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What is the origin of mushrooms growing on a sad person's head?
I have seen in a number of series, when a person is sad, they have mushrooms growing out of their head. In Ouran High School Host Club, this happens a number of times to Tamaki when Haruhi rejects him. He often goes and sits in a corner.

The below gif from FMA shows it as well. Where did this trope come from?

I believe the idea here is that the mushrooms reinforce the idea that the character is figuratively/mentally in a dark/depressed state, since mushroom only grow in the dark.

I cannot tell you who started it or where it comes from exactly, but it is based on the fact that mushrooms grow in dark and dank places. Exactly the kind of environment depressed characters are visually and mentally put into.

It is mentioned in the Corner of Woe trope:

Bonus points if you manage to act gloomy enough to attract Ghost Lights or grow mushrooms in your dark, damp corner of woe.

In Japanese, a gloomy/depressed person can be referred to as being "damp" (じめじめ, jimejime). What grows in dark (i.e. gloomy) and damp places? Mushrooms, of course.
The expression from Haruhi there about telling Tamaki to "stop growing mushrooms in one's closet" which means, more or less "stop being depressed".


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Why are most people in anime white or European-looking (instead of Japanese)?
Anatomically speaking Europeans don't look like that either. But most of the people look more European than Japanese, at least it seems to me ... Maybe it's the round eyes? And the non-black hair in some cases?

Might wanna take some time and read through this: discussion Although there is allot of random talks there are some valid points stated about this subject

Somebody will, I'm sure, post a more detailed answer eventually, but the long and short of it is that from a Japanese perspective, the characters do look Japanese, once you account for the standard alterations to facial structure that make animated characters look good. Contrast, for example, explicitly Caucasian characters like Dan Eagleman, who look distinct because they are specifically drawn to look non-Japanese / European.

What about girls with pink nipples in anime and hentai? Pink nipples is a white trait. I think anime characters are usually drawn as white.

The answer to this question is in Frederik L. Schodt's classic scholarly history book Manga! Manga!: The World of Japanese Comics, which won the Japan Cartoonist's Association Manga Oscar Special Award, & he won the 1990 Ministry of Foreign Affairs International Manga Award. Please consider selecting Toshinou Kyouko’s historically correct answer, which provides references from published books on the subject, for this question: Tezuka Osamu, largely influenced by Disney animation character design, set the standard of manga/anime character design.

Japanese drawing Westerners often use a racial stereotype of an enormous nose 1,
2 w/ poor Japanese pronunciation: Hans Castorp in The Wind Rises. Their image of Americans is blonde (though most Americans aren’t). For hair colors other than yellow, the artist likely didn't think "Caucasian."

See also this previous SE question and its answer.

Just like @senshin stated in his comment, for the Japanese people, their characters do look Asian.
There is a really nice article written about this on thesocietypages and as stated there:

Why do the Japanese draw themselves as white? You see that especially in manga and anime.
As it turns out, that is an American opinion, not a Japanese one. The Japanese see anime characters as being Japanese. It is Americans who think they are white. Why?  Because to them white is the Default Human Being.
[...]
Americans apply this thinking to Japanese drawings. But to the Japanese the Default Human Being is Japanese! So they feel no need to make their characters “look Asian”. They just have to make them look like people and everyone in Japan will assume they are Japanese – no matter how improbable their physical appearance.

In your question, you also said "Maybe it's the round eyes? And the non-black hair in some cases?"
The article above also pointed out something about that:

[...] the Default Human Being thing is so strong that lacking other clear, stereotyped signs of being either black or Asian she defaults to white.
When you think about it there is nothing particularly white about how anime characters look:

huge round eyes – no one looks like that, not even white people (even though that style of drawing eyes does go back to Betty Boop).
yellow hair – but they also have blue hair and green hair and all the rest. Therefore, hair colour is not about being true to life.
small noses – compared to the rest of the world whites have long noses that stick out.
white skin – but many Japanese have skin just as pale and white as most White Americans.

Of course, there are also exceptions. A nice example is indeed Dan Eagleman, as stated by @senshin. The moment they need to make somebody look non-Japanese, they will try to design the character more to the American/European stereotype, i.e.

Bigger noses
Blond hair/blue eyes/white
Speaks fluent English

Another things is the shape of face, non-japanese or maybe rather caucasian male characters almost never have round faces. Also facial features are distinctively more accented. Chin and cheek bones, jaw, brow ridge. To Japanese caucasian have pretty "rough" faces. We (speaking as a caucasian) probably look kind of Neanderatlic =). Of course this is relative to the style. There are anime where character are realistic to the point that they look "really" japanese - Aku no Hana anime version being on top of my head,

So explain how Naruto is Asian-looking. -_-

@Alex-sama have you even read the post above ^^

@Dimitrimx Of course I did. Naruto has blue eyes. I wouldn't see how a Japanese person could associate that with being Asian. Blond hair, fine. Sakura has pink, Kakashi, white. No conflict there, but the eyes? Essentially for me, it's to convey the story to a western audience

@Alex-sama in that case. Ill keep it simple, Naruto aint supposed to be looking asian :).  SJ: If an American Naruto live-action film ever got made, who do you see playing Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke?
KM: Naruto has blue eyes and blond hair, so any child actor in America could play him. Maybe Sasuke would be someone Japanese-American, and Sakura, someone European. I'm not all that familiar with the names of child actors. I only remember Dakota Fanning... [laughs] I love movies and know actors' faces, but not the names. as stated in one of his interviews.

@Dimitrimx Therefore, wouldn't that contradict the above answer? Thinking of someone like Sanji from One Piece. He is exceptionally western, while Luffy and Zoro could easily be Japanese. I feel that a majority of the characters could symbolize Japanese people's perspective on how they look, but I am certain that various characters are drawn on a basis of assimilation into a western audience. Like Edward and Alphonse from FMA. They are meant to be Caucasian, or even Code Geass, where Lelouch is indeed Japanese and his friend/rival is indeed European. It could be due to the situation as well.

@Alex-sama There are always deviations from the broad lines. Simplest sample i could think of is Muv-Luv where allot of people gather from around the world and still all look pretty much the same. No really exceptional changes. But it is not always needed to make the country of origin obvious anyway. So with my answer i just coverd the main misconception and offerd a small deviation. Otherwise I would have had to cover it on a per anime base. which would by far exceed the answer size/.

There's lots of anime out there where the characters really do look Japanese. That's why it's jarring that so many other anime characters look Caucasian.

I really like your answer because it basically points out the fact that humans are, by nature, egocentric. The world that they see is the only world. It is definitely a North American opinion that characters look "white", simply because that is the "normal" world to them. I also really like how you mention hair colour. Things like hair and eye colour are not indicative of a character's "race" or ethnic origin, simply because there are characters with blue hair, pink hair, red eyes, etc. These are traits that do not happen in real life, so none of these traits indicate "race".

Personally I think there is more to it then just the "Default human". Language and mannerisms play a big part in this too.  As a child, I watched anime in Dutch or English and would probably have guessed them to be "European humans". Yet later on I started watching in Japanese and started to become much more aware of the typical Japanese behaviour in characters opposed to European behaviour, which differs quite a lot. Despite reading in English, manga characters will always be Japanese in my mind due to their behaviour and choice of words. Europeans just don't talk and act like that.

Non-realistic colors of hair (which no real ethnicity are born with) in manga developed over time, especially through shoujo manga, which often creatively changes the characters' hair color in the full-color illustrations (printed in the manga magazine) despite whatever color the character's hair actually is supposed to be in canon; mangaka then experimented with canonizing those unusual colors such as blue, pink, green, etc. This historical practice is why you sometimes come across official color illustrations of Sailor Moon with pink hair or Ranma with green hair.

While I think the blog article shares a valuable perspective, it should really be balanced against Toshinou Kyouko's answer. Yes, people do tend to see themselves in abstract representations of humans, but there are also concrete reasons, some historical, some financial, and some cultural, that anime characters look they way they do. To be honest, I don't like this answer much because it sweeps the discussion under the rug by summarizing the question itself is a thoughtless racist taboo.

If we look back to Astroboy, the first regularly broadcast tv-length animated series, we can see that characters are still not necessarily Asian-looking

Astroboy started off as a show targeted mostly towards the Japanese, but soon Tezuka realised that it would not strike a profit on this alone. 52 episodes were sold to NBC Enterprises (as opposed to NBC Network), who in turn distributed the show to several places throughout America.
Because of the US's different perspective of what is and is not acceptable for broadcasting on television, several episodes were not broadcast in the States - one of these includes a plot device where a message is held inside the eyeball of a statue of Jesus.
Because the US's involvement was critical for Astroboy's success, Osamu Tezuka & his company Tezuka Productions Ltd. had to take this into consideration in later episodes that they produced.
Now that the US were a recognised target audience of the show whom had influence on its production, Tezuka advised production to make the show denationalized - that is, they started to include signs in English, removing 'openly Japanese elements' and overall, making the show more accessible to both local and foreign sales.

Also, in the early days of anime, smaller Japanese studios were always competing with the large US giants such as Disney. As a result, Japanese animation was greatly influenced by them - Tezuka's style (along with many other mangaka's of this era) was quite Disney-like, subconsciously affected by the studio's large successes.
Disney's productions themselves were quite denationalized, some series more so than others, but American viewers did not have to experience a large stylistic change when watching Japanese cartoons - and for the most part, they usually assumed they were American.
Ladd with Deneroff 2009: 21 (on Astroboy in America)

"We don't plan to advertise the fact that the series
  is being animated in Japan. We're not going to deny it, if anybody asks, but
  we're not going to publicize it, either. First of all, there are probably some
  buyers at stations out there who still haven't gotten over the fact that Japan
  was our enemy in World War Two. Second, if a buyer hears that the show is
  of Japanese origin, he's going to think it must be cheap [...]"

