children. The days following the re-opening ceremony are immensely moving, costumed characters await at the doors to greet children and they're all there, from the members of Cyborg 009 to Kamen Rider. The community has been making steps towards recovery gradually, but this is a milestone, this is to celebrate all that. Artwork adorns the second floor above the gift shop, including concept art and original manga pages, as well as a movie theatre where never before shown short adaptations of manga are seen. And on the third floor is something out of a dream, a manga library containing a boundless collection of ongoing and completed series from Dragonball to Sailor Moon and Prince of Tennis. Among the celebrated creators in town is Osamu Tezuka, manga pioneer and arguably the father of modern manga. But here, I'd like to place particular emphasis on Shotaro Ishinomori, creator of both one of the first superhero teams in Japan in the form of Cyborg 009 and the iconic tokusatsu series Kamen Rider. Ishinomori was a native of Tohoku's own Miyagi prefecture, making the region home of Kamen Rider, the Cyborg team and Ganbare!! Robocon, which Ishinomori also created. The result was that the Mangattan's official name would actually be the Ishinomori Manga Museum. In fact, Ishinomaki itself is often considered the home town of Kamen Rider. In my time in Ishinomaki, I would also be confronted with a high density of promotional art for the upcoming film 009 Re: Cyborg, a continuation of the Cyborg 009 series, based on an Ishinomori story, entrenching the characters' presence in Miyagi and presenting the community's children and people with yet something more to look forward to as they continue to pull their lives back together. Ishinomori's work may have brought joy to people across Japan for decades, but I believe most vitally it has helped lift the hearts of local people and augment the sentiment that there are things to look forward to, that life is worth living and that we should never give up. Remember every cheesy yet cool moment from a manga? Well in Ishinomaki they mattered, they and their characters still do. I once had a disagreement with a friend of mine shortly after the tsunami, he said that the last thing people would care about after the disaster was manga or anime, but after going there myself, I found that that was very, very far from the truth. I hope that in time, Tohoku will be known for what it's culture and what its people celebrate and have achieved, rather than for what befell them, for hope, pride and the Tohoku way.
The role of manga in post-tsunami Tohoku
Everyone knows what happened in March 2011, everyone has heard about the tsunami and the earthquake and Fukushima, that's why I went, but what I discovered when I arrived is something the world hasn't paid the same level of a...
JapanaHow: How to unite with your waifu
Apr 01
// Salvador G Rodiles
The most important thing to take into account during this process is that your waifu only exists in the second dimension. Since we fall into the category of disgusting 3D beings, the first step is to create a version of ourselves that could live in the anime and/or manga world. But wait, how does a real person accomplish this task? Well, the easiest way is to have yourself immortalized into a doujin manga where you and the lucky 2D girl end up hooking up in a glorious relationship that transcends all life in the entire freaking universe. If you lack the talent to create this scenario, then you can always hire a skilled artist to cover this step. To those who lack the money to pay someone to do this, you can always hold the person hostage and force them to create the award-winning romantic tale about you and your waifu. Sure, this option is illegal, but it's very important for someone to do what they can for the sake of true love. Another option is that you can believe in the you who believes in you until your hand subconsciously draws the scene in the style that's similar to your waifu's creator/parent. However, this might make it hard for you to capture the right lines and forms that give your girl the beautiful appearance that you adore. Since my art skills are a bit below average, I won't be able to provide you all with the proper steps to create the right illustrations that'll do justice to your waifu's best assets. If your comic speaks out your true feelings, then your waifu will materialize in front of you, as she gives you a huge kiss for your hard work. This will result in the two of you embracing each other so hard that she shall be immortalized on your body. Luckily, this form is temporary so your 2D beloved shall get her privacy when she needs it. If you want to summon her again, then you can activate this mode with a special figure that captures her true beauty. Best of all, it'll come with a mecha musume feature that lets her become a weapon. That way, you can defend yourself before you call her to your side. For those who aren't happy with this process, the next segment involves jumping into the nearest rocket or spaceship you can find, so you can head into space. Once you're there, you'll likely encounter a mysterious destructive alien force that'll kill you while it's on its course to Earth. Depending on how close you are to your waifu, there's a chance that she'll unite with you, which will result in your resurrection— as long as you have faith in her. Of course, the catch in this method is that you have to transform into your beloved so that you can save the Earth from large monsters and giant space invaders. On top of that, your waifu's soul will reside in your body, which might make most folks sad since they won't get to embrace her physically. For the last method, I guess you could always open up a detective agency with your waifu. When the time to apprehend the culprit arrives, you two could use your matching belts to merge into a hero that has the two of you controlling both halves. Before I forget, the only place where you can get these belts is in a suspicious building that's located in any city that resembles Chicago. Like with the first step, you'll have to get her to join the physical plane; otherwise, you won't be able to turn her into your special partner. With all said and done, I bet all of you're wondering why my methods involve teaming up with your waifu to become a single entity. Well, the truth of the matter is that both parties need a strong motive to strengthen the bond between a 3D person and a 2D individual. One of the biggest factors that can push someone to achieve this goal is to battle a group of evildoers who intend to ruin the world that blesses us with the privilege to interact with our one true love (a.k.a. our beloved waifu). [image by makacoon]
Never doubt the power of 2D
Whenever things get rough, you can always count on your waifu to help you out of any rough situation. Whether you're trying to escape from a large ruin or about to face defeat against a powerful opponent, these 2D ladie...
