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Why do manwha more oftenly have colored pages then manga?
Lately, I been reading quite some more manwha cause of their good stories. But I can't help but notice that manwha use a lot more colored pages, sometimes even fully colored volumes. Or just all pages color, why are color pages more commonly used in manwha then  manga? Is there a specific reason for this?

Are you sure that such things ain't Webtoons?

@Braiam Pretty sure yes. A sample would be the popular manhwa "Magician" by Kim Sarae.

are you sure you're not talking about webtoons not manhwa? like manga, manhwa only gets coloured pages if it's a special edition or it's leading in the popularity votes similar to what's been shown in bakuman.

To Love Ru is actually the only colored print I know about. Most manga(or much of anything else) are printed in black and white. Webtoons, being digital, are usually full-color. ReLife, being a webtoon, is full-color as well as many other web toons you may confuse as manga/other print.

There's the so called WebToon, which is most likely the one you refer to (and you are reading). Frankly speaking, printed color pages are not cheap. They cost a lot more than B&W page and are difficult to print correctly. With webtoons there's no such thing as "printing", everything is done digitally.
Manwha that is done in B&W completely due its distribution method (printed) which you will not see color pages (like Chevalier of the Absis, or ID which has some color pages as bonus), there's also webtoons that could be printed later on (like The Breaker/NW) and there are those that are not printed (almost all webtoons).
Is difficult to see a Manwha (or any printed media) in full color. The only case I know of is To Love る which is released later on after the black and white pages are released.
Is a matter of cost of distribution of the media, which is cheap for webtoons so artist can offer color pages.

In the example you gave, "Magician" by Kim Sarae, this is an original webtoon that is published using Naver.

A list of manwha that are in full color (MU): ~250 titles
All kind of manwha (full color and B&W) (MU): ~1500 titles

There are lots of black and white Manwha, just that are more difficult to find since they are distributed physically.

Actually, most manhwa aren't colored either. Along with some webtoons, only a few manhwa are colored.

The reason they aren't colored is because it takes a long time to create manga and manhwa, and it's a lot more expensive if each page is colored. Most of the creators start working alone without any financial support, thus making colored pages very difficult. Western comics are mostly made by large companies like DC or Marvel, and these companies have enough resources to make colored comics quickly.
Additional Resources:
If you'd like to confirm that manhwa is usually black and white, MyAnimeList has a list of manhwas for reference.
MyOtakuWay explains the difference between manga and manwa.
Searching for manga on MyAnimeList.net will let you see that most have just one author, not a campany or a staff.
Finally, ComicList is a list of comics where you can see that they are made by a company.

Long time ago before when there was no internet yet in this world, I always found Chinese comics (maybe weekly comics because they were thin) in full colour. I don't know why, but probably it's because of tradition.
In contrast, manga have no colours probably because of the Japanese mentality - they don't like to waste money etc. I'm saying this because, in national universities, even the copy paper there uses recycle papers. Not to mention the shounen magazines etc, that one's quality of paper is terrible, that's why they can sell a thick shounen magazines considerably cheap.


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What is the recommended viewing order of Steins;Gate?
I looked up some info about Steins;Gate and there appears to be a new series out, which ended airing in September 2018, called Steins;Gate 0.
Considering there are a bunch of OVAs and alternative cuts, it's not super easy to figure out where the "full" experience is.
What is the recommended order to watch the Steins;Gate set of animated works?

https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-best-order-to-watch-the-Steins-Gate-series

I think like Monogatari series, this is also a bit opinion-based question. However, going with release order is fine.
I would not recommend the chronological order for the first-timers. You will miss the references and 100% spoiled if you look at things like episode discussions.
By nature, Steins;Gate 0 tries to explain a plot point you already know. You can watch the original Steins;Gate and call it a day, but by watching S;G 0 you can get more of it if you want. It's like good old manga/anime discussions; you like the anime, then read the manga to get more of it.
Now, considering that, I think you should watch in this order:

Steins;Gate
Steins;Gate: Kyoukaimenjou no Missing Link - Divide By Zero
Steins;Gate 0

As for the movie and OVA, well, you can watch them after the original Steins;Gate or after S;G 0. But for me, watching it after the original Steins;Gate is better.

The chronological order:

Steins;Gate episode 1-22
Steins;Gate episode 23β
Steins;Gate 0
Steins;Gate episode 23-25
Steins;Gate OVA
Steins;Gate movies

I actually tried this and it's not bad at all. But I would not try it the first time. Actually I want to try to add the gamma world line to this (there are small "animated" drama CD on youtube).

source: Stack Exchange

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Is "Read or Die" based on manga?
Both are based off mangas right? Do I have to read the mangas for either series or can I just watch the OVA and animes and not have to read the mangas?

According to Wikipedia:

[The OVA is] based on the Read or Die manga series... [It] is a continuation of the Read or Die storyline, taking place a few years after the events of the manga.
R.O.D the TV is a 26-episode anime TV sequel to the Read or Die OVA

Incidentally, R.O.D. started as light novels and manga published at the same time.
As with all OVAs I've seen, while you may be able to watch them and get some understanding of what's going on without reading the original source material, they are usually short and made on the assumption that people who already like the source will be the audience.  Therefore, they tend to rush through exposition, and even skip over details that they assume the audience is already aware of.  As I remember (it has been a while since I watched) it seems that in the case of the R.O.D. OVA, this meant they had very little explanation of the events that happened a few years before.  So probably you would get more out of it if you went back and read the manga or light novels.

You can watch any anime and its OVA(s) without reading the manga. However, usually manga do contain extra content that aren't covered in the anime and OVA(s). So while you don't need to read the manga to watch the anime, you can for an extra bit of info/story.
So you could read the manga on top of watching the anime and OVA(s) for Read or Die, but it's not necessary to go through both. It could be fun though.

This answer is too general, in my opinion. While this is frequently true, there are some franchises for which this just isn't the case, e.g. multiple-media projects like Aratanaru Sekai, where you have to read the manga and LN and watch the anime to really understand what's going on. I don't know what the answer is for the specific case of Read or Die, but it should certainly be possible to provide a more specific answer than this.

Of course, but no one has given a proper answer as of yet, so this should suffice for the time being.

Downvoted, this is just far too general. It applies to all adaptations across all of media; it works just as well as an answer to "Do I have to read The Bridges of Madison County to understand the movie?" as it does for Read or Die.

Valid point, however that's the way it is with most stories. Usually the show repeats the manga while not covering the entirety of the manga content. Due to this, most shows conform to this answer, so having a more detailed answer woud only provide the same solution.

It should be borne in mind that the Read or Dream manga is not in the
same canon as R.O.D the TV. The sisters meet and adopt each other in a
different way. Hisa has a different history and meets the sisters under
different circumstances.
On the other hand, I'm not aware of any contradictions between the Read
or Die manga and either of the anime series.

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How CC dispel the Emperor's Geass of Lelouch?
In R2, the second season of Code Geass, Lelouch was already under the Emperor's Geass so he lost his memories related to Marianne, Nunnaly and Zero. But when CC kissed him or something, she managed to undo the Geass and make Lelouch recover his memories. That is what I find confusion in, I mean, by definition CC is able to make Geass contracts, be immune to another person's Geass and she is immortal. Also she is able to use the Code's power to connect to the world of C. So... how can she do that?

On multiple occasions, C.C touches people causing them to relive memories. It could be that this gives her the ability to dispel the Emperor's Geass in particular, but not that of others.

Lelouch's power is "the power of absolute obedience"
Mao can hear the thoughts of anyone within 500 meters which is refereed to as "the seal of absolute sound"
Rolo can create a sphere which freezes people known as "the seal of absolute suspension"

while these are the only ones where their powers are actually named we can assume that the power of Geass is Absolute, it's not explained how a Geass power is absolute over one another, as all Geass Uses used a different power and when we see them used on Lelouch they affect different parts of him (Rolo's affected one's sense of time, Mao could read his mind, Charles seemed to be able to manipulate his memories)
Rai from Lost Colours had an non optical version of Lelouch's power however he never (to my knowledge) uses it on Lelouch, Shin Hyuga Shing's Geass seems like Lelouch's however it seems to more relate to people dying and we see him use it during Akito of the Exiled, when Lelouch's Geass was sealed (so even if the 2 met we wouldn't know how Lelouch's Geass would react due to it's sealed state)
Given in most cases Geass seems absolute apart from some weakness like Lelouch and Rai can't using it on people a second time or Rolo's heart stopping, the Geass Code which is what C.C and Charles has would be absolute aswell, since all Geass Powers come from a Code barer and a contractors powers have no effect on them (we see Lelouch try and command C.C and Charles) it could be that they are absolute over contractors, Lelouch even argues with C.C she could have terminated her contract with Mao but he may have been referring to killing Mao rather than stripping him of his power.
Something which may be able to back this up is Jeremiah Gottwald's Geass Canceler which was developed by the Geass Order. C.C was it's previous Director followed by V.V before finally Charles, Charles's Code came from V.V so all Directors of the Order had the Code, Bartley also mentions at one stage that they captured C.C some time after she left to study her which could indicate that the Geass Canceler may have been an application of their studies of the Code given the order would research the Code first in order to duplicate Geass Contracts
i should point out this is mainly just speculation from what i've seen in the series, there are a lot of mysteries to Geass which have yet to be revealed.