(American shows are mostly denationalized too)
This isn't the only show to have these concerns however. Denationalization is a significant part of anime history as Japanese studios were always competing with their American counterparts, whose animation was higher quality and cheaper to import than produce locally.

Take a brief look at Scott McCloud's Understanding Comics:

The more generic a character, the more one can associate with them, and by choosing a neutral coloured skin tone, more of the audience will associate with it.

As a counter example, an animated movie in which Eastern traits were desired was The tale of the white serpent. As you can see below, the design of the characters were more oriental. Anyway, denationalization has become the norm and only shows which seek to emphasize Eastern design include it.

Anime evolved with this feature in mind, and as other people have pointed out - audiences will always try to associate with characters in media, whether that be books, anime, film, etc. So, what may look European/American to you, may look equally Asian to those residing there because of the general design of the characters.
References:

Anime: A History by Jonathan Clements (p123,124)
Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art by Scott McCloud

This answer is more historically correct than Dimitri mx's answer which has more votes. It's true that Japanese think that Japanese is the Default Human Being, but the specific answer to this question lies in Tezuka Osamu, the "Father of Manga." Largely influenced by Disney animation character design, he set the standard of manga/anime character design. Disney is where anime’s large eyes, small noses, & non-black hair come from (true for human, animal, & robot characters). As Toshinou Kyouko points out, Tezuka's characters do not all look clearly white even though he adapted Disney's style.

This answer uses clear and informative references based on historical facts, rather than the unsourced pop psychology in the article the accepted answer uses. I agree this should be the accepted answer.

Wow - I was just about to comment under the top answer and mention McCloud's work, and then saw this. I just finished the book a few days ago.

You may find this page relevant.

There's a huge diversity of faces among Japanese people.  Cartoon characters are hugely simplified, such that you can only typically identify ethnicity of a character if they're drawn to have stereotypical features.  But why should Japanese people draw only stereotypical Asian features on characters in a show 100% intended for a Japanese audience?  Generally, it is intended for people to assume the characters are Japanese unless stated otherwise.
They only try to distinguish ethnicity in their character designs when the character is not Japanese, and then they tend to draw very stereotypical features.  From examples like that, you can also tell that Japanese people have a very different idea of what a stereotypical caucasian looks like too.  They tend to draw at least the men with clefted chins, square jaws, prominent cheekbones, wide mouths.  Sort of like how we draw stereotypical superhero faces, really.

Um, sorry but they don't look European to me...
Their facial structure looks Asian, and their hairstyles are more in the style of Asian fashions (well, most Asian can pull it off since they tend to have younger looking faces). Their hair color comes in all ranges so that doesn't count.
When anime portrays Westerners, they tend to have bigger jaws (which is true) and you can distinctly see their nose is bigger/higher. (Look at Monsters for example: those Germans look like Westerners to me, while Tenma certainly looks Japanese.)
To be honest, in most animated Western movies, characters don't look like the average American to me; rather, it's their mannerisms that makes them look American. I was watching Tangled and I noticed that her eyes are very big, to the point where no one can have eyes that big, but minus the big eyes and her mannerisms, yes she comes across as western to me.
That applies to most anime, their eyes are impossibly big for a human being, but minus their non-human eyes, I see lots of Asian features in there, and their mannerism makes it more obvious. Take Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children for example. Most characters, like Cloud (minus blue eye and blond hair), look like Gackt, who is Japanese, to me. And Tifa looks very Japanese. the first time I ever saw a Final Fantasy 7 Crisis Core/Advent Children cut scene, I thought they look very Japanese/anime aesthetic, and I haven't watched much anime at the time as well. You can argue that they look Eurasian more than pure European.
And anime looks out of this world, but with some Asian aesthetic. That's my conclusion. So I disagree; they don't look European. They look Japanese and I accept it as that.

I'm Chinese, but I see white people when I watch anime too. It is incredibly obvious actually:
White skin as opposed to Japanese toned. Round eyes as opposed to Japanese shaped, blonde/red/brown hair as opposed to black, and Caucasian face shape as opposed to Asian shaped.
Even though I grew up in Canada, I still don't think "white" is the default human to me. I don't believe Japanese see Japanese people either, unless the character is Tenchi or one of his friends or something.

With hair though, sometimes it's a way to distinguish better between characters (or possibly isn't even meant to be realistic).

As the top answers have already stated, the characters do look Asian from the point of view of the artists, but I want to add that Japanese people (and other Asian nations) have a fascination with white skin.
The linked article gives an overview of the phenomenon. Pale skin is seen as an ideal trait that many young women strive for. Its origin is not in trying to appear more Western or European, but rather has a history in economic status, where field workers who were out in the sun all day would have much darker skin than the aristocrats staying in the shade. Today, it is manifested as an unrealistic beauty standard for women, not unlike the ones in the United States and other countries.
How this relates to anime is that artists typically enjoy drawing beautiful people, unless they are concerned with realism (which, let's face it, most anime is not). In this case, that means having pale skin.

I believe the Japanese were/are highly influenced by western and American culture. So to avoid looking like someone or as a self-hating country as a whole, they say they think that's how the average Japanese person looks instead of 'I like the way whites look.' This is just my opinion, but I see that it could also very much be a fact because if the Japanese see the characters as "Japanese" why just draw them the way we usually see them? Why not with dark skin, or different features? Features we usually see in other cultures. Wanna know why that's usual?  Because they don't like it, and don't. See the beauty in it and don't want to be or look like it.

I disagree that anime are portraying causcasian/european, because they're portraying Japanese obviously if they have Japanese names...
therefore I agree with Senshin, and Dimitri mx
If you look at the Japanese subcultures, they like to dye their hair in different colors to defy the norm, which are largely dark hair, not trying to look caucasian.
I hear people claim that anime looks caucasian/europe makes me sad, as it shows how limited their world view is...
Not all Asian has small squinty eyes, I've known a lot of friends who has round and big eyes, there are even more if you go to Asian countries.
It's like saying those Causcasians who like to tan their skin are trying to be African American, or those who like to dance hip hop or rap are trying to be African American, but are they? Maybe some of them are, but most of them tan their skin because they think it looks nice with their overall eyes and hair, just like Asian/Japanese dye their hair because they think it looks nice with their complexion, and that is reflected in anime with different hair colors etc.

"they're portraying Japanese obviously if they have Japanese names" - this is true, but the question is more to the effect of "why do people who are identified as Japanese in anime drawn to look like they're of European descent (in the OP's view)"

I agree that in Aku no Hana they actually do look Japanese. Let's face it, we all know that Japanese, Chinese, and Korean have small, almost squinty eyes. White people don't necessarily have big eyes either, but they're bigger than the ones a typical Asian would have. Some say that the Japanese are trying to take over the world by drawing their characters as Caucasians. I have noticed that in animes the major characters are always white. It's very rare to even have an African character pop up every now and then as a on the side character, but that's about the most culture variation you'll see.
Religion doesn't pop up either in animes, with the exception of the monks, and statues of Buddha that appear(only Japanese culture is allowed in JAPANESE anime and manga of course). And my point on religion and the appearances of the characters is that not every one has the same way of life or is comfortable wearing mini skirts. In a lot of religions they're not allowed to do some of those things that people on animes do. Like dating, flirting, going all the way before marriage, or even as a girl showing your thighs to another girl is not allowed.
So, in the anime world every one is actually the same, even though the main character is usually some what different from the others, but in a way that we can't relate to because it's usually impossible IRL. Like in the anime series Naruto, he (Naruto) starts out as an out cast because of the fox demon sealed inside him. Therefore, treated differently by his peers in a negative way.
The thing about hair colour, well, Asians almost always have black hair. On the other hand, Europeans are more often found with hair that is red. But, I read that that it is possible for Asian and African people to inherit the two copies of a recessive gene on chromosome 16 which causes a mutation in the MC1R protein(causes red hair). Considering the facts, most red heads have European genes, which is why people on animes that have red hair or even blond hair with blue eyes AND white skin, look like white people. But when characters have randomly crazy, awesome and impossible IRL hair colours like BLUE, GREEN, PURPLE, PINK, TURQUOISE, etc. you know it's just part of the illustrators' design.

sorry, but I'm not completely sure if you're answering the question here...

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Where to start with Gundam?
There seem to be a ridiculous number of Gundam series, spinoffs and movies. There also seems to be a lot of timelines, parallel universes which has confused me more.
I've tried looking this up before, but there's a large variety of differing answers depending on people's opinions.
As an anime fan, I think I should at least try it out. It might also help for understanding a lot of reference jokes in other series.
Where does one start with all these? Can you watch the series as standalones or should I start watching in a particular order?

Are you looking to watch everything Gundam? Or just U.C? Or just the main parts of the story? The answer for where to start depends somewhat on how deep you want to go.

There are several Gundam series so far, Some of its are standalone (like Gundam 00) meanwhile some of its are related with each other. The answer depend on how far do you want watch ??

I guess an overview of the different series and if they are related to each other?

@LoganM I think the main parts of the story, I probably wont be overly pushed about watching the episodes outside the main story.

@ToshinouKyouko Sorry but, what are episodes outside the main story in your opinion? All non U.C? Fillers in U.C (probably watch the summary movies)?  Do you know about the AniDB releation graph?

@LiveWireBT you should make that an answer and that is awesome.

I was not quite sure and wanted to clarify first, but if you insist. :D

@LiveWireBT sorry I probably should've said series rather than episodes, I'm not expecting episode level detail. Probably non-filler

@ToshinouKyouko I personally think that would be difficult. As I wrote in my answer, I cannot recommend watching the summary movies instead of the original show. I did that and know that I have to watch the complete show some time again.

Here are a few images I have harvested from the internet that describe all that Gundam stuff (imgur). I think the third one might have spoilers in it - I'm not sure because I have not actually watched any Gundam myself.