Reflecting on Women in Anime and Manga
Mar 15
// Yussif Osman
Like everywhere else in the world, pressures surrounding gender roles in Japan are great and these pressures are disproportionately great on women. Women in Japan are expected to stop working after they get married and are then expected to perform the typical duties of a wife and a mother. But like most places in the world, I argue it is getting better, at least in the way people see and treat one another, if not structurally. Hayao Miyazaki, who is notable for creating great, leading female characters, remarked facetiously that he has so many strong female animators, that he may need to make more films with male protagonists to encourage men. He's joking and life is still very difficult for women around the world, but in certain spheres we see strides being made, whether that's a female presidential candidate in the US or increasingly inspiring and strong female protagonists in anime and manga. With regards to Studio Ghibli, we can point to the powerful and driven San from Princess Mononoke or the resourceful and resilient Chihiro from Spirited Away, but I would like to in particular flag up the lesser known Only Yesterday which though released in Japan in 1991, would not be released in North America until over two decades later in 2016. This is a mature and therapeutic film which deals with memory and growing up from the perspective of the twenty-seven-year-old Taeko. The positive outcome of the film being released so late is that we millennials were able to see it as we become Taeko's age and wrestle with the same issues she does, like love, career and working out where we belong. Taeko recalls her childhood whilst seeking to escape her life in the city by doing seasonal work in the countryside. Taeko leads viewers in the same stage of life as her by example, encouraging us to reflect and discover what truly makes us happy as she decides to ultimate to stay in the countryside. Taeko might not be Hokage or a pirate captain, but she is still a leader, in a very meaningful and important sense. Another character who strikes me personally is Mari from Tokyo Magnitude 8. Mirai and Yuki are separated from their from their family when a devastating earthquake hits Tokyo and Mari, a complete stranger takes it upon herself to make sure they reach home. What strikes me here, in particular, is how their coming together was written. Often, something binds characters, meaning they have to come together, often by chance or fate, but this isn't the case here. Mari simply chooses to take responsibility for the children, it's a choice she freely makes to undertake this heavy mission and that says a great deal about her character. Through the course of the story, she becomes more than the typical older sister often found in older young women in anime. She is a protector and a guardian, a teacher, a guide and a parent. She helps them hope and in doing so becomes pivotal for their survival. Not just that, but through her they learn about each other and grow as brother and sister. Another reason this character is so compelling is that it's easy to present a heroine who is strong because she is just written as fighting strong enemies like Ryuko from Kill la Kill, instead, the enemy here is an earthquake and cannot simply be fought and must instead be navigated through, not with strength or attacks, but with character, with optimism and audacity, will and hope, human characteristics which inspire us and should. That said, I believe there are still 'fighting' female protagonists who bring a-lot to anime and manga, more so than their male counterparts. I would like to use the example of the two Nonos from Gunbuster and Diebuster. Both characters are dreamers who discover themselves in their dreams of becoming space pilots and grow as people. But even as shounen-like characters, their fights are spectacular and outshine the battles found in One Piece, Naruto and Dragonball Z. Why do I say this? Whereas in most shounen anime and manga, the protagonist fights by showing off attacks, skills or new techniques, with the Nonos instead what we get is a display of sheer willpower and fury. Where Naruto relied on ascending to his various fox and frog forms to fight progressively stronger foes and Goku has to go super saiyan, the Nonos had to learn, grow and display impossible willpower, resulting in an awesome displays of human perseverance. In short, it's awesome. There remain issues, it is assumed that shounen anime and manga in the mainstream require male protagonists, depriving young boys of strong female role models which I believe are necessary to foster a healthy and fair society. Instead, for most shounen anime and manga, the female characters either need protecting or are a love interest, feeding into existing