True. Although the relation between the Geass Order, the studies performed on the Code (C.C.) and the Geass Canceller sounded very convincing. Thanks =)

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What did the [C]: Control production use for their cel-shading?
I noticed at some parts of the CG seems to be different, the most obvious part is with Masakaki, who seems to look more doll-like then what he normally is. Another part I think may have been cel-shaded is when Msyu is exercising.
I am wondering if C for Control uses a mix of normal 2d animation that we normally see in anime and cel-shading for rendered scenes.

This one looks like CG 3D with cel-shading and a 2D drawn overlay on top. And before cel-shading became viable people used to outline and draw over the usual 3D models, so this doesn't seem very unusual, at least to me.

For this particular title, WELZ Animation Studio was responsible for the OP and they are primarily a 3DS Max Shop (but they do do some woth with Maya). Atelier Bitol and MADBOX handled much of the CG for the actual episodes. Looking through the various Linkedin profiles of past employees and current employees seem to indicate that both companies worked with both 3DS Max and Maya. The details on the exact techniques or render have not been publicly disclosed, so we may never know~


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Are there any anime series with neither an opening or ending song?
I have watched quite a lot of anime over the last several years. And I noticed that I haven't seen a single anime which lacked both an opening and an ending song. There are some anime that don't have ED songs or don't have OP songs.
But are there any anime that have neither of these?

There's probably some OVA/ONA that lack both an OP and ED, especially the ones that were 2 or 3 episodes long, but not sure if that could really be considered a "series". FLCL and Eve no Jikan both had no OP, IIRC. Can't think of any without an ED.

The main candidates are series with short episodes (e.g. ONAs, anime that air in short timeslots, etc.), since the openings and endings are more likely to be cut due to time constraints. But ack, most of them still have openings and endings to some extent!

For example, consider Tonari no Seki-kun: It's 21 episodes, 7 minutes 40 seconds each. But despite the time constraints, it still has an opening and ending! They're shorter than usual, mind you, at 45 seconds each. But they're still proper songs, so this doesn't count.
Consider also Mahou Shoujo Nante Mou Ii Desukara: It's 24 episodes (2 seasons), 4 minutes each. Despite the super short length, this series still has a proper opening song that lasts 45 seconds. It doesn't have an ending song or credits. But it has the opening, so this doesn't count either.

I know of some more likely candidates, but I'm not sure if some of them completely fit the bill. But anyway, I'll list them:

Rockman.EXE BEAST+: An anime series consisting of 26 episodes, 10 minutes each. Each episode has an opening sequence that lasts for 20 seconds, but it's just credits text flying at you in a Windows Music Visualizer-esque cyber tunnel thing, set to an instrumental version of one of the soundtracks from the series. Not really a proper opening song, in my view. This series doesn't have any ending credits or songs either. (It does have, however, a 15-second preview of the next episode.)
Melancholy of Haruhi-chan Suzumiya: An ONA consisting of 26 episodes, around 2~5 minutes each. Well, it has an "intro song" of 1 minute, but this intro song is kept separate from all of the other episodes. For each episode, the "opening" is basically a sequence of Haruhi smashing into the screen, which lasts 10 seconds. The episodes have ending credits, but they only last for 15 seconds, and it's white text on a black background with some light instrumental music. (Reminds me of Western cartoons...)
Nyoron Churuya-san: An ONA consisting of 13 episodes, around 2 minutes each. It doesn't have any opening song or credits. The episodes do have ending credits, but they only last for 15 seconds, and it's just white text on a white background, set to some recorder music and the graphic of a single slowly spinning smoked cheese.
Barakamon: Mijikamon: An ONA consisting of 13 episodes, around 2 minutes each. The episodes don't have either an opening or an ending song. The only "opening", so to speak, is a 6-second segment where Handa and Naru say "Mijikamon" in front of the title card.
Tanaka-kun wa Kyou mo Kedaruge: An ONA consisting of 35 episodes, ~30 seconds each. The only "ending" to speak of is a 2-second static title card at the end with some credits displayed.

Side note: Though most anime out there tend to have at least one of an opening or an ending, for the series that air in shorter timeslots, I've seen them occasionally cut the opening/ending song short due to time constraints. So perhaps you could say that for those specific episodes, the anime has neither an opening nor an ending song.

For example, Ryuusei no Rockman consists of 55 episodes, 10 minutes each. It has an opening sequence with a proper song that lasts 60 seconds. It has no ending song or credits. However, in episodes 48, 49, 54, and 55, the anime truncates the opening at 6 seconds (just long enough to show the title). The credit texts continue showing up for the first minute or so into the episode, but the opening song isn't played.

Well, that's all I got.

Depends what you're looking for. Besides credits and providing a transition into the show, OPs and EDs also serve the purpose of presenting the sponsor messages when the show airs on real TV. These are always present on TV in some form.
That being said, if you grab a BD or a DVD of a show, the sponsors/credits are removed and you can skip the intros and have just the show. I know that there are also some shorts that aired online that didn't have any songs, but it's a small minority and things that most people never hear about.
So no, they don't really exist since they're necessary on television for financial and legal reasons.

legal reasons Can you elaborate on this point?

Possibly, when localizing a series, legal rights for OP/ED may not be granted, but the rest is fine, so they just go without it.

I was thinking more along the lines of they're legally required to put the sponsor messages or warnings or what have you due to various rules surrounding the industry. I'm no expert but it's pretty standard throughout media around the world.

Hoshi no Koe (Voices of a Distant Star) features credits in the beginning, but no OP. Credits are layered on top of actual movie. It has an insert song towards the end, but technically that does not constitute ED. ADV release has english dubbing credits added at the end.
EDIT: I notice that the question asks for "anime series", but in the last sentence you ask for just "anime", so I consider this answer at least partially relevant.


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Can people log into SAO after the initial trapping?
Obviously in SAO anyone who was in the game on the first day was trapped inside. My question is, could someone on the outside a day (or whenever) later join in?
I would imagine it would be tempting for someone who had a significant other, child, someone, in the game or maybe they were depressed and thought SAO would lead to a better life.
I'm sure they would then become trapped themselves but is there anything stopping that initial jump after Akihiko Kayaba already trapped everyone?

I think they were able to, except that I doubt anyone in their right mind would do so after hearing the news.

@キルア except the crazy ones.

There is no evidence they couldbut I don't remember anything contradicting it in the anime. Anyone have the books?

In the books, it says that there were only 10,000 units available. They all sold out in under a minute online, and you had to wait for an extremely long time in line to have gotten one from the store. It follows this up by saying everyone who got one must be a hardcore game addict, and points out that there were already over 9500 of the 10000 people online. They were heavily implying that all 10000 people were online already, and use the phrase "ten thousand people" numerous times to describe the in-game population. Realistically, I imagine there'd be a few people who didn't get online though.

Assuming a few people didn't get online before this happened, there's nothing stating they couldn't log-in later. However, it is stated that they don't log-in later: it says they never received any messages from the outside. Given that there were, at most, a handful of copies available, it's much more likely those copies would be confiscated than it is that someone would end up using them.

@Azrael, oh, okay, haven't read the books yet. The 10,000 max occupency makes sense though.

I just want to add to @Azrael that even in the Anime they pointed out only 10000 units were made and all units sold out instantly. Also there was an insane wait list for it.  It was a conversation between Kirito and either Agil or Klein. They mention how "lucky" they were just to have one because the chances of getting one were so ridiculous.

Considering that system was protected from hacks we can easily expect that connections from new accounts were banned too. If that was not the case then police would've established communication channel with trapped gamers (using modified helmets to avoid danger to personnel's life).

There's no evidence to show that it wasn't impossible for non-trapped players to gain access into the game. What Kayaba Akihiko did was removing the "Log out" option and altering the game so that the death flag would cause the NerveGear to fry the player's brain.
Of course, whether it was possible or not on the basis of what Kayaba did to the game is one thing, the other factor to consider is the authorities.
When Kirito first entered Sword Art Online, he was on his bed. However, at the end of Aincrad arc, he woke up in hospital as seen where he wakes up and stumbles out to look for Asuna.

It was also mentioned that the NerveGear has it's own internal battery in it which accounts for 30% of it's weight, in the Novels it's revealed this battery has atleast 10 minutes of power in it being one of the conditions set to kill a player.

In the novel, Kayaba announces to the players that if one of the following happened: being disconnected from a source of electricity for 10 minutes, cut from the system for more than 2 hours, or dying in-game, the NerveGear would fry the player's brain, killing them in the real world.

Soruce: Episode 1 - Adaptation Notes (Point 2)
Kayaba also says how people outside the game were told to avoid forceful removal of NerveGears yet some chose to ignore this (though it doesn't imply he cared for their lives).

Having informed the outside world of the situation beforehand, [Kayaba] reported that friends and family members of some of the players had already ignored his warning, causing the death of 213 players, showing images of the SAO incident.