@senshin I found a high resolution version of the first one and added it to my answer in slightly higher resolution in case the high-res source gets deleted. It also answered my question, when to watch ∀GUNDAM (turn A). Thank you.

AniDB has a nice releation graph regarding the different Gundam shows and movies.
Universal Century and related timelines
If you are interested in the original story of the Universal Century (UC) timeline and are willing to invest a lot of time (about 74hrs), you can start off with Mobile Suit Gundam (1979-1980) show and work your way through the sequels following the red line in the graph till the latest Gundam Unicorn OVA.
Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin is the OVA production following Unicorn and as the name implies it tells the background story of some characters and how events lead to the original series. You probably don't want to start with this if you intend to watch the original series and avoid spoilers.
Gundam F91 and Victory Gundam are also part of UC, but are of a new generation (referred as Late UC) with completely new characters and parties. While F91 features similar spaceship and mobile suit designs as well as similar uniforms, and rather falls in the category of a side story, V seems to be completely unrelated from my point of view, this also applies to Gundam Reconguista in G which is set in Regild Century, a period 500 years after Turn A Gundam.
The summary movies of the original show feature new scenes, but I don't recommend watching them instead of the show, rather watch them when watching side stories.
      140 TV show episodes ((43+50+47)*25min)
       13 OVA episodes (12*30min+25min)
        1 film (120min)
        7 OVA episodes (6*60min+90min)
Total: 74hrs 15min

UC unrelated timelines
A page listing most Gundam series timelines and related works is also available in Gundam Wikia. Currently these timelines are in order of production dates: Future Century, After Colony, After War, Cosmic Era, Anno Domini, Advanced Generation and Post Disaster. Shows set in these timelines may share some Gundam specific traits, but they were created to be aired on TV and watched independently to attract new viewers or younger audiences, while loyal fans of the original series are treated with OVAs set in UC.

In the comments above senshin found a guide (see below) that includes most of the shows (at least the various SD Gundam shows are missing, which benefits clarity) up until Gundam AGE and Gundam Unicorn, listing pros & cons for each show.
Spoiler warning: I found spoilers in V (con) and 00 S2 (con), there may be more.
Link: Gundam Series guide from /m/

I'm tempted to watch the "Origin" episodes, mostly since a trailer I saw seemed interesting (and it seems like I might be able to stream at least part of it legally). I get that I'll be getting spoilers for the original series, but will I also be missing crucial context for this sub-series (and thus be unable to understand everything that's going on)?

@Maroon I have only watched the first episode until now and it looks like they want to make it as accessible for everyone as possible, building up the background that leads to the original series but at the cost of one spoiler in the original series. If that's fine with you then it should be okay. Regarding context of politics and technology my expectation is that the series will hopefully be easy to follow and comprehend.

As LiveWireBT and this link suggest, UC was the longest Gundam timeline. And worth to be checked. I personally have watched and recommend Gundam Seed, Gundam 00, and Gundam Unicorn. As they shared a lot similarities about earthlings and spacenoids conflict.

I would definately recommend 00 (sans movie- that may be canon but it was originally supposed to be a seed movie till the lead writer had cancer so they shifted to 00 as that was the anime at the time), seed (destiny if you want to but wouldnt really recommend) and iron-blooded orphans (tekketsu-no orphans - season 2 out in october and s1 just finished).
if your after just fights: try build fighters or build fighters try

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Who is the father of Minato Namikaze?
Does Namikaze mean a clan or is it just his second name?
I think the only way Naruto could defeat Madara Uchiha is to be in a blood-line relation with the Sage of the Six Paths, and thereby achieving a Rinnegan of his own.
Since Kushina, Mother of Naruto is from Uzumaki clan; which is a blood-relative of the Senju clan, it will make sense if Minato is from any distant clan related to Uchiha clan.
Is there any clue revealing who might be the parents of Minato?

No, there are no clues, at least not yet (in the anime).
But your second part of question/theory is obviously incorrect, since it's not enough to be related to an Uchiha, because it's not the DNA you need (directly, as is the case with the Senju part), but rather it's the eye itself. Since Naruto doesn't have a Sharingan, even if he's related to the Senju (distantly), he wouldn't be able to awaken the Rinnegan - not even if, by some miracle, Minato were to be related to the Uchihas (it seems pretty impossible to me). So, if Naruto were to not get a Sharingan, e.g. from Sasuke, in my opinion, he will never be able to awaken the Rinnegan.
As with the fight, I've no idea about the manga; the only thing I know is that he will team up with Sasuke (from older posts, which made me crazy...), but off-topic, I think there is more in Naruto, even without a Rinnegan, which could equal AND overpower Madara.
Related to your question, we don't know anything about Minato's parents. "Namikaze" could represent his association with a clan (as in most of the cases), or it could simply be his second name.

Woah woah woah woah woah.... Naruto will never achieve Rinnegan.... Rinnegan has given a proper explanation for it.
To put your answer short:

No information about Minato's parents has been revealed. It isn't important, anyway.
"Namikaze" could be a clan [don't know if it falls in Senju clan]. But it is definitely not associated with Uchiha since all members of the Uchiha clan had the "Uchiha" name. (most common observation has been taken into consideration here.)
The Uzumaki clan were the only ones who were associated with Minato for a while. First, it was his wife, Kushina, who belonged to the Uzumaki clan. Secondly, he learned many sealing techniques from the Uzumaki clan.

I agree with the existing answers. I do have a theory that the 4 Hokages' father, Minato Namikaze's father is the Second Hokage.
I also thought the same thing about what actually happened. He had an off relationship with a woman with the last name of Namikaze. Now, one of these three possibilities could happen and I know it's kind of unusual:

He died before he can be told about the baby, so she put the child up for adoption, or
She put a child up for adoption before he died, possibly to keep it send me from getting to it, or
She died in childbirth.

It would be interesting if we could get the creator of one of those opinions on this.

If Minato was Tobirama's son, it would mean he is maybe 15 years younger than Hiruzen. Minato was Hiruzen's student's student. Minato was probably not even alive till Hiruzen was like 35 years old. I don't know where you got this theory, but this is worse than scientology


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Can loose souls hide in males?
After finishing the first season, I have noticed that all the loose souls so far have been hiding in female hosts.  I realize it makes sense for the male protagonist to be working with females, but is it possible for a male to have a loose soul?  Perhaps there is a female counterpart to Keima that deals with the males?

spirits would hide only in girls, but the one who capture it doesn't have to be male. Haqua's buddy is a 54 y/o saleswoman

There is a reason why the runaway spirits hide in females. A runaway spirit can be reborn as the child of a female host. For this reason, essentially all runaway spirits have female hosts. As far as I know it has never been explicitly addressed whether a runaway spirit is capable of possessing a male host, but even if they could it wouldn't be of any benefit to them since the primary goal of the spirits is to be reincarnated.
This was explained in chapter 3 of the manga (before the Mio conquest), but at least according to @ShinobuOshino below in the comments, not in the anime. It does come up in some future arcs though (I'll avoid spoiling exactly when), so it may be mentioned later in the anime.

Seems odd to try to get girls pregnant but if they fall in love then the loose souls are ejected from the host.  I think this was mentioned somewhere in Season 2 though never really a good explanation in the anime.

@LoganM it's in chapter 3 from manga when they are about to meet Aoyama Mio, it didn't happen in anime though

@ShinobuOshino Thanks. I meant to look for it myself but didn't get much chance. For some reason I thought it was later than that.

@DavidStarkey I should probably clarify something. Runaway spirits are reborn from their hosts. However, the mechanics of this aren't 100% clear. The host does need to be able to get pregnant (so elderly women and young girls are not viable) but as far as I know it's never been explained exactly how they would be impregnated. It's possible that the spirits themselves are capable of impregnating their hosts.


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What is Sakaki's Heian Hyakudan?
As a former Shotokan Karate practitioner myself, I am quite familiar with the Heian Kata series. However I have never heard of Heian Hyakudan before.

First and foremost, is this a real technique or kata? I've been trying to find out more about Heian Hyakudan through google searches, but I get absolutely nothing.
If we dissect his finishing stance, we might be able to come closer to a conclusion. His bottom section, leg and hip formation is a posture held after jumping or leaping. We also know he is landing from a jump due to his forward shoulder being lower than the back shoulder (as well as the visual landing effect).
The part that throws me off the most is his upper posture. Normally when a jumping technique is executed, both arms work together and are connected(katas: Heian Godan and Bassai Dai). In this picture, his left arm is back which would mean that his technique requires a certain hip motion. The only times I recall seeing the top posture is in a Kata like Chinte, but even then, the leg stance requires feet to be spread out with open or reverse hips.
The top just doesn't match with the bottom. I have never seen a technique like this, nor heard of it.
Please help me identify this specific technique or Heian Hyakudan.

Unfortunately, I don't have contact with my sensei anymore. I live in a different country now :(

The technique Heian Hyakudan is non existing technique in karate.
Shio Sakaki claims to hold 100 dan in the arts of karate . So the move Heian Hyakudan could be a word play on this with Hyaku meaning 100 (百).
As for his movements, with the rotation and forward moving speed he should have fallen indeed. Although in the manga (don't remember the exact chapters) it is also shown that Sakaki can alter his central point of gravity by using certain muscles. Which in this case would have helped him with maintaining balance and allowing him to land in such manner.

This is truly great. It slipped my mind that hyakudan was in reference to his title while I kept thinking of hyakudan as one word.

The "Heian Hyakudan" technique pictured resembles a real technique in the kata Chatan Yara Kusanku.  I'm sure it's a coincidence but it is interesting.  You can watch a video of it here.
You will see it in the 4th and 5th directions. It has a twisted stance with a chop like this, and is followed with a kick and then a drop to the ground. I doubt if it would send multiple people flying through the air like they got hit with tornadoes, but maybe when one reaches 100th Dan...