stereotypes and perpetuating them. As I have described here, strides are being made, but there is still a long way to go. There's one series in particular that I would like to place emphasis on which turns this issue on its head. Revolutionary Girl Utena is about a young woman who seeks to become a prince; i.e. someone who is brave, proud and strong, rather than a princess. The result is a protagonist who plays much of the roles taken by male protagonists in shounen anime, including combat, but with a feminine perspective that brings something new to the table. Rather than simply defeating her foes, Utena empathises with them, understands where they're coming from and in doing so, brings the conflict to resolution, rather than simply beating them into submission. The result is far more compelling and interesting episodes than the average anime. The way the show explored gender and sexuality would also go on to inspire the American cartoon Steven Universe where female alien gems fight, protect and fall in love. Utena empathising with her enemies is akin to Allen Walker liberating the spirits of his akuma foes in D. Gray-man and this brings us to Katsura Hoshino. Hoshino has fought waves of illness and continued to bring D. Gray-man to the world, a story filled with mystery, stunning art and a complex, detailed world with even more complex characters. Hoshino brought us a world of very troubled and traumatised characters, who deal and work through their trauma throughout the story, creating vibrant journeys of self-discovery and startling revelations. D. Gray-man is one of the few shounen manga to have truly empathetic villains, who suffer and have complex lives behind their actions. This is in contrast to even Naruto, which though seeks to portray some of its villains such as Pain and Obito as having reasons for the terrible thing they've done, they're not 'alive' or 'real' in the same way that D. Gray-man villains are who are complicated in virtue of more than just motivations, but quirks and behaviour, personalities that are more than just bitter, rather they are filled with humour and bonds of their own. This may be a trait that female authors and creators bring to their work in a more effective way than their male counterparts, that their characters are simply more complex, multi-layered and interesting. The Millenium Earl and the Noah family are more than just evil, they are a family and genuinely likeable. Likewise, Hoshino's heroes are more than just good, they're odd and bizarre with a billion flaws and detailed likes and dislikes and personalities. Compare multiple Naruto side characters like Tenten or Shino who are given special abilities, but who are basically two dimensional, compared to a single D. Gray-man side character like Lavi, who has a complex personality and backstory of his own. Whereas Lavi is a reluctant Bookman, seeking to record the history of the world, we never learnt a thing about Tenten or Shino which could make us care more about them. I don't know, it might be unfair of me to say that female authors create more compelling characters and stories, but I know that these female authors most certainly did, and so did Hiromu Arakawa, who is responsible for arguably the perfect anime and manga in Full Metal Alchemist and Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood. Arakawa built an incredible world and went as far as to create a science from scratch for the sake of the story in the form of Armestrisian alchemy. The hero-villain axis is fluid as people's motivations bring them dynamically in and out of line with one another, Scar and Greed being primary examples. The story covers issues such as race relations and military occupation, family and international relations, the ethics of science, religion and humanism. The sheer originality of the series is amazing as entire ontologies, countries and philosophies flow into existence before our eyes. Not just that, but the series itself becomes incredibly complex with a range of characters doing multiple things across multiple locations, whilst events still coalesce and work together seamlessly regardless. The story is enjoyable, interesting and moving and I think I speak for all of us when I say I hope we all see more of Arakawa's original work in the future. Having lived and work in East Asia and in Japan in particular, I can say that gender is an issue that still has a long way to go. Stereotypes, societal pressures and expectations make life incredibly difficult for girls and women, but I believe that through the medium of storytelling, we have opportunities to make strides in gender equality and the perception of women. Japan is blessed with a massive storytelling industry in anime, manga, light novels and video games and so, I believe ample opportunity to make a difference.