Source: Episode 1 - Plot (7th paragraph)
Also every trapped SAO player was moved to hospitals within the first 2 hours of the game starting as a respone to Kayaba's announcement to monitor their condition, and for those who didn't die in-game, to keep them from becoming under-nourished.

He also told them that his crime was being broadcast all over the world, with the location of each player, thus the authorities would be moving them into hospitals to put them in better care during the 2 hours he had allowed the players to be disconnected from the system.

Soruce: Episode 1 - Adaptation Notes (Point 2)
In the Novels, to which the anime does not mention, SAO was only released in Japan so the only players effected were Japanese. in the Wiki it says that after the SAO incident NerveGear had been seized and disposed as according to Japanese Code of Criminal Procedure, Article 121
all of this indicate that the Japanese Authorities were well aware of what was going on and would be in the public's best interest to prevent any more cases of players being trapped inside. in terms of the game the Authorities didn't need to stop people getting more copies of the game as only 10,000 copies were first produced and 10,000 players were trapped1

Only 10,000 copies were printed in the first batch of the game, and online sales sold out within seconds. Hard-core gamers waited in line for days to purchase the first few hard copies from many stores.
«Sword Art Online» officially started server service at 1 PM of November 6, 2022 and obtained infamy when the creator succeeded in trapping 10,000 people in the game, and making it so that death in-game would mean actual death for the player.

Source: Sword Art Online - Background
however on the NerveGear Wikia page it states there were about 200,000 players in possession of a NerveGear, so i assume that the authorities seized about 193,853 NerveGear during Death Game (3,853 from the player who died)

This next part is mainly speculation. However, Cardinal system, which could possibly corrected new players entering the game, since we didn't see outside authorities trying to help players in-game with clearing all 100 floors. though this could be them being cautious as effectively Kayaba was in control of 10,000 lives
It is also mentioned that Kayaba has a level of honor and fairness so i would assume that as he aided players to reach the 95th floor (where he would reveal himself as the final boss) he would also act on any outside interference against anyone in some way if they came up with hacks designed to help beat the game or attempt to back into the game itself.

Akihiko had a level of honor and fairness. He designed Sword Art Online to be a beatable game by anyone who had the skills. He never interfered with the players' progress to keep them from advancing through the game; in fact, as Heathcliff, he was actually fighting on the players' side, helping them clear floors. The one exception to this is the fact that he made himself invincible until his battle with Kirito, although this was necessary to survive the game until the 95th floor was reached, where Heathcliff planned to reveal his true identity and become the final boss on the 100th floor.

Soruce: Kayaba Akihiko - Personality (4th Paragraph)

1: the web version of the story which included the adult #.5 chapters says there were 50,000 players trapped

I think the paragraph to recall what the authorities did (move the players to hospital, monitor their health, etc.) can be further summarized, since it is not the main point of your answer.

@nhahtdh i could remove the under-nourished but the rest needs to be there as it indicates that authorities were aware of what was going on and my speculation isn't groundless (since it all falls apart if no one on the outside even know no one could log out), unless there's something in there you think didn't needed to be in there

Just finished watching "Sword Art Online Alternative Gun Gale Online", in it you can see that Pitohui wasn't able to participate despite being a Beta tester, although it doesn't say weather she had purchased the game or not but been who she is (and rich), she might have had the game in hand already, plus I can't imagine the developers not giving beta tester priority in the purchase of the game. So based on my own speculations, I believe the "login server" was disabled by either Heathcliff or the government.

Please refrain from adding answers to old posts if you have nothing to add or contradict.

The answer are in the first episode of the series. Only 10 000 copies of the game are sold, and all of them are in use, because in the presentation, when Kayaba told her all of the "new rules", there are more than 9k players online, and some are dead at this moment.
Also, I can understand other explanations are correct, because yes, probably the "login server" is down, or there's only a hidden server (neither series nor the novel said anything about if Kayaba can logout or not).
@Quikstryke: They cannot hijack packets of the server. I explain: all these players are in controlled environment, because of this, you can sniff the information between NerveGear and the servers. But, you don't know the use of these data. When you do a sniff on an MMO, you are playing the MMO itself. Because of this, you view a packet going to the server or from the server and the effect of this packet on your screen. If you receive a bunch of packets, but you cannot relate it with the proper actions on the game, all these information are more or less useless. More, if these information are encrypted. If you have 5 packets, for example, you can try to relate itself with actions (for example doing one more time the same action for view common packets). But, if you have thousands of them, you don't have nothing.

I came here because I wanted to know people's opinions on the matter. You are all sticking to the fact that only 10,000 copies were made and all were being used. While this is true, I think that we shouldn't go on facts for this. I believe we should theorize and just get away from the fact that all copies were in use. Let's say that about a hundred or so never logged in on the first day. Would they be able to log in if they still had the copy of the game? While we are at it, let's take away the whole thing about how the government would confiscate those copies as well. Also, let's put people's reasoning about joining a death game aside.
So my answer to this is kinda going to be everywhere.
Alright, I believe that in a way, they could. I mean, look at how the game was set up. Let's start with the Beta of SAO. Everything is great; a few bugs here and there, but everything is running smoothly. Now for the Full Version. The game was specifically modified to not have a "Log Out" button. So the people that joined SAO on day 1 already logged in while the game had no "Log Out" button in the first place. So there goes that theory about people not being able to join after the "Log Out" button was removed. Right now it's looking as if they might be able to. Now let's go into the game's system, Cardinal. The Cardinal system is SAO's whole system and does a number of things. It would also adapt to situations. Let's say one of those things is to make the game fair for everyone. Would it not block out any other people from entering because everyone had a head start? It would possibly try to send them to another server for when the game had multiple of them. But then what about the Beta Players? They are ahead of everyone; would that not be the same as if someone new joined? So there goes that one. It would go without saying that nothing is standing in the way of a person from joining. The servers wouldn't be full, so people could still join. Unless the guys that worked on the game made it so that no one could join. But with that said if they had that power to do so, then wouldn't they be able to pull everyone out of SAO? It's most likely that Kayaba was the last person to check the systems before release, so he could have made changes to the game that the others didn't notice. Or maybe Kayaba was the last person the game went through before release so everything would be set up the way he wanted it to. It would also go without saying that only Kayaba could access the game, as we learnt that he was actually playing himself. Now, there's another thing we have to consider. I believe Kayaba would not have joined SAO on day 1 either, other than his appearance at the opening ceremony. I believe that he would have joined after the first month or so to ensure that everything was going well without him interfering. Also, what's to say that Kayaba thought about people not joining on day 1 and didn't bother to put a restriction on it? He did want everyone to join so that he could control a world by his design. So the reasoning stands that yes, they could join and be trapped there like the others.
That's my theory, but something else bothered me as well. For this, I am bringing back the rule about the government confiscating the copies. If these copies of SAO were usable, would the government not try to find a way to get everyone out by looking at the game's codes and crap? This was most likely a thought in Kayaba's mind. So he probably did put a restriction on new players joining. Now with that in mind, Day 1 would have been the only time to join, unless you're the GM. Joining on any other day would result in a connection problem. So if we add in that one little detail, then the whole answer turns around. So it varies on different occasions, but my final answer is no.
Now don't go hating on my theory as this was actually my first theory that I have thought of myself. And I'm sorry in advance if any of it does not make sense as it is very late so I'm tired and I've spent like over an hour writing this.

@Azrael response is the proper response to this, but regarding whether they could or not outside of the initial units and other units were confiscated, Kayaba probably closed off the system/server since Govt or someone could hack in or hijack packets if they wanted to (happens now with MMOs).  Even Sugou who wanted people for test subjects could only do it when they logged out which means he couldn't just penetrate the server and was waiting for it to open up to reroute 300 people to his own.
To add to this the new units in Fairy Arc were already in production and couldn't physically fry anyone's brain.  People would have just used this to log in and communicate with those who are trapped but that never happened.


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Which Japanese animation was the first to be banned and where?
Looking around the banned anime list on TVTropes I noticed that there are quiet a lot of Japanese animation banned in countries outside of Japan. Me being curious as usually couldn't help but wonder.

Which country was the first to actually ban a Japanese animation or episode and for what reason it was banned?

does this include shorts or h-anime?

@Krazer Yes, I think those can be included.

For a somewhat facetious yet correct answer, I'm sure Astro Boy was banned in North Korea the moment it came out, because North Korea was already a terrifying dystopia by 1963. I'm guessing this isn't actually what you're looking for, though, which suggests that you may want to modify your question in some way.

Compared to your other question What Japanese animation was the first to be an international success?, I don't think you can really pinpoint to a specific animation for being the first to be banned. All Japanese (or even all international) media was probably banned in several countries for various reasons.

Some countries had such a tight regime that no media could get in (or out) from (or to) whatever country, as mentioned by senshin. If I were better at world history I would have added some examples
Some countries had had a grudge against Japan and had banned all Japanese cultural import all together. For example, South Korea had banned all Japanese media after World War II.


text:
What book was Hanekawa reading while Araragi tries to find where Tsunade lives?
On episode 8 of Monogatari Series: Second Season, when Araragi tries to find where Tsunade (Hachikuji's mother) live. He met Lolikawa - young Hanekawa, and she was reading a book

What book is it?