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How important are those hand seals really?
In Naruto we can see people make hand seals to do technique's. The further down the story we come the more neglected this becomes aka Naruto's rasengan does not need any hand seals to begin with. Minato also displayed the ability to form hand seals using a single hand.
So my question, how important are those hand seals anyway? How do they affect the juutsu they cast. And can evrybody do it with 1/0 hands if they train enough ?

Please view the related question here: http://anime.stackexchange.com/questions/33913/what-is-the-difference-when-a-jutsu-is-performed-by-weaving-only-some-of-its-se/33926#33926

You are right, as we know:

While techniques may require a number of hand seals to work, a skilled ninja can use less or even one to perform the same technique.

So if you are a master shinobi, you can use a jutsu without making seals or making just a few seals, instead of 5-10-20. BUT if you are novice, you can't perform jutsu without hand seals. The number of seals or the number of hands indicates the skills of the shinobi. The more skilled someone is, the less effort he needs to put on casting a jutsu.

An example of this is the Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique, which requires a total of 44 hand seals to activate.Tobirama Senju, the Second Hokage, only needed to use one hand seal to complete the technique, a testament to his skill.Although rare, it is possible for a shinobi to be able to do hand seals with just one hand. The only shinobi seen so far capable of this are Haku, Minato Namikaze and Guren.

The seals are VERY important even if you're skilled. It's vital in the Shinobi World since a jutsu can't be performed without hand seals and just few of the jutstu's are casted without hand seals (e.g Rasengan).

you might want to add that female filler character from the spy village that performs the seals with her EYES

Actually, hand seals are used to help the caster manipulate and control their chakra levels to execute the jutsu. Hand seals indicate how a shinobi can manipulate their chakra properly. However, a highly-skilled shinobi can perform a wide range of jutsu with one hand, or for some - no seals at all. The reason why is because some shinobi can manipulate chakra without concentrating it using hand seals at all. This can be particularly seen in Sasuke after he loses his arm during the Fourth Shinobi World War.


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What is "magic" in the RWBY universe?
I haven't been watching RWBY for long, but is dust like magic in RWBY, because I am not sure. Please give some answers.

EDIT: I have updated the answer to incorporate what was revealed in the segment on dust in Season 2, Episode 4.5
Dust is a natural resource used as an energy source, much like coal or gas but more potent.
It comes in crystal and powdered forms that can vary in colour, potency and effect.
In episode 2, Weiss identifies Fire, Water and Lightning attributed Dust, each having different properties. I think it's safe to assume the last element is Air/Wind.

According to the RWBY Wikia:

Being a form of energy, people are able to use Dust in combat. The use of Dust was how Humans originally defeated the Grimm. When combatants wielding Dust channel large amounts of the energy, complex circles of luminous energized Dust appear, with various shapes and runic incantations manifesting within them. These glyphs focus the energy of the Dust in order to cause large scale elemental phenomena or to defy natural laws.
Dust can also be used in its raw form, which is described as being "elegant, yet destructive" in nature and requiring a certain level of discipline to maintain control over. More archaic uses for Dust as a weapon include weaving it into clothes or directly implanting it into their bodies
Crystalized Dust is also used as ammunition. A prominent example of this is Lie Ren's dual pistols, the StormFlower, which use Schnee Dust Company rounds. Ruby's weapon, Crescent Rose has also been mentioned to use rounds with different kinds of Dust in them.

So Dust is kind of a quasi-realistic way that magic can exist in the RWBY universe, but it's more like fuel for augmenting weapons and existing skills.

Also, there is a form of magic coming from the Maidens of the Seasons, as described in Volume 3 and the World of Remnant: The Four Maidens. This is the only confirmed magic in RWBY as of yet.

Honestly Nobody knows, there's dust and Semblances, but then there's Magic (with a capital M) which is what the Maiden powers are and supposedly what Raven and Qrow's bird powers are, which makes Magic sound lame
The only rule to what a Semblance can't be is transformations, which is an arbitrary rule that we wasn't told

Please include relevant sources/references.

you want a source? I give ya one, the show is the source, for all that's worth

What I meant when I said source is specific episodes/chapters from the anime/manga/light novel to back your statements. I hope that is clear enough.

oh, well I don't think there's no specific episode, at least not one I can think of right now


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What are the differences between the One Piece anime and manga?
Recently I started watching the One Piece anime and noticed some differences in the story line  than were present in the manga, and I was wondering if there was a huge divergence in the anime over the manga like with Black Butler, or more like slight differences in plot like with Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood.

I believe those are just filler, it doesn't have any significant effect to the main story line

The anime and manga closely resemble one another.
This is mainly because the mangaka, Eiichiro Oda actually actively participates into the animation process. So whenever they want a filler episode, they will contact Eiichiro Oda for confirmation, and he would either approve or reject it.
I believe the only deviations there were was some part in the beginning of the anime that did not totally follow the manga, and ace's tattoo. Which later on got adapted in the manga as well, so not sure how much that would count as a difference.

The anime has lots of filler in between pages or they drag some parts out. The anime also has entire filler arcs that are not in the manga but they don't affect the overall story of one piece. I have not watched black butler or full metal alchemist so I can't compare them to one piece. I do know that it is still in the same place the manga is but just an arc behind. I know that the anime might leave false impressions in some places, for example when Luffy fought Doflamingo the anime made it look like king Kong gun had a hard time beating Doflamingo but in the manga it crushed him. Not worth to being caught up and watching one episode a week in my opinion but it is worth watching for the fights because animated fights are always better than looking at pictures.


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Where do students get their funds from?
It's been bothering me for a while now, and it's mentioned against several times. Where do students in Academy City get their funds?
Do they get it from home, their parents? Does Academy City give out an allowance? How does it work? Was it ever mentioned?

In the Toaru Kagaku no Railgun - Misaka Mikoto Maniax artbook, it's mentioned that she gets money from helping with research (the amount isn't specified). So there might be other ways to get money...

Quote from the 6th novel, Chapter 1 Part 8 (Credit for the translation goes to Baka-Tsuki):

All the students in Academy City had a scholarship they could claim, and the money would be automatically banked into their accounts like a salary.
  On first glance, it was a system that was worth being envious over, but basically, it could be considered a contract for esper development. The more prestigious the school, or the higher the Level of the esper, the greater the reward. In contrast, the esper would have to take part in more research.
  As for ordinary Level 0 school students like Kamijou, the reward they could get was rather limited.

All Espers (even the Lv.0s) should have this scholarship for the Power Curriculum Program, the program to develop Esper-powers.
Not included here are non-students: Skill-Out most likely earns money with crimes, Teachers are paid by the city (although they don't get money for being a member of Anti-Skill), and foreigners (like Frenda) just live in the city and get paid for their jobs.


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What creature is Filli in Deltora Quest?
In The Deltora Quest Anime, Jasmine is occupied by some type of animal creature, which almost resembles a little furry fuzzball, but what creature is Filli?

According to Deltora Quest Wiki:

Filli is a Siskis and one of Jasmine's animal companions, along with
  Kree.

To know more about this "Siskis" species:

Siskis were described by Doran in his journal, during his travels. The
  journal was later published as Secrets of Deltora by King Lief. In the
  book he described them as bright-eyed, highly intelligent creatures
  found in Mid Wood, in Topaz territory. However, he also wrote that the
  species were going extinct.


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Does Orochimaru need a host?
After the Hokage the third took his arms, Orochimaru needed a new body for himself. Later, shortly before Sasuke killed him, this body was rejecting him, so he wanted to take Sasukes body as his new host.
In his fight against Sasuke, he abandons his body and appears as a huge snake. And here's the question: Does Orochimaru need a host at all, and why? Or can he stay as a snake for longer time?

ohh I so wish I could spoil this!

Do you remember when Orochimaru had been discovered by the Third Hokage while he was experimenting on people1? That's what he was researching: a technique for immortality.
It's called 不屍転生 (Fushi Tensei) or literally Living Corpse Reincarnation and allows Orochimaru to transfer his soul into his  prey's body and take possession of it.
He researches this because as he says, he wants to learn all the existing techniques, but since that is impossible for a person with a normal lifespan, he develops this technique in order to have more time.
The problem with this technique is that each host lasts around 3 years, so he needs to find another one after that. If he could find a perfect container he could stay in it for a full lifetime, but he would need to find another one again anyways after that.
1: Chapter 122 in Naruto, Volume 14

So he could stay without a host?

@looper I have no hard evidence for that, but I doubt it. I can look for more info if you want, but I am not sure there is something canon (not sure there isn't either, though).

I guess that's good :). Maybe I'll find something new when I read the more recent chapters.

@looper Ok, later I'll do some more search. In case I find something, I'll notify you.

But even if he could stay a snake forever what's the point of that?  He wants to master the jitsu however with no arms he can't. It's noteworthy to note that when he's fighting Sasuke Sasuke insults him by saying, "Look at what you've become.  Why would I let you inhabit me?"  He's an abomination with no arms.

If understand it correctly Orochimaru can stay in his snake form for a longer time. But staying in that form has lots of disadvantages, since he cannot use any of his jutsu (no hands). Since his goal is to master all jutsu in this world, it is very inconvenient for him to remain in that state.


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How much of THE iDOLM@STER was based on the games?
(In case there is an confusion, I'm talking about the 2011 series, not Xenoglossia)
I think I heard that Ryuuguu Komachi was formed in THE iDOLM@STER 2, but are there any other key events that are from the game(s), or is the TV series mostly original?