Celebrating women characters and authors
This article comes a week late, but I think better late than never and better a little late than very late. I wanted to do something for International Women's day and thought why not reflect on a couple of female characters and creators who have made the world of anime and manga a better, more compelling place.
Review: Naruto Gaiden: The Seventh Hokage and the Scarlet Spring
Jan 16
// Christian Chiok
Although meant as a prologue for the movie, and just a side story, this Gaiden wasn't really enjoyable for many reasons. To address the elephant in the room, I feel like Cho-cho's role felt rather forced and added no substance to story. While I understand that she was added for comedic relief, sometimes it was just executed at the wrong times and it just felt rather annoying more than anything. Another big issue was the main antagonist of this Gaiden—Shin Uchiha, who easily is one of the most forgettable villains in the series with a lackluster motive, probably a lot worse than Obito Uchiha. His goal is to erase peace as he thinks it's detrimental to human evolution. The only memorable things about the character are some of his attacks, like his Kamui-like jutsu and his Weapon Manipulation Technique, which I thought it was cool. I always thought that Kishimoto was great when it came to delivering fights, especially near the end of the series, as well as other fights such as Sasuke vs. Itachi. Aside from seeing Shin's Weapon Manipulation Technique, Sakura in action, and some Naruto and Sasuke Teamwork, just like the antagonist, this fight was hardly enjoyable as well. However, this Gaiden does have its highlights that made reading this tolerable, such as seeing Orochimaru, and the jokes that revolve his new body, the early interactions between Boruto and Naruto, the new generation and of course, Sarada reuniting with Sasuke and learning the truth about her family. Like I stated, in my Boruto: Naruto The Movie review, I really like that Sarada wants to follow the path of Hokage, as opposed to Boruto who wants to be more like Sasuke. While I wasn't expecting too much out of this Gaiden, it was still overall disappointing. I felt like I was reading it for the sake of reading it every time a new chapter came up. I really thought that reading the entire Gaiden in one sitting would make it more enjoyable, but I was wrong. I was really hoping to see something feature the new generation but maybe next time.
A Story of Father and Daugther
It's been a few months since I published my review for Boruto: Naruto The Movie, so make sure to check that out as well. It is important to note that Naruto Gaiden: The Seventh Hokage and the Scarlet Spring is the...
Prepare to unite with Gecco's glorious Ultraman statue
Giant monsters and invaders beware!
Jan 08
// Salvador G Rodiles
I haven't gotten the chance to pick up Viz's release of the Ultraman manga by Linebarrels of Iron's creators yet, but it's hard not to notice the amazing detail that was placed into collectibles company Gecco's ...
Yo-Kai Watch
Impressions: Yo-kai Watch Manga Vol. 1 and 2
A Spooky Adventure
Dec 24
// Christian Chiok
Ever since the first game released in Japan back in 2013 for the Nintendo 3DS, the Yo-kai Watch franchise has captivated the entire Japanese population. While the manga was published a few months before the game officially re...
Salty Thoughts: What a One Piece superfan thinks of Pirate Warriors 3
Dec 01
// Anthony Redgrave
As a quick background before diving into the game, I'm a massive One Piece fan. I do a weekly recap on the site, I've watched close to all seven hundred summit episodes of the anime including half the released movies. I spend hours on the Wikia to brush up on the lore while tip-toeing around manga spoilers and won't shut up about it whenever it's brought up in conversation. On the other hand, Dynasty Warriors and musou games are completely alien to me. My history with the gameplay style can only be described as a lazy afternoon keeping my nephew entertained at a family affair. Flashy action on a split screen with little interest in Japanese military history or strategy. Diving into One Piece: Pirate Warriors 3 was an interesting affair for a guy with a mixed background such as I. Looks like the show, sounds like an elevator lobby Presentation wise the game looks great. Like a high definition moving coloured manga, the looks and feels stunning. This is supported by having the seiyu reprise their role from the show making it feel like playing through an episode. The game captures all major set piece events from the story and animates them wonderfully. Unlike Toei's ever fluctuating animation budget for the show, this animation is crisp and detailed. The cutscenes recreate the key visuals featured in the story helping fans reminisce on the many adventures they have embarked on with the Straw Hat crew. For me, it felt like a trip down memory lane taking Luffy from his humble beginnings in Shells town to becoming a major enemy of the world government for the sake of his crew. I'm really glad they spent the time to keep as accurately as possible to the original story and try to cram as many references to the arc as possible into the 30-minute missions. A really nice touch was having the 'To be continued' end cards at the end of each mission hammering home the fact you are playing through the anime. But it's not all there. Although the game feels like a One Piece title from the visuals, the vocals can only take the game so far. There are no familiar tracks in this game. Having the unique themes of each Straw Hat as you play as them would've really made me connect with the