She was reading "On the Banks of Plum Creek". It is a children's book written in 1937 by Laura Ingalls Wilder

The book is based on Laura's childhood at Plum Creek near Walnut Grove, Minnesota in the late nineteenth century. It describes the family's move to Minnesota, where they live in a dugout until a new house is built and face misfortunes caused by flood, blizzard, and grasshoppers.


text:
What Japanese animation was the first to be an international success?
Around 1910, I believe Japan started to experiment with animations and over a span of several decades anime became as we know it now. With hundreds of anime that became quite popular even outside of Japan, including off course the big shots such as One Piece and Naruto.
But which anime/ Japanese animation was the first to actually be successfully received outside of Japan?

Just in the US you mean? Couldn't really call it "world-wide" :p

@user1306322 The big shots I named are not only "popular" in the US. I remember Naruto being aired on TV where I live (Netherlands). Children in the neighborhood would talk about it pretty often. But I think International success might be a better phrasing for my question.

Dragon Ball maybe? its here long enough

Extra: Friend of mine suggested it was Momotaro by Kitayama Seitaro. But can't find any sources to confirm this ;/

What counts as "worldwide"? I think this is a pretty good question, but there are large patches of the world where anime has virtually no penetration, so you'll probably have to compromise on the "worldwide" part.

I added two answers. Not sure who the winner is. Calimero was broadcasted in Italy in July 1963, but was not an anime at that time, but became an anime officially in 1974. While Astro boy was broadcasted outside of Japan two months later in the US in september 1963, which was a dub of the original Japanese anime released on new year's day 1963.

A good guess is probably Katsuhiro Otomo's Akira. It was released in 1988 and had a worldwide theatrical release in more than 10 countries and at least 9 languages.
The Akira wiki page notes:

The title has been regarded as one of the greatest animated movies of all time and prompted an increase in popularity of anime movies in the US and, generally, outside of Japan. It is still admired for its exceptional visuals. In Channel 4's 2005 poll of the 100 greatest cartoons of all time featuring both cartoon shows and cartoon movies,

and

The film led the way for the growth of popularity of anime outside of Japan. Akira is considered a forerunner of the second wave of anime fandom that began in the early 1990s and has gained a massive cult following since then. Akira has also been cited as a major influence on live-action films ranging from The Matrix to Chronicle.

The History of Anime wiki page also notes:

Despite the failure of Akira in Japan, it brought with it a much larger international fan base for anime. When shown overseas, the film became a cult hit and, eventually, a symbol of the medium for the West.

More info:

The Guardian - Akira: the future-Tokyo story that brought anime west
Anime News Network.

There was some mention of Dragonball, but the first of those movies were released in 1986 and none of the first ones had international releases.

The oldest anime I found after some research is Astro Boy. It originated from Japan and started airing in the US on September 7, 1963. This is two months after Calimero, but Astro Boy is of Japanese origin, which Calimero is not.

I first looked through the wikipedia page on History of anime and the first title, "Astro Boy" looked familiar. Therefore I started reading through the page and there it said

The manga was adapted into the first popular animated Japanese television series that embodied the aesthetic that later became familiar worldwide as anime.

This was again repeated on the wiki page on the 1963 TV series

After enjoying success both in Japan and abroad as the first anime to be broadcast overseas, Astro Boy was remade in the 1980s under the same name(s), and in 2003 as Astro Boy: Mighty Atom

First I clicked the 1959 TV series, which at that time was still called "Mighty Atom", but later changed to "Astro Boy". The 1959 series didn't seem to have been broadcasted abroad though. It was only from the 1963 TV series, that the name was changed to Astro Boy, after discussions between producer Fred Ladd and representatives from NBC. The first United States broadcast was on September 7, 1963, which was only 9 months after the first release on New Year's day in Japan. More on the episode list with respective release dates for both Japan and the US can be found here

The oldest anime I remember is Calimero. It originated from Italy and started airing in Italy on July 14, 1963. It later became an official anime in 1974.

Calimero (カリメロ Karimero) is an Italian/Japanese cartoon about a charming, but hapless anthropomorphized cartoon chicken; the only black one in a family of yellow chickens. He wears half of his egg shell still on his head. Source: Wikipedia
Calimero is a small black bird who has a shell on his head; his dream is to fly like the other birds. When he tries to fly and screws up he is teased by the other birds, but his girlfriend Pricilla is there to cheer him up. Despite his appearance, he is quite smart and thinks up an idea to fly. Source: MyAnimeList

Calimero originally appeared on the Italian television show Carosello on July 14, 1963, and soon became a popular icon in Italy. Therefore it was originally an Italian animation, but the characters were later licensed in Japan as an anime series, twice. The first was made by Toei Animation and ran from October 15, 1974 to September 30, 1975, and the second, with new settings and characters, was made in 1992. Altogether, 99 Japanese episodes were made (47 in the 1974 Toei series, and 52 in the 1992 Toei series).
Calimero officially became an anime in 1974 and it had international (outside of Japan) success in Italy in the 60's and in the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and Spain in the 80's, so I would consider this to be the oldest anime I know of which was an international success.

The first series was also broadcast on European networks such as TROS (Netherlands and Belgium), ZDF and RTL II (Germany) or TVE (Spain).


text:
what is this green thing?
Maybe it's my fault for not watching from the first season, but I'm wondering, what exactly is this? it already appear in the very first episode in Hidamari Sketch × ☆☆☆ (Hidamari Sketch x Hoshi Mittsu), was he ever introduced in the anime?

It is Ume sensei dressed as a Pokemon (metapod). Ume sensei is voiced by Ume Aoki, the manga artist.

And here I always thought that it was just the caterpillar Yuno was raising!

So I guess he never introduced in the anime


text:
Why does Gaara still have dark circles around his eyes?
It is stated that Gaara has his dark circles around his eyes because Shukaku won't let him sleep because Gaara will lose control if he does.
After the extraction of Shukaku, Gaara still has these circles around his eyes. Why? Is it only style or does he still suffer from insomnia?

I'm more inclined to agree with SingerOfTheFall's answer.
Upon Gaara's birth (Shipuuden episode 297 and Naruto chapter 547, page 4), he already had his dark rings around the eyes.

I know he already had the Shukaku sealed inside him, but I find it a bit odd that he was born suffering from insomnia.
Plus, the translation I read of chapter 135 does not refer to the dark rings, but rather to the 'bags under his eyes' (although this could be a problem with the translation...):

Furthermore, as SingerOfTheFall said, there are several other Suna shinobi that have dark rings around their eyes, including Gaara's father when he uses his Gold Dust:

On a side note, I think it can also be the influence of the tanuki (the 'inspiration' for the Shukaku) in the character conception, since the tanuki too has dark rings around his eyes.

So this trait could be somewhat similar to the whiskers Naruto has from the Kyuubi. He had these whiskers even prior to being the Kyuubi's host:

This could mean that the dark circles are a character trait (conceived upon character design) that were a result of the Ichibi being sealed in Gaara even before his birth, thus being present even after the Bijuu's extraction.

That doesn't really make sense to me. As we know, one of Gaara's trademark techniques is Armor of Sand:

His whole body is covered by a layer of sand that protects him. That, of course, means we can't really see his skin under that sand. So I would personally think it's doubtful that those marks were because of a lack of sleep in the first place, but whatever.
It's also not only Gaara who has marks around his eyes, with notable examples being Kankurō:

and Baki:

So my opinion would be that it's rather an element of style.

In the fight Naruto, Gamabunta vs. Gaara, Shukaku, Gamabunta stated that the rings are because of insomnia. Also, in the fight Gaara vs. Lee, he loses his armour (if I remember correctly), and he still has the rings ...

@looper, no, I believe that it was stated in the anime, I'm just saying it's a little strange ;)

@SingerOfTheFall: No, he actually states it on chapter 135 on page 9.

It's also very possible that Gaara's circles around his eyes can be remnents of when he had Shukaku.
He's lived as an insomniac for the vast majority of his life.  It's only very recent that he's been living without Shukaku.  Also, Gaara still isn't the most friendly guy.  He's learning how to build bonds.  Just because a man is free doesn't mean he knows how to be free.  It takes time to learn and for the affects to wear off.

Naruto has the whiskers because he has the nine tailed fox, Gaara has the dark circles around his eyes because he has the Shukaku which is like a raccoon, these are trademark features that a jinchuuriki possesses depending on which of the tailed beast they have, as to why they are still there is most likely because it's like a birthmark it doesn't go away.

The dark circles around gaara eyes are probably because of kohl.
Kohl is basically just eyeliner. The peoples from sunny/desert regions - hence "sandy" - from around the world used to use this for eye protection.
A quik wikipedia search gave me following info:
Kohl (Arabic: كُحْل) is an ancient eye cosmetic, traditionally made by grinding stibnite (Sb2S3) for similar purposes to charcoal used in mascara. It is widely used in the Middle East, North Africa, the Mediterranean, Eastern Europe, South Asia, the Horn of Africa, and parts of West Africa as eyeliner[1] to contour and/or darken the eyelids and as mascara for the eyelashes. It is worn mostly by women, but also by some men and children.
Also interesting is this:
In addition, mothers would apply kohl to their infants' eyes soon after birth. Some did this to "strengthen the child's eyes", and others believed it could prevent the child from being cursed by the evil eye.
I hope this answers your question. I think its just a cosmetic/cultural thing they gave to gaara. To make him look like the desert tribe peoples.