The plot in the games does not lend itself to being directly adapted into an anime since it hinges on developing a group of three of the idols at once. As far as the game is concerned, the other idols don't really exist. They pop up on occasion when you have the opportunity to invite others to encores and 5-person songs.
The core concepts and themes for each idol are derived from the games but the precise events are entirely new. Furthermore, the anime is filled with fanbase Easter eggs and references to interactions that the seiyuu have with each other. In fact, many traits of the idols are based on their seiyuu.

"They pop up on occasion when you" When you... what? :P This seems like a good answer, but I'm just wondering which game(s) you've played to base this answer on.

Whoops. Thanks. Also, im@s 2, parts of im@s 1


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Why can't people distinguish Sailor Soldiers from their real selves?
When people transform in Sailor Moon, they look physically identical to their human forms.  Even fellow magical beings are unable to tell a person's identity unless they witness the transformation happening.
Is there an in-universe explanation for this?

I just watched EP 3 of Sailor Moon Crystal. Rei (sp?) [Sailor Mars] recognized Sailor Moon as Usagi from the bus.

It's a common trope in a lot of super hero fiction. It's just one of those things that creators ask audiences to suspend disbelief for. Though it's not really meant as an explanation, many characters do poke fun at various scouts' paper-thin disguises in universe, saying things to the effect of "She can't be Sailor Moon; Sailor Moon is too pretty to be that meatball head." (It must be the tiara.)

I hadn't noticed the mentions before.  Good find!

Although it is a common trope these days, it was not so in the genre of mahou shoujo (magical girl) manga and anime before Sailor Moon. In the long-running genre, many of the classic magical girls looked very different in their transformed state as compared to their civilian state (for example, Maho no Mako-chan, Creamy Mami, Mahou no Yousei Persia, Magical Emi, Fashion Lala, etc.). Sailor Moon largely helped set a new standard that caught on in the genre (though there are still series which use the older classic style of very different looks for civilian vs. transformed forms, such as Pretty Cure does).
Judging by the mangaka Takeuchi Naoko's early concept art for the character designs, she had not intended them to look obviously identical in both forms. All of the sailor soldiers wore a mask of some sort so that, like Tuxedo Kamen, they would be hard to identify by enemies and bystanders. The early published artwork also featured a mask for [Sailor Moon] in the style of Sailor V's.
In the concept art, Sailor Moon was drawn with pink hair and Sailor Jupiter with olive-green hair; this may or may not have been the same shade as their civilian hair color: it would have matched the magical girl standard for Usagi's hair to change from her civilian white (platinum blonde) or blonde hair color into a different shade, such as pink (the most common and symbolic color for magical girls).
In terms of an in-universe explanation for the phenomenon, one is not given, but it is demonstrated that while people do not generally recognize them, there is not some magic that flatly prevents it, as there are some occasions in which someone does recognize a person who is transformed.  In episode 183, Sailor Star Fighter looks at Sailor Moon and suddenly an image of Usagi flashes through her mind; she quickly shakes it off, saying that's impossible (she doesn't want to admit it because it is easier for her personally if Sailor Moon and Usagi are different people, so she willfully ignores what she noticed). As another example, in episode 190 Sailors Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto intentionally transform in front of Taiki Kou and Yaten Kou because they are sure that Taiki and Yaten are Sailor Star Maker and Sailor Star Healer, respectively.  Neptune asks, "So you aren't easily surprised, are you?" and is answered with "We anticipated it, somehow."
In Sailor Moon Crystal, recognition seems to be easier than in the classic anime. Tuxedo Kamen seems to have no trouble identifying Usagi as the same person as Sailor Moon whenever she is transformed into her various guises using her Hensou Pen (Transformation Pen). When Rei sees Sailor Moon in episode 3, she quickly realizes it's Usagi. We could chalk these up to Rei's intuition or soldier abilities and Mamoru's powers, but even Usagi's father is able to notice her when she is in a transformed form in episode 4.  She walks past him at a party in her transformed form and he does a double-take, thinking he saw his daughter, and only subsequently concludes that he must have made a mistake.

I like answers that at least consider the in-universe perspective, they way they do over at SFF.SE, rather than just saying "It's a lame trope of the genre", so +1 from me.

+1 Nicely written and well documented. As an aside, the image you identified as Sailor V actually has her introducing herself as Sailor Venus. Her appearance is similar to the end result for Sailor V, but this is in keeping with the concept art you showed earlier where all the senshi wore masks.

@Paul Rowe, you're right that she introduces herself as 「セーラーヴィーナス」(Sailor Venus) in this page, but it is a page from chapter 1 of the Codename ha Sailor V manga. That series is a prequel to Sailor Moon but it was written partly concurrently.

FWIW in ch. 3 of the manga, Usagi notices that Mamoru looks like Tuxedo Mask when she's talking to him on the bus too.

But there are a lot of people that recognizes her.
In the manga, Usagi and Mamoru recognizes each other just after they Knows each other. In the anime, maybe the 1992 anime's Usagui are too stupid to notice it, (In the 1992 Anime, Mamoru Himself don't know that he was Tuxedo Kamen until the appear of Sailor Venus).
The Senshi tries to don't show herselves directly on public, But Naru Osaka Suspect that Usagi was Sailor Moon, Rei Hino Recognizes her at the bus, most of the enemies know her civilian forms.
At that proof, the Sailor Moon's Transformation do not have the power to make the people that forgot the User's Face or something like that.


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How do vanships stay aloft?
In Last Exile, the aircraft known as vanships do not rely on wings to generate lift. So, has the technology that the vanships use to fly been described in any detail?

The floating ships in Last Exile use something called the Claudia Unit (see picture).
These units use a mixture of Claudia, the glowing blue ore, and water/alcohol as fuel. The Claudia Units themselves are fairly complicated devices and are provided solely by The Guild on loan to engineers of the different factions/countries. When warships become damaged, their Claudia Units detach and can fly its way back to the Guild, which usually leads to the demise of the ship. Additionally, the Guild can remotely recall Claudia Units. The exception being the Silvius which has a stolen unit that the Guild cannot recall.
The smaller Vanships also use Claudia fueled engines (called "Claudia Engines" to differentiate between ones that are used by the larger ships) that are much smaller and simpler than the units that the Guild controls. Some of these engines are so stripped down, they require external electricity to "start" the engine.
In this picture of the Silvana and Claus and Lavie's Vanship, you can see details of the Claudia Unit and Engine.

Anthony Kostabi mentions that the burning of Claudia inside the engines/units create a some kind of field (I think he uses the term "magnetic field") directed downwards to produce lift. In Episode 13, we learn that Vanship engines work by circulating near-vaporized Claudia at very high pressures through pipes at the rear of Vanships. You can see the pair of pipes in the rear of Tatiana's Vanship:

The Vespas from Last Exile - Fam, The Silver Wing are smaller than Vanships but still use Claudia engines:


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Why did Erza challenge that many monsters at the Pandemonium?
During the Pandemonium contest at the Grand Magic Games,

 Erza challenges all the 100 monsters at once, but she could have won the full 10 points by challenging and beating "only" 51.

Why did she do it?

Given how epic that moment was, I decided to play safe and put it into spoiler tag. For the same reason, the question is worded this way.

I somehow think that the correct answer here is that "because the mangaka isn't as good in math as you" :)

lol, I think the same, but it is kinda cooler this way. :)

Just because she can ;)

I am sure Erza did not think about it as much as I did. :) :)

It's not about how many point she got, it's about sending a message "We are Fairy Tail"

Actually mathematically speaking, 100 monsters would be a better choice than 51. With 51 she had to win to come out first. With 100 she could both lose and win and still be first (either tied with the rest at zero points or first with 100 points). With 100 monsters there is no pressure (mathematically speaking), since the outcome isn't important any more.

@PeterRaeves I seem to recall that the rules stated that if you lose a round, you will exit the contest and the number of monsters defeated in that round would be counted as 0, which implies (?) that they would be available for the next round. Pumpkin's explanation was somewhat ambiguous, but I think if Erza challenged 100 monsters and lost, the next contestant could still pick a number upto 100.

You are right. The pandemonium indeed ends when all 100 are actually defeated.

During the Phantom Lord arc, Erza herself mentioned that Fairy Tail is not concerned about competition with other guilds. As Natsu told Sting during the Chariot competition, they entered the Grand Magic Games for their comrades, and to prove that Fairy Tail will keep going forward. They wanted to win the Games to regain their guild's lost respect.

 As such, the Pandemonium contest was more than just winning 10 points for Erza. If she had only challenged 51 monsters, it was possible that she would get to battle mostly the weaker monsters, and someone else might beat the S-rank and A-rank monsters.

That would not earn them any respect, but people would just consider that she was lucky. Erza did not want to take that chance.
Also, Fairy Tail from 7 years ago was known for going overboard and doing things rashly. Doing it differently now would not convince people that Fairy Tail is back, but only create a perception that they have become weaker and are lacking in confidence.

To add on your anwser Deidara, she did it to show the power of Fairy Tail.

 During the 7 years, Fairy Tail was weakened due to the loss of their most powerful wizards in their holy land.

So during Pandemonium, Erza decided to show their return as well as the strength of Fairy Tail.
Remember that the power of D-ranked monsters were and how shocked the audience as well as other contestants were.  So defeating all of the monsters just shows how strong the guild is.

Erza chose to challenge all 100 monsters because she was 1st.
If she wins, that's 10 points for the entire match. If she couldn't do it, she'd just have to wait in the line up, until it was her turn again.
She wanted to test herself, and also ensure maximum points in that competition. It was not about purposely action brash to fit spectators old perception or something like that.
Fairy Tail 7 years ago was wild because its members are wild. They were constantly in trouble because people like Natsu destroy a lot to complete a mission. It's in no way a purposeful things to show their "style". They just break shi+.
So again, Erza took a gamble because it would ensure the 10 point win and help her stretch her limits.

She could have got 10 points by challenging 51 monsters too. That's the point of the question.