game on a much deeper level. After 700+ episodes, you really grow attached to the tracks. I was expecting to hear; Mother Sea for the tragic cutscenes, character eye-catch motifs for the results screen and Overtaken for the finale of each stage. They would've tied the knot on this incredibly immersive experience. Instead, the music that is provided is forgettable. It's in the little details...and the big ones, too The game gets very bipolar about the amount of detail it would like to have with the franchise. To date, it's the most accurate One Piece video game title. It's a game that doesn't allow players to purposefully retcon the story mode. You can only play as certain Straw Hats on certain levels as long as they were participating in the bulk of the fighting in the arc. For example, you cannot play as Robin in the CP9/World Government Arc as she was being held hostage and you cannot take Franky back to Syrup Village to Strong Right Kuro in his smug face. Only the characters that fight in the show, fight in the game. That also means unlocking Nami can only be done at the Alabasta arc since she is fairly useless without her Clima-tact arts even though she was recruited in the Arlong Arc. I really like how the game incorporates the different devil fruit abilities into the gameplay rather than just being a purely cosmetic addition. Logia Devil Fruits are considered the most powerful since the user embodies the element it possesses. This means typical sword swings and gun shots should not be able to affect them and it's shown in game by having many attacks being useless when pitted against a Logia user. It's not completely foolproof as spamming attack (like you're doing every 2 seconds) will cause the armour to break but I appreciate the extra effort they went with incorporating it into the gameplay. All devil fruit were not made equally regardless of Oda's weird way of power boosting some of the most inane powers I've seen in fiction. There are some gameplay issues that just go against the lore of One Piece and there is two that stand out the most to me. The first is Luffy's Gum Gum Fruit. It's supposed to make him immune to gunfire and it's shown off a lot in the show from him ricocheting back bullets and cannon balls. Playing through the first level, you can still get hurt by bullets albeit really minor chip damage. But it just doesn't make sense especially when the cutscene he is shown saving Zoro by bouncing bullets back at the attackers. My second gripe is the second level that features Buggy the clown, a clown pirate that ate the chop chop fruit. By definition, this guy cannot be cut up. Not slashed or stabbed, completely immune to sharp objects. In the show, the world's best swordsman Dracule Mihawk couldn't damage this East Blue Rookie in the battle of the best. In the second level, you are allowed to take the role of Zoro, the Straw Hat's first mate and resident swordsman. As always at the end of the level you have to fight the main pirate and, in this case, it was Buggy. I was expecting a difficult fight due to my poor choice of fighter or even an option to switch back to Luffy. The game ended up letting me fight Buggy as Zoro and winning without any resistances to any of my attacks. This just shouldn't happen. His body can be sliced in any way and survive so by theory he shouldn't have been able to lose. You could apply this logic to when Luffy fought Enel but even in the manga and anime Luffy got fried a few times despite the natural advantage. Enel was able to power himself up into a electric god compared to Buggy not changing anything about himself. And other nerdy nitpicks Like Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 3, Pirate Warriors 3 follows the story up until the current arc and just like the Naruto, provides an alternative ending to the incomplete arc. In this case, the Dressrosa arc is heading towards its end in the manga and finally coming to the showdown between Luffy and the big bad Doflamingo. Unfortunately, the ending in this game has a lot to be desired. Just like Ultimate Ninja Storm 3, the game plays it incredibly safe and has the bad guy escape just after defeat.....It really leaves a sour taste in my mouth especially when Law and Luffy are backed by the entire Straw Hat crew and Aokiji (yeah he's there too). Doflamingo is still able to run away into the sky without any of them giving chase. This is wrong for so many reasons. Doflamingo had so much stake in Dressrosa not only as his Kingdom but also for business purposes. Would he really run away from a factory producing artificial devil fruits to supply to one of the four emperors of the sea? Or even abandon his head scientist Caesar after bargaining and scheming to get him back from Law. Doflamingo doesn't even attempt his signature move Bird Cage trapping the Straw Hats and their allies on the island! Despite my old man ramblings about the smallest detail (the default costumes aren't even canon!) I still really enjoyed the game. Every character feels unique and unlike most games I've played recently, I still want to jump back on and mindlessly attack drones with my favourite One Piece character. A current favourite is post time skip Tashigi but it just feels wrong attacking Marines as her. It is definitely the best One Piece game I've played so far and has the most comprehensive retelling of the story outside of the anime. Any One Piece fan should try to check this out as the reviews are indicating it's better than the previous two. Just try to take everything with a pinch of salt otherwise you'll end up as a salty sailor like me. ricochet To be continued
Setting sail for the virtual seas!