Then can you explain why he had this since birth when if they're just eyeliner/makeup, they shouldn't be inherited?

While the rings were originally intended to be an indicator of insomnia, it is likely that this was retconned to be a side effect of his use of the Magnet Release Kekkei Genkai he inherited from his father.
Out-of-Universe example: Gaara is a very popular and iconic character and it would not be a good merchandising strategy to drastically alter his appearance in any fundamental ways.
P.S. Naruto's whisker-shaped birthmarks are likely a result of being the son of Kurama's Jinchuriki, since neither Mito nor Kushina possessed them. Both of Naruto's children have similar birthmarks and neither of them are Jinchuriki.

There stated in wiki that those who having a kekkei genkai magnet release (if not mistaken ) will have dark circle. There's proof when Rasa using magnet release there appear a dark circle around his eye. And in novel, it is stated that Gaara inherited magnet release from his father which I think Gaara was born with magnet release that also leading to his dark circle when he was born and I think it was permanent due to this

Those dark circle around Gaara's eyes are not from sleep deprivation. I was constantly looking at his face to learn about this, but in the translated anime, he had lines under the dark circle just a little poke of a line beside his nose where bags pop out the most.
Also, in the anime, Naruto said what's up with him wearing eyeliner. Since he always had it, it's probably a part of his being, like a trait that was passed down or it could be like a birthmark or scar-like Naruto's whiskers. It's something like a scar of being exposed and I can't help but note Naruto has whiskers close resemblance to the fox.
By the way, fox and dogs do have whiskers as being the shape of an animal, but Gaara has trouble with sleep. His demon could take over in his sleep. I just looked at a picture of the one tail to look at his eyes. He has like raccoon eyes, just a black patch with pupils, so these marks have a close resemblance to the tail beasts they have.
For the guy that said the black is just the eye shape, eyes aren't shaped like that. It is way too thick unless you're telling me the edge of his eyeballs is just that big. I don't think it is shoot. I just noticed he doesn't have any eyebrows. Someone also said it stayed on his sand armor. Great job on noticing that. This just might help with the answer that it's a scar-mark of some sort because if you look at Naruto, his whiskers grow when he starts to form. I'm positive his eyeliner is a resemblance to the one-tailed eyes.

He has those dark lines around his eyes, not because Shukaku won't let him sleep, but because Shukaku is like a racoon -- racoons have dark lines around their eyes, like how Naruto has whiskers.

Although your answer is interesting, the question is "why does Gaara still have dark lines..". The question is referring to the timeline after Shukaku was removed.


text:
What was the old Eureka Seven concept art/animator's website?
Before Eureka Seven: Hi-Evolution 1 was announced and released, or even before Eureka Seven: AO, there was a Japanese website for Project Eureka hosted by one of the artists that contained all of the concept art for Eureka Seven, as well as art from other projects of that artist. I thought the website was EurekaSeven.jp, but Wayback Machine shows this to be a new URL, not the old website from 2006-2008.
The one with the concept art didn't have flash, or if it did it was only in the header. It had a beige textured background. I thought it was Kenichi Yoshida's old website. A cursory glance through my bookmarks and I couldn't find it. I'm hoping someone else remembers what I'm talking about.

Most of them, TV series and movie, were originally a Flash sites that have since closed, so you won't find an actual archive online.
https://web.archive.org/web/20121226233805/http://www.eureka-prj.net/
The NA site was Flash, too.
https://web.archive.org/web/20120607035717/http://eurekaseven.bandai-ent.com/
Here's the TBS broadcasting site
https://web.archive.org/web/20081014172530/http://www.tbs.co.jp/program/eureka7.html
What glorious times.

Damn. None of these are the website I remember. The one with the concept art didn't have flash, or if it did it was only in the header. It had a beige textured background. I thought it was Kenichi Yoshida's old website, but the web archive is down right now.

Please edit your question (title and body) to better reflect what you are looking for.


text:
Are shared themes in each generation of manga/anime intentional in the industry?
Since I've been reading manga for almost 20 years now and watching anime just as long, I've noticed that anime/manga tend to come out in batches where there is a very similar concept, and all the manga compete to see who can best implement this concept. Is this a completely organic development? Is it because people in the manga industry are in close communication with each other, and share ideas? Here are some examples:
Megalomania

Death Note
Code Geass

This is the first instance of the trend-setting that I noticed in my life. Everyone was disappointed with the ending of Death Note, and Code Geass was almost a breath of fresh air for people who wanted to root for their favorite megalomaniac.
My memories from 2010-2016 aren't as crisp to provide more concrete examples in this timeframe.
Demons and Devils (2016-2018)

Demon Slayer
The Promised Neverland
Chainsaw Man
Jujutsu Kaisen

I know that the concept of taming demons and devils has always existed in anime/manga, but with the exception of Demon Slayer, these series invoked the concept of "no Good energy" in the universe. The Promised Neverland has no "divine" deities, only the demons, Chainsaw Man has an "Angel Devil" however that works, and Jujutsu Kaisen has "Reversed Cursed Technique" (not "divine" energy).
Super-powered Mangas (2019-2020)

Spy x Family
Sakamoto Days
Mission: Yozakura

Plant-Based Mangas (2023-2024)

Wild Strawberry
Dear Anemone

Unlike spy/thief mangas of the past, like Lupin the Third and others, these spies all have superpowers.
Weekly Themes
Lastly, this is probably unrelated to the last batch of examples, but there's a certain "emotional weight" that sometimes an entire issue of Shonen Jump happens to hit on. It can't be intentional because these authors write the plots very early on, so maybe this is just synchronicity. Here's my example. In this week for Shonen Jump:

Jujutsu Kaisen: Your Jungian shadow is a part of you that cannot be denied. You should treat your Shadow with compassion and accept it into your life, integrating it as part of your being. Also, the purpose of life is that it is meant to be enjoyed with others.
Undead Unluck: As miserable or poor as your life is, there's no point in giving into nihilism. The purpose of life is to enjoy it, and your mindset determines whether you will or not.
Twin Star Exorcists (one of the best manga of all time in my opinion): The future is created by loving parents who do everything in their power for their child. Also, even if you are faced with imminent and utter destruction, you should enjoy the present, and all life has to offer.

This last bit is synchronicity, though I've been meaning to post this question on this website for years and I haven't felt the need to until now, which is also synchronicity.
Can you think of other examples that I forgot? Does anyone have inside information on the industry to confirm or deny whether they discuss these concepts before publishing their first chapters around the same time?

Possibly related: How did "other world" or "isekai" stories gain so much popularity and where do they have their roots?, Why all the "Re" in titles?

Perhaps How far ahead is planning done before a manga is released? might also be related, in that a mangaka might see the existing trending work, then follow the trend without discussing/planning them in the first place. (I guess a question about the whole process for a manga to be serialized in a magazine starting from story draft, submission, and published might worth)

@AkiTanaka YES!!! Right after posting this question, I told my friend yesterday night that I forgot to mention isekais and the "True Final Boss" trope in StarCraft II, Sonic Adventure 2, and now I swear every anime is "all the protagonists and antagonists will come together to fight the true enemy!"

I don't think there is any "by year" pattern to be found. I just think that there is a "jump on the bandwagon, there is money to be got" mentality. Some manga are just to weird (Shimeji Simulation for example), too nightmare fuel (Made in Abyss) or too niche  (The Girl from the Other Side) to get many copies. But as soon as someone design a new popular trope or even rediscovers an existing one and goes "viral" everyone will want a share of the money. Just think how Nagatoro sprouted a new batch of "sadodere", shifting the "kawaii yandere" troope (MHA - Toga) in a new direction.

Media is a reflection of the Zeitgeist.
Take 1995 for example.
Feb 25, Armitage III asks what it means to be human from the perspective of an android
Oct 04, Shin Seiki Evangelion asks what it means to be human from the perspective of a human
Nov 18, Ghost in the Shell asks what it means to be human from the perspective of a cyborg
This isn't exclusive to anime. The same thing happens to Hollywood.
Let's look at 1999.
Jan 23, The Blair Witch Project asks what if what you see is real
Mar 24, The Matrix asks what if what you see is not real
Aug 02, The Sixth Sense asks whether it even matters if things are real
Creators don't have to collude with each other for this to happen. They just have to live at the same time.

Tezuka Metropolis, Tetsuwan Atom,  Video Girl AI and Lain to some degree, Wonder Project J and its sequel J2, Alita, the "what is an human" trope goes back and fort again and again... Do you remember V.I.C.I in Small Wonder (85)? Or since you mention 99 as the "what you see is real"... didn't the Bicentennial Man (again, what is an human) get released in 99 too, 4 years late for the 95 era? It is true time does influence medias  but most of the time more of cultural period basis I see a "I want my snout in the trough too" pack mentality.