True, but it's less of a test for Erza. The focus is inward "How good am I?" not outward "How well can I present myself?" The Mermaid Heel swordswoman owned the angel girl from Sabertooth, and Erza was taken aback. This was Erza's confidence booster in her on skill, as opposed to Erza trying to showboat for the crowd and oppoennts. Same end result, but different character mindset.

In a way erza knew looking at the task ahead , with mato explaining n showing the strength of the D class monster that she can win when she chose to take on all 100 of the monsters.
It wasn't about her showing off their power but to test her own limit. she challenged the Pendemonium....her right to challenge. Not to forget the part where she apologized to her team for taking longer then she expected.
She took the monsters on with a vivid plan in mind. She didn't just go in rushing without any plan (hot headed Natsu) . The way she took each monsters just showed us the real Titania - showed us why she is respected by all.
She was the turning point for fairy tail. Fairy tail became a serious competition. Tears came running down my cheeks (couldn't stop it.... Still makes me cry when I re-watch this episode).
"Despite her countless injuries...the fairy that should have fallen....soared....Titania triumphed and our spirit were born a new"  love u erza.... True Queen of the fairies....


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Which virtue did each Heartiel stand for?
During the Max Heart season of Pretty Cure, the characters are hunting down the 12 Heartiels.  These little fairies represent the virtues of

the Queen of Light.

While some of them are named after their virtue (Seekun seeks knowledge, Harmonin = Harmony), others have names that have nothing to do with a virtue (Horpun).
Could someone explain what their virtues are?

According to the Precure wikia, the list of Heartiels and Virtues are:
╔══════════════════╦══════════════╦════════════════╗
║       Name       ║    Virtue    ║     Symbol     ║
╠══════════════════╬══════════════╬════════════════╣
║ Eternalun        ║ Eternal      ║ Pocket Watch   ║
║ Lovelun (rabrun) ║ Love         ║ Ring           ║
║ Prosen           ║ Prosperity   ║ Pear           ║
║ Pyuan            ║ Purity       ║ Snowflake      ║
║ Inteligen        ║ Intelligence ║ Book           ║
║ Wishun           ║ Wish         ║ Mirror         ║
║ Braven           ║ Bravery      ║ Crown          ║
║ Harmonin         ║ Harmony      ║ Treasure Chest ║
║ Hapinen          ║ Happiness    ║ Bell           ║
║ Horpun           ║ Positivity   ║ Key            ║
║ Pation           ║ Passion      ║ Torch          ║
║ Seekun           ║ Seek         ║ Telescope      ║
╚══════════════════╩══════════════╩════════════════╝

Sorry for taking so long to accept this. :)


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Who is Sasakura's father?
In the manga, Bartender, there have been a couple of oblique references to Sasakura Ryu's father being well known. Who is he?

I don't think we've ever been given a name, but people refer to him as "The Master" for his amazing ability to mix drinks. According to Sasakura Ryu's grandfather, he died sometime after World War II.

@JonLin At one point, I was expecting Bartender to move along the lines of Oishinbo. I guess we still have 11 volumes to go.

In a flashback that starts in Glass 113, "The Past", it is revealed that his father is named "Sasakura Genichi" who was a former Diet member. His nickname was "The Monster of Nagata."


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How is the passage of time handled in Pokemon?
I stopped following the Pokemon anime a while ago, but I know the series has had Ash go through many regions, including retreading at least one of them.  When Ash was about to get his eight badge, Misty mentioned that they'd been on the road for a year at that point.
I saw some recent episodes, and Ash looks nearly identical to when he first started as a trainer.  Normally I'd attribute that to cartoon sitcom logic, where the characters never age; but in a series with continuity and references to earlier seasons, this makes no sense.
What's the official word on a timeline for the Pokemon anime?

Since Ash was 10 when he left Pallet Town, assuming the each Pokemon League meets once a year, Ash has gone to three Pokemon Leagues, the Orange League, and the Battle Frontier (which are half a year each). So after the Sinnoh League, Ash should be 15. However, at the beginning of the Pokemon B/W (Best Wishes in Japan) series, the narrator says that Ash is 10...

I honestly don't think Ash is allowed to grow up.  If he was, Nintendo would have to address each and every female heroine in his life up to this point, in typical Shonen fashion.

Also, in the third movie, he celebrates the day Pikachu and he had met: Don't you know what today is, Pikachu? This is the day we first met. The day we first became friends. I think that's pretty special, don't you? That means, that either he must be twelve there, as he must be eleven after the first season.

Yeah, the series itself is full of contradictions when dealing with time, so I'm hoping there's official word on this.

It's like the Simpsons.

Dialga got really drunk on the day Ash was born

Both of the comments by looper and Krazer are correct, and they tell pretty much the whole story. As of episode 658, Ash (Satoshi) is 10 years old, the same age he was when he began his journey. However, based on reasonable assumptions for how often the Pokemon leagues meet, he should have aged at least 5 years.
The strongest indication that time has passed is probably the short from the 3rd movie, Pikachu and Pichu. What Ash says implies very strongly that they've been together for at  least a year:

Don't you know what today is, Pikachu? This is the day we first met. The day we first became friends. I think that's pretty special, don't you?

There are a few other instances where the passage of time is referenced in the anime. In Episode 063, Ash says in the dub that it's been a year since they last visited Viridian City. In the original, Satoshi just said that it's been a long time. Also, in Episode 469, Team Rocket says they've been chasing Pikachu as long as Dawn's been alive, which would be 10 years. That's probably better interpreted as breaking the 4th wall, since the anime had been running for 10 years at that point. There may be other instances, but the fact that a lot of time has passed since the first episode is indisputable.
This is one of the most glaring plot-holes in the anime, though it's understandable why the writers don't want Ash to age. Presumably it could send problematic messages if Ash were 20 years old when he first started travelling with 10-year-old Dawn (or Iris, though I don't know her age), though it's honestly still problematic if he's 10 years old. Of course, Pokemon is marketed to children, so having a 10-year-old protagonist is also better than having someone at least 15.
However, there isn't any official explanation for this. The writers have never answered why Ash and the other characters aren't aging even as time passes. In my opinion it's best just to regard this as a plot hole and ignore it as much as possible. There are some fan theories for why Ash wouldn't age even as time passes, but honestly they're a little bit Farfetch'd, if you know what I mean.

... I'd have +1'd this anyway, but the "Farfetch'd" pun made it all the more worth it.

Well I think this answer covers it pretty well.  Thanks! :)

Team Rocket break the 4th wall all the time. The rest of the cast haven't aged as well. So another explanation could be that in the world of Pokemon people don't age as fast.

There is also the coma theory, in which Ash doesn't age because after the Spearow attack with him and Pikachu in the first episode, Ash falls into a coma, and the rest of his adventures are just dreams. Although this is pretty morbid, there is another theory attached to this one in which all of the characters Ash meets (not including the pokemon) are interpretations of parts of Ash's personality. Take this as you will, there is another, more reliable theory for why Ash is still ten when he should be 16 (see MandJTVpokevids on youtube.com). It's called: Target Audience. The target audience of pokemon is 10, so Ash remains 10 as long as Pokemon keeps running.


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What are the steps involved in producing an anime?
I had a few ideas on how an animations are produced documentaries of western animation, but I was curious of how the process works in Japanese animation.
What are the typical order and steps undertaken by a studio or committee in producing an anime? Do any prominent studios do things differently?

There is a really excellent blog post on Washi's blog titled "Anime Production - Detailed Guide to How Anime is Made and the Talent Behind it!" that covers pretty much the entire process that includes references from Studios like I.G., AIC, and Sunrise.
Here's a flowchart from the link that describes the process:

So you have the pre-production and planning phase, which can happen either from an original author or a production company:

This process depends on who’s pushing for an idea and who is backing it up, it can be animation studios themselves along with sponsors, but many anime are adaptations of manga or light novels, in which case, publishers front costs (including the costs of having it shown on TV stations). The production company (e.g Aniplex) gathers staff, sponsors, and looks at advertisement and merchandise. While many people describe studios as being cheap, only around half the budget is often given to the anime studio, with the rest going to broadcasters and other contributing companies. The broadcast costs are surprisingly high – according to blogger, ghostlightning – at about 50 million yen for a late-night timeslot across 5-7 stations for a 52 episode series. You can see why anime can be an expensive business. For example, Full Metal Alchemist, which had a 6pm Saturday slot had a total budget of 500 million yen (before additional costs).

This part of the processes then becomes mostly planning, designs, and putting together the staff. When it's time to create the first episode, then the prodcution phase starts:

The first step is to write the episode scripts. Following the episodes synopsis/plans, the full scripts are written, by either one person for the whole series or by several different writers based on the outlines from the overall script supervisor (staff credit: series composition). The scripts are reviewed by the director, producers, and potentially the author of the original work before being finalised (after 3 or 4 drafts, often). The episode director, supervised by the overall director then takes this backbone of the episode and must plan out how it will actually look on screen. While the director has the final say and is involved at production meetings, the episode director has the most hands-on involvement in developing the episode. This stage is expressed as a storyboard (a visual script), and the storyboard marks the beginning of actual animation production.

Storyboarding:

Often the storyboard is created by the director, this means an episode is truly the vision of that director. But usually, mainly in TV-anime, separate storyboarders are used to actually draw them. This is because storyboards usually take around 3 weeks to do for a normal length TV-anime episode. Art meetings and production meetings are held with the episode director, series director and other staff about the episode should look. Storyboards are drawn on A-4 paper (generally) and contain most of the vital building blocks of an anime – the cut numbers, actor movements, camera movements such as zooming or panning, the dialogue (taken from the screenplay) and the length of each shot (or cut) in terms of seconds and frames (which we’ll explain later). Because the number of drawings available for an episode is often fixed for the sake of budget management, the number of frames is also carefully considered in the storyboards. The storyboards are roughly-drawn and are really the core stage of deciding how an anime will play out. Cuts refer to a single shot of the camera and an average TV-anime episode will usually contain around 300 cuts. More cuts don’t necessarily imply a better quality episode, but it will generally mean more work for the director/storyboarder.