It's been nearly 8 years since I've started watching One Piece and it seems to be one of the only constants I have kept when transitioning from adolescence to adulthood. So you can bet your bottom beli I jumped at t...
Impressions: Kuroko's Basketball Extra Game
Nov 12
// Christian Chiok
A couple of months after the main series has ended, Tadatoshi Fujimaki released its continuation called Kuroko's Basketball: Extra Game which features Kuroko and Kagami alongside the Generation of Miracles working together as Team Vorpal Swords aiming to beat Team Jabberwock, a street American Basketball team composed of Nash Gold and Jason Silver, who have extraordinary talents that surpasses the Generation of Miracles, as well as other three nameless players who are on the same level as the former Teiko players. The arc starts off with Jabberwock playing against Team Strky, a team composed of recently graduated third years from Shutoku, Too, Rakuzan, Kaijo and Yosen. After Jabberwock defeated Strky by a landslide, Jabberwock insulted Strky and as well as the entire country of Japan by stating that they are monkeys and they have no right playing Basketball. As that kind of person that really gets involved and engaged with stories, seeing Team Strky get humiliated made me feel a bit hopeless, as if I was part of that setting. I can't say that their arrogance and their need to insult Japanese players really affected me, but it made me dislike the characters from the start. While it may sound contradicting, in cases like Kuroko's Basketball, I consider giving me a good reason to dislike the antagonist a good way to get myself engaged in a story. Kagetora offended (as well as the rest of Japan, of course), it drove him to form Team Vorpal Swords and scheduled a game against Jabberwock for the following week. As a result, Kagetora had to pay for their expenses as well. Ever since the original series started, I always wondered how well can the Generation of Miracles fare with American players, especially a team that has beaten some professional NBA players. As soon as I read that, I was already expecting them to get crushed, of course, to a much lesser extend compared to Team Strky. Overall, this first chapter was a good introduction on the new set of antagonists. While I think addressing Japan as "monkeys" went too far, and it gave me enough reason to immediately despise the characters, it was still a good way on showing their personalities and more reason to root for Team Vorpal Swords once the game started. Whether its a battle series, sports series or any series that features competition, I consider it important that the antagonists are shown destroying the protagonists' comrades as a way to tease their abilities and power. It may be cliche, but Fujimaki pulled it off right. With Team Strky being annihilated by Jabberwock despite Strky being composed of highly skilled players, plus the insults, it made the anticipation of the main match even harder. The best part of the chapter was the ending, where all seven players, being Kuroko, Kagami and the rest of the Generation of Miracles met up in the gymnasium to train, as it felt like it was a throwback to their former Teiko days—before they turned arrogant and showed comradery. It was definitely one my favorite arcs in the series. While Kagami wasn't part of Teiko of course, seeing him with the Generation of Miracles was good fan service. If you're a fan of the original series and was left with the need of more content, I would definitely recommend that you read Extra Game. The first chapter so far starts off well featuring the Dream Team we wanted to see since the series ended. Naturally, as stated above, before reading Extra Game, it is imperative that you watch or read the original Kuroko's Basketball series.
Make It Flashy!
Ever since emerging myself into the wonderful world of Anime and Manga, I've being a fan of many sports series such as Hajime no Ippo, Captain Tsubasa, Slam Dunk, and Prince of Tennis. One of my rece...