@SPArcheon-onstrike Zeitgeist doesn't only last one year. I limited it to one year since you can't be a copycat if you release around the same time. The book Frankenstein (1818) also asked what it means to be human, but it did so under a different Zeitgeist.


text:
Why and how did South Park use music from Eureka seveN?
I noticed this some 12 or so years ago when the episode first aired, but South Park uses a snippet of "Uncontrolled Self" from Eureka seveN during the train chase scene with Britney Spears, and then immediately pivots to another song once they enter the closet. I could only find a snippet in Español, and the music is barely audible in this dub (it's very loud in the English dub). Here's the clip:
https://youtu.be/EAzmw6umxUQ?list=PLpabzom3lBLGjJNU8CRxlrV7IbBnRPoYT&t=142
And here's the moment in Uncontrolled Self that they pulled from:
https://youtu.be/4lLAPgZN4tI?t=25
Using ViewSync, this becomes completely apparent:
https://viewsync.net/watch?v=EAzmw6umxUQ&t=142&v=4lLAPgZN4tI&t=25&mode=solo
Do both South Park and Eureka seveN pull inspiration from the same classical music? Is this song copyleft audio freely available? Or did South Park Studios just rip it to put it in the episode?

One of the big features of Eureka Seven is its use of music and in particular, remixes. The writer of the story is really into music and even named several of the Gekkostate mechs after some audio equipment.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eureka_Seven#Development
From what I can tell, the clip from Eureka Seven you provided might be a remix of a track called "Fletcher" by Johan Van Barel.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_pFpktmpDU
About halfway through and towards the end, it has some very recognisable dramatic sting effects that I am sure have been used in various tv shows and movies over many years.
If it is indeed inspired by this, then it's quite possible that the production for South Park used it as a dramatic audio sting much in the same way the "Wilhelm scream" is used in many action movies.

Wow!!! That's spot-on. Great find. I think you're right that they remixed audio from the same sources. Thanks so much for creating an account to post your answer, where there's no such thing as a necropost on Stack Exchange!

I have recently been rewatching Mythbusters and guess what sound effect makes an appearance on occasion....

Also, it's something that's been bugging me for a while too. I've heard this sound effect in a number of places and wondered about it's origins.
I also have a suspicion that "Fletcher" might not be the true origin....

Most likely in the same way companies like Crunchyroll buy licenses to stream anime. TV shows, etc. can buy licenses to use music made by other people.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_licensing

South Park does really went that far for single OST? :/


text:
Why was the death of Minato and Kushina shown at the end of Shippuden while the attack had been shown in the beginning of Naruto?
We know that Naruto began with some scenes from the Nine-Tails attack, but why wait until almost the end of Shippuden to show how Minato and Kushina died?

Well, "Shippuden" had to follow the manga, and in manga that's where the author put it. It is thematic with the gradual reveal of who the "Mystery Man Tobi" is. We may say that the idea of Tobi was introduced at the latest in Kakashi Gaiden (i.e. the flashback about young Kakashi published during the time skip). Whether or not the decision to make him the mastermind of Kyuubi's attack was planned from chapter 1 or retconned (and hence likewise, presumably, the whole Naruto-birth stuff), we can only ask the author.

Chronology is important here.

One other thing of note is the perspective of the story, Naruto isn't a history book told in chronological order by an all-knowing narrator, it's a story that follows Naruto starting from his graduation from the ninja academy and follows what happens to him. Information is revealed as he finds it out or people explain it. The bit about the 9 tail fox at the start is Iruka remembering the event, its also how Naruto would know it, at the time neither of them knew the 4th was his father or the circumstances around the attack, both were kept under wraps until it came up in the story

To put it simply, Naruto is structured in a way that the Kyubi (9 Tails Fox) attack has so many stories within it that the scene shown at the beginning of the anime had only one:
In the beginning of the anime, there was supposed to be the backstory of Naruto being outcast from society. While Naruto himself wasn't aware of the reason why, the story tells you upfront the reason for that. It doesn't matter that the whole "why Kyubi attacked the village" is a mystery, because that's how most stories go. At the start of the anime, Naruto being outcast was the main theme, not the mystery around Kyubi.
As for Minato and Kushina's stories, it takes much more for those characters since they have much more depth in the story of the Kyubi. That needs much more buildup for the viewer to understand. You cannot just put so much information right at the start of the story without deep understanding of who Minato is, why Kushina had the Kyubi in her at all, who Madara is and why he hates Konoha, and also why Minato and Kushina decided to put Kyubi in Naruto of all people. All that is explained for the first time only when Kushina appears to Naruto, and we have a deep understanding of who Madara is.
In shorter words, what Naruto ultimately does is give the viewer a mystery cutscene at the start of the anime, where there are tons of questions to answer, only to be answered toward the end of the story. This kind of writing motive is common in literature—to uncover the secrets and mysteries of one event as the story keeps going on. Just check Harry Potter and how Rowling treated the night Voldemort tried to kill Harry.
There's also the mere fact that most writers don't necessarily know what they will write in the future. Naruto was going for more than 10 years, and only due to popularity. Who knows if Kishimoto, when he started to write Naruto, really thought that far ahead to consider that the Kyubi attack was going to be this deep story? Lots of mangaka, when seeking materials for stories, just look for easter eggs and such in early stories to make new stories connected to them. (This doesn't necessarily eliminate what I'm saying above, but explains how manga writing progression can be.)


text:
What are all the triggers or 'signals' in Signal 100?
I saw the live action film, and found out that it was based on a manga, so I figured I would ask here.
Does anyone have a complete list of all the triggers? I know crying, acting violent, reading comics, using phones, drinking from bottles, staring too long at someone, leaving school grounds, beer showers, non authorized clothing, having 7 people pointing at you all at once, touching sexually stimulated parts, and staying at school until dawn are all triggers for suicide, at least in the film, maybe not on the manga.
Please share the rest if they are known.

Also posted on Movies.SE: https://movies.stackexchange.com/q/123757/15983

Having read the series and editing the community wiki I think this is as complete of a list as there is for the manga, although signals 34-50 were never revealed and signals 86-88 despite being shown were too difficult to make out and my Japanese isn't good enough to inference what they could be

In the original manga:

No.
Trigger
Chapter

001
Violence towards other people
1

002
Telling non-classmate about the incident
1

003
Nose picking
3

004
Kicking a ball with right leg
3

005
Sitting in the school hallway
3

006
Drinking coffee
3

007
Yawning in front of a teacher
3

008
Touching a boner
3

009
Laughing out loud
3

010
Tripping and falling
3

011
Losing in a rock-paper-scissor game
3

012
Throwing non-trash into trash bin
3

013
Leaving the school area
4

014
Hanging down with both hands
9

015
Taking off indoor slippers with a hand
9

016
Writing own name
9

017
Plugging and unplugging power plug
9

018
Drinking water from plastic bottle
6

019
Combing up one's hand through one's hair
9

020
Staring silently at someone for more than 15 seconds
9

021
Skipping 1 stair step while climbing
9

022
Drawing lottery
9

023
More than 25 classmates pointing at you at the same time
6

024
Walking while holding hands for more than 5 seconds
9

025
Taking a picture with a mobile phone
9

026
Eating rice
9

027
Eating dish on plates
9

028
Dropping eating utensils
9

029
Vomiting on ground
9

030
Wearing earphones
9

031
Knocking on doors more than 3 times
9

032
Wetting oneself
2

033
Touching money with hands
9

034-050
(Never revealed)
N/A

051
Kneeling on the ground in underwear only
9

052
Inserting pachinko ball into nose
13

053
Inserting adult toy into mouth
12

054
Jumping while one's foot is pierced with thumb tack
13

055
Saying "I am a fool (aho)" 100 times
13

056
Dropping hammer to one's left foot
13

057
Eating cheese with already passing the best-for date
13

058
Making a burn mark on the right hand
13

059
Pouring cooking oil on head
12

060
Sticking cellophane tape on the face and pulling it
13

061
Putting chalk powder on face
11

062
Puttting right middle finger in between door
13

063
Cutting hair with scissors
10

064
Piercing left thigh with a pen
11

065
Pulling out 1 lower tooth
13

066
Pouring disinfectant alcohol on eye
13

067
Writing "Fool (aho)" on forehead
13

068
Smashing lightbulb with hand
13

069
Crushing cockroach with hand
13

070
Biting aluminum foil with left teeth
13

071
Start walking with your left leg
23

072
Touch someone else's hand
23

073
Smile
23

074
Get mad
24

075
Stand up
24

076
Run
24

077
Point at someone
24

078
Fumble your words
24

079
Touch your face
24

080
Doubt another person
24

081
Put your palms together
24

082
Cry
24

083
Say somebody's name
25

084
Go to the toilet
25

085
Talk to someone you've never talked to before
25

086
Sigh? (too blurry)
27

087
Jump... (rest is cut off)
27

088
Eye... (rest is cut off)
27

092
Sneeze
25

093
Look behind you
25

094
Wipe away sweat
25

095
Ask a question
24

096
Start walking with your right leg
24

097
Sniffle
24

098
Step backwards
24

099
Close one eye
24

100
Bask in sunlight
24

Signals 34-50 are never revealed

 Signals 71-100 only take effect starting from 4AM for specific people and spread to affect everyone at 5AM


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What did Kagato mean when he said " Tenchi can't be copied"?
In the original Tenchi Muyo OVA, the lead character - Tenchi Masaki - strikes down the franchise's first villain Kagato in a sword duel.
As Kagato dies he says the following phrase:

天智、マスターキーと同じか。津波め。これでは再生も効かんか？素晴らしい、私の負けだ、少年。

Which loosely translates to:

Tenchi, the same (name) as the master key. Lady Tsunami. Against this (even I can't) restore (myself)? Splendid, I am defeated, boy.