The post then covers the layout and the animation process, then finally, the composition and filming:

It is commonplace for the frames to be completed on a computer. After they are drawn and checked, they are digitized. Once they are on the computer, they are painted with a specified color palette by painting staff (generally a low paid job). They use the shading lines drawn by the key animators to do the shading colours. This digital equivalent of the ‘ink & paint’ stage of production, which used to be done by hand, has allowed some more interesting visual styles to come through in the colouring, such as the use of gradient shading or even textures. These would have been too difficult to do back in the day. It has also saved considerable time and money in the process. These become the final “cels” that go into the animation.
Once all the frames are coloured and finished, they can be processed as animation using a specialized software package. “RETAS! PRO” is used for approximately 90% of anime currently aired in Japan (for drawing sometimes too)! Before the use of digital ‘cels’ (digicels), drawings (printed onto cels) were actually filmed over backgrounds. Now, cuts are completed digitally, and the background art can be added on the computer. Initially, when digicel was first being picked up by studios (around about 2000), it had real problems matching the fineness of detail in hand-drawn and painted cels. But nowadays, anime studios have really perfected the digital cel, giving us anime with just as much detail and more vibrant colouring. The digicel age has now streamlined the production process such that repeated cels and clip/recap episodes are basically a thing of the past. Some still prefer the rougher look of pre-2000, but I’ve certainly moved on.
...
After compositing is completed for all the cuts, they have to be to the timing required for broadcast, so that the episode doesn’t lag overtime. With the completion of the editing step, the episode moves out of production and into post-production. I won’t go into much detail on this, but it essentially encompasses adding sound (dubbing), both the music and the voice recordings, and final editing (cutting the episode with space for advertisements). Visual effects may also be added at this late stage too.


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How does one become a Contractor?
How are Contractors made in Darker than Black?  Do you have to be born with the powers?  Or do you have to make contact with a spirit and make a contract with it?

According to the wiki, the process to become a contractor was never revealed, only that there is a link between contractors and the appearance of the Gate.

Shion Pavlichenko was born as contractor, and Suou became one after she absorbed Hei's powers, and, in the Darker than Black: Shikkoku No Hana manga, a character named Harvest has the ability to make people Contractors, but all other Contractors, such as Tanya, have become what they are via unknown means. In Kuro no Keiyakusha Gaiden it is revealed that Contractors are defects that emerge when humans are unable to become Dolls.

So it looks like there's any number of ways to become a contractor. Some are born with the powers, and it's also possible to obtain the power via someone like Harvest.


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Is Ditto a Failed Mew Clone?
This theory got some attention on the internet a few years back, but I haven't found a definitive source on it.
Both Ditto and Mew are genderless pokemon, with similar color schemes for both their normal and shiny sprites (images from Serebii.net):

The ditto normal sprites are somewhat more purple than the Mew sprites, but earlier generation Ditto sprites were a bit pinker, and the shiny sprites are almost exactly the same color.
In addition, both Ditto and Mew weigh 8.8 lbs (4 kg). They both learn Transform naturally at level 0. There are a bunch of places where Ditto can be caught in the original generation I games, but in Yellow the only two places are the Pokemon mansion (where Mewtwo was cloned from Mew) and Cerulean Cave (where Mewtwo lives). Mewtwo is also called the only "successful" clone of Mew, so there's reason to believe that there were failed attempts, which could be Ditto.
Of course, everything above is just fan speculation, but it's gotten a fair bit of attention and I'd imagine someone from the Pokemon Company has commented on it. What's the official word on this theory?

I doubt it's a clone, but perhaps a Mew that has lost its form. I mean, why would they make so many clones that failed in exactly the same manner? It would make more sense, to me, that the Dittos are failed Mews, rather than failed Mew clones.

@Eric The theory is that Ditto can reproduce asexually in the wild, though there are variations like what you've said. Anyway I don't find it terribly convincing myself—the evidence is pretty circumstantial—but it seemed like a good thing to pose as a question here.

Most of this question seems to be based off of the Pokemon games rather than the anime or manga, so I think it is better suited for http://gaming.stackexchange.com

@atlantiza We decided at one of the chat events that non-gameplay questions from anime-style games are allowed. I thought there was a meta post about this, but it seems I was mistaken.

@LoganM How are the Pokemon games anime-style...?

@atlantiza I should probably clarify that anime-style refers to the artwork in the game, if I'm understanding correctly. IMO pokemon has anime-style artwork. Anyway this was Madara's idea, so I'm going to ask him to make a meta post about the change next time I see him on chat. If you disagree with it, feel free to post an answer at that time and we can continue the discussion on Meta.

ditto is a clone of whatever ditto wants to be a clone of

According to an GameInformer interview with the art director and the producer (Junichi Masuda) from Gamefreak:

There is a rumor that in the original Pokémon games, versions Red and Blue, that the Pokémon Ditto was a failed attempt at cloning a Mew. I was wondering if you could speak to this, to whether or not it’s true.
Masuda: That’s the first time I have ever hear that rumor actually.
Is that your only answer?
Masuda: In terms of how Pokémon are designed, they are each their own unique living being. The unique thing about Ditto is that it’s a Pokémon that can change forms, but each Pokémon we create with its own unique element, so we just make sure that they are all individual life forms of their own.

Though it seems that his response denies this theory (or rather skirts around it), but since he was probably not directly involved in the development of the game, it's still possible that Ditto was originally meant to be a failed Mew, but scraped somewhere during in the development cycle.

The word "ditto" just means "the same." I think it is just coincidental that people think Dittos are failed Mew clones.

Krazers answer is correct, but I want to add something:
In the first movie, the process of cloning Mew can be seen, from start (where they find the DNA) to end (where Mewtwo flees). Nowhere a Ditto is seen, but Mewtwo is the only successful clone.
I think that the reason why Mew learns Transform, is because Mew holds all the genes of all Pokémon.

It's true that there isn't any Ditto in the movie, but the anime has been wrong about things before. Still it's a good point you make.

@LoganM: Sure, the anime makes a lot of mistakes, but because it's anime.SE ... ;).

In Pokémon Yellow Version, there is one more note (in relation to Red Version) on Pokémon Mansion (where Mewtwo was created and Mew was studied), saying Ditto was created there too. So, probably it was a failed cloning attempt.
Also, it only can be caught there and in Mewtwo's cave (again, Yellow Version).


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What can energybending do?
Aside from taking away someone's bending, as seen against Firelord Ozai, is there anything more to the energybending?
Do we know any details on the technique other than what was told in the series itself?

I see a problem with the tag here. [Tag:avatar-the-last-airbender] refers to the Legend of Aang, only, but this question covers the Legend of Korra, too. I don't know what the best way of fixing that would be, but if anyone has suggestions ... ;).

Start a meta post on it please. On [meta]. It's a good concern, let's see what others are thinking.

The above-mentioned meta-post

Not much is known about Energybending. Before the four elements and the avatar were created, Energybending was the only bending-art in the world. Out of this, the four bending-arts were created (Airbending, Waterbending, Earthbending and Firebending), so these are based on Energybending. Energybending is the base of all arts. While the for bending-arts are based on the Chi, Energybending works a little bit different: It bends the energy in general and not the Chi.
With that, Energybending can be used to take and restore bending-power and knowledge (nothing more is shown, but I guess that much more is possible):

Avatar Aang uses the ability to take bending-power from Ozai in the last episode of Avatar: The last Airbender. This is a dangerous technique, as the soul of the user must be completely clean; otherwise, it can happen that the victim takes over the user.
Both the lion turtle (in Avatar: The last Airbender) and Aangs Spirit (in The Legend of Korra) use Energybending to transfer knowledge to other people. I guess it's possible to take memories, too, but that's nowhere proven.
Korra uses the ability to restore bending-powers to help some victims of Amon. The spirit of Aang uses that ability to restore Korras powers.

Also, Energybending is the only bending-power that can be used by a spirit without a medium (as shown when Aangs spirit teaches Energybending to Korra).

This seems like the most thorough answer given, so you get the accepted. Make sure to update it if more information is revealed in the following books of Korra's legend.

EnergyBending skills
Transferring knowledge : We see this when the giant turtle transfers the knowledge of this bending to Aang.
Removing Bending Power : For when Aang seals the powers of Firelord Ozai
Restoring Bending Power : In The Legend of Korra, Korra goes into Avatar State and Aang restores the power of the people that were affected.
The lion turtle told him that in the era before the Avatar existed, the benders did not bend the elements, but the energy within themselves. In order to bend another's life energy, their own spirit must be unbendable, or they would be corrupted and destroyed.
This is the only information being able to found, maybe in the next books of Legend of Korra we would get new information.

Nothing has been mentioned outside the official series episodes so there are few details to work with. The only other resources to look toward would be other series and how each used life force controlling powers.

Other series? Like what?

Generally in series like Naruto, Madoka Magica, Darker then Black they are used as a battery or limiting factor.
You could also look at mythology like from Mortal Kombat or Final Fantasy the Spirits within where the soul is violently ripped from a hosts body.
It is really up to how someone defines the spirit.

The others are already stated in the answers so I am only including explanations for the 2 that are not stated.

Granting bending
Removing bending
Astral projection

Tapping into the vast expanse of cosmic energy with the help of the Tree of Time, Korra was able to bend the energy within herself to create an astral projection of her spirit. Despite not having been bound by a corporeal form, the projection was able to both inflict and sustain great physical damage and utilize waterbending. This astral form was also capable of firing a beam of light similar to that of Vaatu.