Sailor Moon
Tie the knot with Sailor Moon Marriage Certificates
Perfect for the cosplay wedding
Oct 24
// Anthony Redgrave
Boring old marriage certificate forms can now be made a lot prettier with the Sailor Moon inspired designs. Konin Todoke is an online certificate service that provides legislated documents for marriage and family registration...
Himouto! Umaru-chan
Popular Himouto! Umaru-chan character gets spin off manga
Akita girl in Tokyo city
Oct 20
// Anthony Redgrave
Creator of Himouto! Umaru-chan had recently announced the publication of a spinoff manga to his popular series about the perfect high school girl turned slacker whenever she is at home. The main star of this new ser...
Nichijou's HUGE announcement is pretty normal
Oh Mai-chan that was a good joke~
Jun 24
// Anthony Redgrave
Nichijou (My Ordinary Life) is a lot like Cartoon Network's Regular Show, it's anything but. It takes the tried and true school girl slice of life comedy formula and treats every punch line as a road down to ludicrous-ville. ...
Costco Manga
Shopping at Costco becomes a manga
Costco meets Manga
Jun 17
// Anthony Redgrave
There's still so much going on at E3 it's hard to escape the gravitational pull towards writing about video games. But outside of the hot Los Angeles convention centre news is still happening, specifically doujin news regardi...
Memoirs of Amorous Gents
Animator Expo's 23rd short adapts another Moyoco Anno manga
Gentlemen can be perverts too
May 23
// Salvador G Rodiles
We're getting close to the Japan Animator Expo project's final stretch, and the latest piece ends up being another adaptation (slightly NSFW) of a manga by Moyoco Anno. Just like the previous piece that adapted her work, "Mem...
Crunchyroll manga
Crunchyroll adds PARK Harajuku: Crisis Team! original comic
Original manga to debut in end of May
May 21
// Soul Tsukino
Crunchyroll has announced the latest offering from their "Crunchyroll Originals" manga/comic line with PARK Harajuku: Crisis Team!, an all-new, full color digital webco...
SCANDAL manga recommendations
Even rockstars like manga
May 21
// Anthony Redgrave
J Rock Girl Group SCANDAL have just finished performing in Mexico with their next stop being on the other side of the world, Hong Kong. But despite this busy lifestyle they still have time for Japanator's favourite literature...
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Zulily has a really incredible deal today on a Sam's Club membership! For only $45 you can get a 1-year membership and all of these great extras:
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subset: commoncrawl


text:
Geekzone reports that Ericcson Enterpise has released a true push email software solution for the Symbian and Windows Mobile platforms.
EMO 5.0 provides push e-mail and calendar data to users of most Symbian smartphones and Microsoft Windows Mobile Smartphones or Pocket PC. E-mails, calendar updates and meeting requests are automatically delivered to the user via the mobile network. Changes in the mobile device's inbox are instantly mirrored in the user's desktop mailbox, and vice versa. EMO 5.0 offers secure access, with built-in end-to-end data encryption.
There are three editions of EMO available. The Enterprise Edition is targeted at enterprises with Microsoft or Lotus mail servers. The Professional Edition gives individual users mobile access to corporate mail using their own PC as a server. The Internet Edition targets users of public e-mail services.


text:
Regular flights from Chicago to Dubai with Qatar Airways provide you with all the benefits of superior air travel. The seating on our modern aircraft is specifically designed for your maximum comfort and relaxation, and you'll have plenty of space to really stretch out as you enjoy award-winning cuisine served by an attentive and friendly cabin crew. Choose from our exclusive range of in-flight services and arrive in sunny Dubai ready to experience all that this fabulous city has to offer, whether you're travelling for business or pleasure.
Dubai is renowned for its upmarket shopping opportunities in some of the most glitzy malls in the world, but the city also has a great nightlife scene and numerous tourist attractions to enjoy. Enjoy the picturesque views of the bustling city atop Burj Khalifa, towering 830 metres over the city, and catch a glimpse of old Dubai in the Old Quarter of Bastakia.
For an airport, Chicago O'Hare International Airport has a remarkable little secret – it's got a very eco-friendly 'green' policy.
Fly with Qatar Airways from Chicago and you can't fail to notice the fabulous Aeroponic Garden and the wetlands restoration project.
Even the taxis and many of the hire vehicles on offer are green-energy vehicles, making O'Hare International Airport a leader in sustainable management.