However, in the English language dub, he instead says a modified version of this phrases, leaving out the section about restoring himself, and including a section about "tenchi" not being able to be copied.

Tenchi, the same name as the master key?  Well done, Tsunami.  Tenchi can't be copied.  Splendid plan.  You've won, young man.

What was Kagato referring to when he said "Tenchi can't be copied"?
For example, was he referring to someone making a copy of Tenchi (the master key), a copy of Tenchi Masaki the person, or the power of one of the two aforementioned things not being a copy of the other?
The Japanese translation may not be exact.

I don't know the anime and may be missing some context, but the dub seems simply a mistake (esp. if it's a fan sub)

It's the official Pioneer dub. It was likely done deliberately, they had good translators and it's unlikely that they could have mistaken as the dub changes the emphasis of the sentence from one person to another, which isn't in the original. Sometimes companies change things to make it closer to the lip movements, or even for political reasons.

Then it could be referring to something outside the quote, but still my hunch is a mistranslation. 再生 (lit. regeneration) could be translated to copy and the translator misunderstood what is regenerated is Tenchi, where it actually is Kagato as you see. (Literally: 再生も効かんか is Even regeneration won't be effective (to heal me=Kagato). From what I googled, 再生 is something that happens in an institution).

再生 may not be the exact Kanji in the original script. I'm not fluent. I'm highly doubtful that even a half competent translator would make a mistake like that as the rest oft he sentence would be gibberish


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(What) do I need to read or play to understand the story of the NieR:Automata anime?
I'm watching the NieR:Automata anime. The NieR: Automata Wikia makes references to elements of the story which aren't present in the anime, and it also makes references to 3 videogames, NieR:Automata, Nier, and Drakengard (and maybe more).
Do I need to know these video games to understand the story of NieR:Automata? Is there any sort of novel or manga for the anime? What do I need to read or play to understand the story of the NieR:Automata anime?

I don't know about the anime, but having played the game, you don't need to have played Nier or any of the Drakengard games to understand the plot, though you may pick up references to them that would otherwise go over your head.

Wikipedia says the anime is more or less independent of the game plot though it is based on A/B route of the game.

Ah, I think I just copped on. You must have watched S2E10 and gone 'what?' Devola and Popola are not explained in the NieR: Automata game any more than the anime AFAIK. I was hoping we'd get a S1E6 style flashback, but given only 2 episodes are left of the season I highly doubt we'll get any more than was given. I believe the direct reference is designed to make you go 'what?' and then seek out the other stories to find the answers.

@Peilonrayz they are explained somehow in the wikia, but I dont know where that info comes from

@Pablo Ah, Devola and Popola are both major characters in NieR/Replicant. As such you'll probably have to play the game to understand the backstory for the characters.

@Peilonrayz you should edit your answer then

@Pablo Why should I?

@Peilonrayz because you said you need nothing to understand the anime in the answer, and now you are saying you need to play the videogame to understand it in the comments

@Pablo Have you read the answer? I have said you need to consume nothing else and everything else (twice). You won't get the overarching story from just one of the stories alone.

You said the anime should be accessible for people new to the universe, but if you want to know the full story you should play everything. But this topic of the story doesnt seem secondary at all, so I dont feel the answer is the right one anymore

@Pablo I've literally answered the two extreme definitions of understand... If Devola and Popola didn't say a couple sentences you wouldn't have asked the question as you'd have felt you'd understood the entire anime. The entire second half explains such a feeling would be a false feeling. If you think the answer should be edited then explain what you think I should add to the second half of the answer to be more clear understanding the entire lore of the universe is obviously not possible in a slither of the story.

Nothing
I have only played the game (NieR: Automata) and the anime is, from memory, nearly identical to the MSQ of the game. Whilst additional lore exists; the content of the Automata story can be understood stand alone.
For instance, the previous game NieR (Re-released as NieR Replicant) happened in the year 3645 where Automata happens in 11945. Here is the complete DoD/NieR timeline:

Should you play the game first?
I have found the anime to better explain a few parts of the story. For instance; I found the pacing of S1E10 to better explain the factory events, S1E5 contains more information about Pascal, and S1E6 and S2E5 turn the tiny Pearl Harbor Descent Summary into a complete short story.
During S1 the characters slowly change. In the game when you get to roughly the end of S1 as 2B, you have to replay S1 as 9S. The forced replaying of the story can help with seeing the changes in the characters. Which coincides with one criticism I've seen of the anime around 9S's seemingly irrational actions in S2.
Everything (twice)
Automata largely follows a show, don't tell approach to the story telling. And with the exploration into different timelines can lead into the '... you need to watch twice to understand' category of entertainment.
We can see Taro has embraced the idea of consuming the content multiple times; forcing players in the game to play S1 twice, encouraging a second play through to get the final title screen, and by expanding on the pearl harbor descent story in the anime. If you've 100%ed the game you're encouraged to consume the same story three times.
We can see a similar encouragement by the retelling of the pearl harbor descent story. Having a recap in the game, being in the anime, having a manga and having 5 versions of the stage play.
Automata rarely makes direct references to previous events, such as in S2E10. But has indirect references, following Taro's unique show, don't tell style. For example in S1E5, which is also a notable change away from the game's story for a minor character.
So to truly understand the story everything... but the anime should be accessible for people new to the universe.

This answer makes me want to go play the game for the ... 5th time?


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Why did Milosh want to kill himself when he arrive at the red light district?
At the end of episode 49 of Monsters, Milosh wants to kill himself when he arrives at the red light district.
I don't get it. He saw some adults and strippers, and suddenly he believed life was not worth living anymore, I'm confused.
Can someone explain what just happened?

Because he believed that no one needed him anymore. Or rather, because Johan convinced him of this.
Milosh always wanted to find his mother, and believed that they would recognize each other when they met. This became especially important for him after his guardian parent died. Johan sent Milosh to the border, since most street children were the children of prostitutes. At the same time, Johan had previously shaken his confidence that his life was at least somewhat valuable, that he was needed by someone, and that someone would ever love him.
When Milosh came to the neighborhood and saw the people living there, he became depressed, since he believed Johan's words about the meaninglessness and futility of his own life.


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Who is the strongest Hokage?
Who is actually the strongest Hokage? It would be such a simple question and answer if Kishimoto just gave us a direct answer. But instead, Kishimoto feeds us different information along the way as the story progresses.
Pre Chuunin Exam
Sarutobi was highlighted as the genius Shinobi. The manga stated that he quickly surpassed both the first and the second at a young age, and was widely known as the Professor. We also find out later that the first and second died in war, while the third and fourth sacrificed their lives to use the demon god.
Chuunin exam era + beginning of Shippuden
Minato was considered the strongest Hokage. Recall when Orochimaru was using Edo Tensei to revive all dead Kages - Sarutobi was most afraid of the Fourth. For a while, everyone regarded the 4th as the strongest shinobi. I am not sure if this is because they never witnessed the first, but it seems evident that Minato was the powerhouse. Everyone kept saying - If the fourth was here, Orochimaru would be no problem, etc.
Late Shippuden when Tobi starts acting and Madara is revealed
Hashirama is the God of Shinobi. He is depicted as the strongest of all four, even recognized by Minato. He is the only one to resist Orochimaru's control. Madara Uchiha also regards everyone else, aside from Hashirama, as insignificant.
The thing that bothers me the most is how Sarutobi was not worried and was able to handle fighting both Hashirama and Tobirama. Minato was the source of his fear.
And then later on, Hashirama just seems like he is on another level. So I guess I have to redefine my question. Was Hashirama always the strongest Hokage, or did Kishimoto develop his strength later on? Or can this just not be determined?

It actually can be said like this. The next generation can surpass the previous one! So Hashirama is called as the God or the strongest but now he just might not be!

@kirkara very astute observation !!!!!! +1 to your question

During the fight between Sarutobi Hiruzen and Edo Tensei Hokage brothers, the 1st and 2nd Hokage were not able to use their full power, because, Orochimaru hadn't perfected the jutsu at that time.
Also, Hiruzen was not afraid of Minato alone, but he was afraid that he wont be able handle all three of them at once.
In my personal opinion, Hashirama Senju is considered the strongest Hokage because of his abilities like Sage Mode, extraordinary life force, Wood Release techniques, impressive clones, great stamina (many people have tries to replicate it, like Orochimaru, Madara Uchiha, Zetsu, Obito Uchiha).