Spirit energy manipulation

The ability to manipulate energy originating from the Spirit World. Korra first used this technique to manipulate the energy of the pod encasing Jinora, Ryu, and his tour group after they were captured by hostile spirit vines. She later employed the same technique in the mortal world to deflect a lethal beam of energy fired by Kuvira's spirit cannon and save the metalbender.
http://avatar.wikia.com/wiki/Energybending

Don't forget, it's probably possible to grant the power of bending to someone who cannot bend, as the Lion Turtles created the first Avatar.

This appears to be more of an edit to an existing answer (the top one?), rather than its own answer. Could you suggest and edit (just click the small edit link beneath) the top answer and add this information?

I think this answer is based on speculation rather than something in canon. E.g: Official sources.

@MiharuDante there is evidence of such occurrences according to the Avatar Wiki.

@Krazer- The granting bending bit yes, but the Avatar giving non-benders who were born without bending.... probably speculation there although Lion Turtles has demonstrated this ability.

related: http://scifi.stackexchange.com/questions/41054/can-aang-or-korra-make-a-non-bender-into-a-bender


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Why does Chopper hide himself the wrong way?
When Chopper wants to spy into a room, he hides the wrong way, so that he is exposed totally. Why does he do that? It can be seen multiple times through the Manga.

It is a Running Gag, which along with his other peculiar actions1, is used for comic relief and to bring out his childish and naive personality.
Chopper as a child was treated very harshly due to his blue nose and isolated from the rest of his herd. This became even worse after he ate the Devil's fruit. I think the gags, besides offering comic relief, also subtly reinforce that Chopper hasn't grown out of childhood mentally due to those experiences.
Another explanation is that although his instinct tells him to hide, he subconsciously sees this as isolating himself, and wants to avoid going out of people's sight, ending up in that comical hiding pose. (This is the most convincing "serious" reason I could think of, don't know if Oda-sensei thought so seriously about it.)

1 Believing Usopp's lies, getting excited about beams, and the cursing dance.

The devil's fruit power hasn't made his brain capable of generating complex thoughts. Why do you think that? He's a doctor! :D

Ah, I did not think of it. Thanks. :) However, One Piece logic is always interesting.

What's the cursing dance again? I can't remember it. :D

He curses anyone who praises him, while doing a happy dance. I call that the cursing dance. "I don't want your upvotes. Your upvotes won't make me happy. Don't mess with me, jerks." :D

Ah that! Of course! XD


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How can Haku perform hand seals with only one hand?
In the Land of the Waves arc, it can be seen that Haku performs handseals with only one hand. That must be something special, because a.) even Kakashi was surprised to see that, and b.) that's never seen again somewhere (except I forgot it).
How is that possible? Is that a special technique? Was it ever explained in the manga/anime?

Ebisu explains (in Chapter 90) that to perform a ninjutsu or genjutsu, a shinobi needs to go through 2 steps.

Build up the necessary amount of chakra for that jutsu.
Control the chakra for that jutsu using various hand seals.

Haku's ability to do hand seals with one hand shows his exceptional skill in the chakra control (at step 2).
There are other ways in which a shinobi's prowess with hand seals has been demonstrated. Senju Tobirama could use the Water Dragon Bullet Technique with just one hand seal, while it normally requires 44. Uchiha Sasuke has been able to use Chidori without any hand seals, and Fire Techniques with just one hand seal. (He needed more seals for both the jutsu when he started.)
The other shinobi shown to be capable of one-handed seals is Guren from the Three Tails filler arc. (Source: Narutopedia)

Whoah, that explains a lot. I always wondered how the seals are combined, but when it's possible to change the procedure by pure skill, it's clear. Didn't know this, thanks!

I think Granny Chiyo performed a one hand seal too, when she made the toy bird after the fight with the Itachi dupe.

Where is source link?

@AnkitSharma Why do you need a source link for that? I have mentioned the chapter number, anyone interested can read it on their own. The point about Guren is a trivia entry, not even related to the question and it is from a filler arc, so I consider it not worth the trouble to post a link. :-)

Hand seals are there to control chakra, but if you already have amazing chakra control, you can use your techniques without them.

Madara was able to use Shattered Heaven (the giant meteors he used on the Tsuchikage) with only 3 hand seals despite it being an extremely taxing technique powerful enough to lay waste to an entire battalion.

We haven't seen those in the anime, it's possible that he used more seals (with the three pairs of hands)

The wiki notes he did 1 seal with each pair of Susano´o hands.

I honestly don't know where the folks over there get their information, but since it hasn't been specifically stated in the manga, I see it as speculation (I doubt the author said anything about it)


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What board game is being played in the early episodes of Steins;Gate?
In episodes 4 and 5 of Steins;Gate, some of the characters are seen playing a board game, one of which is at a large tournament-style event. It's played on a board composed of blue and yellow squares, and seems to have to do with cards and flipping.
Here are some images of gameplay (sorry about the giant "play" icons):

What is this game called, and are its rules really defined? Does this game exist in the real world, is it based on one, or is it completely made-up?

The game is called "Rai-Net Access Battlers" and here's a detailed description of the game and rules (Japanese). It's a made up game but it's loosely based off of the German game Ghosts! from the 80's. The gameplay is similar. As for it existing in the real world, there seems to be an official version of this game in the real world, it was sold at Comiket.
Reference: Stein's Gate wiki. There's a short description of the gameplay in the wiki that's been translated from the above Japanese link:

Each player receives 4 Link cards and 4 Virus cards and arranges them as he/she wishes in their setup zone. Those Online cards (Link cards and Virus cards) all look the same from the face, so only you know and can see the alignment of your own Online cards.

[A's Stack Area]
A A A S S A A A (B escapes from A's S)
. . . A A . . .
. . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . .
. . . B B . . .
B B B S S B B B (A escapes from B's S)
[B's Stack Area]

(S stands for Server Port)
No card is placed in Server Ports or the Stack Area in the setup phase.
  Both players have 4 Terminal cards in their hand at the beginning of the game. Terminal cards from Basic set include LINE BOOST, FIRE WALL, VIRUS CHECKER and 404NOT FOUND.
Before starting the game, players, the referee, and the audience are encouraged to shout "DUEL ACCESS!".
Alternate turns. On your turn, you must move exactly one of your Online cards 1 space forward/backward/sideways (never diagonally). If you land on an opposing Online card, you capture it, reveal its Link/Virus alignment and move it to your Stack Area. An Online card in one of the opponent's Server Ports can use its move to escape the board. Escaped cards are stacked to your Stack Area. If an unrevealed Online card escapes, it stays unrevealed in the Stack Area until the end of the game.
You can use a Terminal card instead of moving an Online card. In other words, you have to consume 1 turn to use a Terminal card.

You win by either:

You stack 4 Link cards in your Stack Area, regardless of whether they are your cards or the opponent's cards.
Your opponent stacks 4 Virus cards in their Stack Area, regardless of whether they are your cards or the opponent's cards.

+1 You beat me by about 10 seconds. There is a real version of the game, but it appeared in the series before it was made into a real game. It was made into a board game after fans expressed some interest in it.


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How did the angry symbol originate?
We've all seen it many times... When someone gets angry or annoyed, the angry symbol (shown below) shows up one or more times in and around the person's head.

Where did it come from?
How did it get popularized?
Is there a proper term for it?

It is known as Cross Popping Veins. The characters are so angry their blood is grimacing. I don't know the answers to the other questions.

See also this answer.

I'm going to mention that it's highly reminiscent of Kanada, a style that was retconned by key animator Yoshinori Kanada. I've seen it's earliest usages from Birth (1984).

TVTropes calls it the "Cross-Popping Veins", and Wikipedia as well as other blogs and sources seem to be comfortable backing up that term. Other terms include "Bulging Vein" or "# Mark".
As their name suggests, they were inspired by a physiological effect many people have; when they become excessively angry or tense, their blood pressure rises and muscle tension builds, forcing veins to the surface.

Angry characters may exhibit a "vein" or "stress mark" effect, where lines representing bulging veins will appear on their forehead. (Wikipedia)
In real life, bulging veins are usually a sign of physiological changes, such as aging or diseases. Strong emotion pumps blood faster, thus making it more protrudent. (TVTropes)

Obviously, the cross- or Y-shaped markings are oversimplified and cartoon-like versions of these veins, but are still representative of this reaction.
The first use of this icon does not seem to be recorded, nor why it seems to have become popular enough as a symbol of anime that even anime knockoffs will use it. The tropes article I mentioned has a documented list of where it's appeared over the years; however, it does remain possible that even the most dated entry in that list is not the original usage of the icon.

80% sure this originates from NES/SNES era computergames, with JRPG's in particular.
Those characters were so small in size that they couldn't do any facial expressions with them, because the characters didn't have a mouth.
Same thing with the popping vein. The question is with which video game this started.
Oldest example known so for far is of Super Mario World November 1990, near the end of the final battle it shows on the bowser's flying machine.

The markings originated from some angry Japanese fudal lord don't remember which one, but his face was used for some samurai masks. They are typically used to show anger and/or announce. If anyone can name both the lord and mask specifically it would help lots probably.

Please include relevant sources/references to support your answer.


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When did the Soul Eater anime and manga diverge?
From what I've heard, the anime version of Soul Eater was fairly faithful to the manga up to a certain point (excluding a few fillers). However, the ending of the anime was nothing like the manga (which is still ongoing), and in my view the end of the anime was its weakest point. I want to start reading the manga at the point where the two diverged.
What is the last manga chapter that was adapted in the anime, and what episode does that correspond to? Also, are there any chapters before that which I would have missed from the anime (especially those which have important plot points)?

I think it would be the safest bet to start reading once they introduced the Spider Witch. It's when their paths started to separate more and more. That is on chapter 23th, Daily Life.
You will notice quite a lot similarities from the anime, but that's where they start to go different ways.