Transportation and parking
For travellers flying with Qatar Airways from Chicago, the large D Parking provides short-term parking only (no overnight parking allowed). For long-term parking the best option are economy lots E, F and G.
Transport from these areas to the airport terminals is available. Chicago's famous CTA 'L' Trains take you from the centre of the city to the airport, and the Pace Suburban bus service also runs regular shuttles to the airport.
There are plenty of taxi companies all specialising in airport runs, and the taxi ranks are located outside the main entrances to the terminals.
Arriving at Chicago
Qatar Airways flights from Chicago O'Hare International Airport leave from International Terminal 5, Concourse M. A number of lounges are available for passengers. As with all U.S. airports, security is very tight, so ensure you have all your documentation ready to hand.
Facilities and amenities
The Xpress Wellness Center and Spa is the perfect place to relax and unwind before your Qatar Airways flight from Chicago.
The Executive Center in Terminal 3 provides no fewer than 26 meeting rooms for business travellers to utilise, while various airline lounges provide comfortable, quiet areas to relax in while you wait for your flight.
A number of retail outlets in Terminal 5 provide travellers with a fine selection of luxury goods, while various restaurants, eateries and cafés serve everything from quick bites and snacks to more exotic international cuisine.
Fly to Dubai with Qatar Airways and experience one of the most luxurious, elegant and vibrant cities in the world.
In just 50 years Dubai has gone from a small fishing village to the capital of luxury, with the finest hotels, shopping and restaurants.
Dubai also has plenty to see - from the world's tallest skyscraper, the 828-metre Burj Khalifa, to the enchanting Bastakiya District, one of the last remaining areas of Old Dubai.
Flights to Dubai with Qatar Airways will give you the chance to discover this diverse and fascinating city for yourself.
Tourist attractions
The Dubai Museum lets you catch a glimpse into the historical roots of the city.
You can experience the city's modern-day cultural vibrancy for yourself by exploring the souqs and traditional Arabian buildings in the historic Bur Dubai area.
Another entirely different side of Dubai can be explored in Deira, where you can visit perfume and spice souqs, as well as the bustling Gold Souq, home to some of the city's finest jewellery.
If you've got a head for heights, Dubai boasts some of the world's top 100 tallest buildings providing those brave souls, who are willing to ascend to the dizzy heights, with incredible panoramic views of this unique location.
Travel considerations
Flights to Dubai with Qatar Airways land at Dubai International Airport. Visa restrictions for entry into the country will depend on your country of origin, length of stay and whether your trip is for business or pleasure.
Before you fly to Dubai please check the visa and passport requirements.
Currency: United States Dollar (USD)
Voltage: 120 V 60 Hz
Plugs: Type A / B
Language: English
International dialing code: +1
More Information: Read our Chicago Travel Guide
Contact Qatar Airways
Currency: UAE Dirham (AED)
Voltage: 220 V 50 Hz
Plugs: Type G
Language: Arabic / English
International dialing code: +971
More Information: Read our Dubai Travel Guide
Great car booking rates and personalised service available from more than 40,000 locations worldwide.
Browse 63+ million hotel reviews and find the guaranteed best price on hotels for all budgets.
Explore Discover Qatar's stopover packages offered by Qatar Airways Holidays. Book hotels, desert safaris, city and architectural tours including visits to Katara Cultural Village, Souq Waqif and The Pearl.


text:
|Air Date
|July 23, 1999
|Written by
|David Kemper
|Andrew Prowse
The crew is lured to a planet by a group of Delvians. While Rygel, Aeryn and D'Argo battle with their fears on Moya, Crichton and Zhaann are busy on the planet surface. It turns out that Tahleen, wanted Zhann to come to the planet so she can learn to master her dark impulses just like Zhann have. However during the unity, where Zhann was going to give a piece of her mind to Tahleen, instead Tahleen took control and in the progress took what she nedded leaving Zhann without any control of her dark impulses.
Guest stars
Kate Raison (Tahleen), Max Phipps (Tuzak), Darlene Vogel (Alex O'Connor and Lorana), Michael Beckley (Hasko), Aaron Cash (Bitaal), Grant Magee (Jothee), Robert Supple (Young Crichton)
- Production number 112
|Previous episode:
|Next episode:
|The Flax
|Jeremiah Crichton