There is a trend of diminishing power with the hokages. The first we know is Hashirama. So he should be the strongest

Yeah, Minato and Tobirama were very strong and Hiruzen was meant to be brilliant when he was younger, but Hashirama was like a Greek hero. He had the spirit of Ashura, he could do all the crazy healing things Naruto is doing right now, he was powerful beyond compare.
He had chakra that doesn't compare to anyone we've seen all series, easily breaking out of Orochimaru's Edo Tensei the second time which none of the other hokages could do, his sage mode was ridiculous, his wood dragon was as powerful as the nine tails and his ridiculous avatar made of hands was by far the most powerful thing in the series. Minato and Tobirama had some absolutely brilliant techniques, and Hiruzen had an amazing breadth of techniques but Hashirama's chakra alone just put him on a different level, in addition to his other ridiculous powers.

Well you can't compare Hokage. May be Hashirama is very powerful. But at the same time Tobirama is more powerful because he can be very dangerous due to the edo tensei and transportation techniques.
In the other way Sarutobi may be not powerful as much as people say he is. He is only capable of using basic elements and his will of fight. His sealing jutsu also belong to uzumaki class.
My point of view you cant compare the Hokages  to check who is most powerful because each one is unique.

Actually Sarutobi is said to be stronger than the 1st himself. The only thing holding him back is the fact he's old. No other Hokage has been as old as him, making him weaker than he is. You are also forgetting the fact that he SHARES the title of "God of Shinobi" with Hashirama and the Sage of Six Paths. Being able to handle of Orochimaru and 2 of the strongest hokage, even in an edo tensei form, is pretty damn impressive. Especially at a weak state due to his age. Honestly Sarutobi is my favorite of all the Kage. But I'm pretty confident that he is the strongest if not second.

Looking at your question, I feel that you want to know who was more powerful, Minato or Hashirama, right? Actually, I also keep on wondering about these kind of stuff myself. I wonder what would happen if Hashirama and Minato would fight? Who would win? And I begin to compare their power and make them fight with each other in my thoughts.
Hashirama can heal himself fast due to extra ordinary life force so he can easily survive any attack made to him. On the other hand, Minato can teleport himself so quick that he can escape easily from any attack Hashirama would made. Then again, Minato can use his Rasengan but I wonder if that can wound Hashirama. Hashirama along with his sage mode and wood style might be able to track where Minato would teleport himself next. But Minato with his instantaneous reflexes might be able to dodge that as well.
Minato is capable of defeating nine tails as he sealed the beast once. On the other hand, Hashirama is someone who can control and tame the tailed beast. He even won his fight with Madara who was controlling Kurama at that time.
But you don't have worry very long. Naruto will become Hokage someday. He had promised that so many times. And he will be the most powerful of all Hokage for sure :)

The Konoha Shinobi should probably have a general idea of who the strongest Hokage was. At least the Kages themselves should know. I'm not really seeking who would win in a fight, but rather who is regarded as the strongest kage.

Oh! I see now. Then Hashirama is the one who must be regarded as the strongest by Konaha Shinobi because he was the one who defeated Madara and Madara is someone with whom everyone fears of because he can control even the nine tail with his Sharingan.

so what? nauto can control kyuubi without sharingan. would that make him stronger than madara??

@Sreepati We are talking about Hokages not Naruto...


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Why does Goku wear a different Gi in DBGT?
I've always wondered why he changed his gi to a blue top, white belt, and yellow pants. Is this perhaps due Akira Toriyama never creating the actual DBGT series? If so, is there an substantial evidence?

i don't think there could be a reason for this.
If u go to see the attire, then probably everyones appearance has changed in DBGT!

because he's a kid this time so his old clothes wont fit and who would be able to tailor his old kids cloathes

He wore both the purple gi as well as the orange one when he was a kid. And in DBZ, people also managed to magically change gi appearances, like King Kai and Picollo.

He could have taken Goten's clothes acutally. It'd have fit him exactly. It just seems to be a technical miss from the makers and nothing else.

He wore this even during the last episodes of dragon ball z when he went off to train with Uub so think it just continued from there.

It's actually a little bit different

The new Gi was introduced at the end of DBZ to show that a lot of time had passed.
Then, not only was the Gi different but also significant events had taken place such as Gohan's marriage and Pan's birth.
Also almost everyone's outfit was changed. This was probably done to show that a long period of peace had prevailed and so the characters didn't need to wear their fighting clothes (or armor as in Vegeta's case) all the time.
When DBGT came along it maintained a similar style to these end episodes of DBZ to show continuity, with some changes which was the liberty of the studio/animators making it.


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What does Itachi's crow symbolize?
Everything in Naruto seemingly has a Japanese cultural reference. From the name Sasuke meaning legendary ninja to the Sannin summons (slug frog snake) representing the Japanese version of the game Rock Paper Scissors.
I recall briefly that I read Itachi's crow also had a special, underlying meaning culturally, but cannot recover the source.
What cultural reference does the crow come with? And if there are nonculture related themes, please state those as well.

I have an explanation myself but it will take time to construct the answer. Can we include the tag tropes here?

@NaraShikamaru Is the crow really a trope? If you can include that in your answer, I will tag it as well.

it's just a thought though. But I think you can include it.

Crows are serious—and seriously creepy—wherever they show up. In most of their fictional appearances, they are the go-to scary bird, and are traditionally associated with death in many mythologies and cultures.
On the other hand, crows are also very clever. They may feature a crow as:

the "Deadpan Snarker" - A character given to gnomic, sarcastic, sometimes bitter, occasionally whimsical asides.
The Deadpan Snarker    exists to deflate  pomposity, point out the
unlikelihood of certain    plans, and deliver funny lines. Typically
the most cynical supporting    character. In most cases, it is
implied that the snarker would make a    good leader, strategist, or
consultant given their ability to    instantly see the flaws in a
constructed plan;
the "Trickster Mentor" A Trickster whose actions, while seemingly
pointless, selfish, antagonistic, or just plain random that contains a valuable lesson.
In more fantastic settings, a Trickster Mentor educates their proteges by subjecting them to various transformations, body-swaps, literal wishes, and faked tests of
character. Trickster Mentors love it when someone who first meets
them doesn't realize who they are. They get to assess the "true
character" of someone, then beat their sense of superiority out of
them with it after the revelation. Or, rarely, give them a small
break if they reveal honesty and good intentions.
or the "Zen Survivor" A character who has been through utter hell,
and came out sad, cynical, and wise beyond their years. Part of their
wisdom is knowing that it is wasted on most people, so they don't go
around babbling it to everybody. Instead, they wait until they see
somebody who is worthy, and serve as the worthy one's mentor.

As for Uchiha Itachi, his summoning technique best suited for what happened in his life. Itachi with his symbolic crow can be related to the "Zen Survivor" of his clansmen who is wise beyond their years (technically because of his age) and serves as a worthy one's  mentor (both Sasuke and Naruto). On the other hand, the "Trickster Mentor" part also include faked tests of character also for both Naruto and Sasuke.
Please comment if you want to clarify something.

Interesting answer. These relations seem to be describing Western culture's depiction though. Is there anything significant to the Japanese culture, like folklore, mythology, or tradition?

Maybe I can edit my answer later. I have a very limited resources as of now. Other pages are blocked here at my workstation.:)

Please properly cite your sources and use block quotes, if you're going to copy them from elsewhere.

Let me express my theory as well then... Western cultures usually connect a crow with bad, evil and unlucky phenomena. However, among Ainu, indigenous tribes of Japanese islands, crow is a bird which sacrificed itself so that evil could not destroy the Sun, and with it the whole world. I believe that Kishimoto used this concept when he chose a crow as a symbol for Itachi.

Well, crows can symbolise death as crows are known to pick at human corpses, it's not just that the crow is a dark bird, it is quite predatory in that sense.
It could be that the writer liked the film The Crow (!) (The lead actor- Bruce Lee's son Brandon Lee died during that film creepy, suspicious and sad)...
Also there is "The Madara Rider" which is a World Heritage Site carving. Madara is the name of the horse (a horse universally represents power) that has a snake, a crow and a dog at it's feet, I wondered if the crow could represent Itachi, the Snake Sasuke (he works with it later) or Orochimaru, and Madara's dog seems to be Tobi (don't want to give anything away there though).
Also it's clear that that site must have been carved by Ninja's as it was carved up a straight 100 metre wall quite far down and people aren't sure how it could have been made, so there's your answer to that one:- IT WAS NINJA'S! (joking :D )

In Japanese culture, crows symbolize rejuvenation and rebirth. Only in Western culture are they seen as a stigma.


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Why does Madara appear unhurt despite being covered in wounds?
I'm not sure if I have missed anything in the past, but Madara seems unphased by every attack.
Sasuke stabs a sword through his arm, but this isn't a problem.
All the tailed beasts stomp on Madara with their tails, and Madara doesn't even evade. Instead, he tanks the attack like it is no big deal.
What's going on here? Hashirama's senjutsu should only do so much, but it seems like Madara is simply invulnerable, aside from a little bleeding. Why isn't Madara getting hurt at all?
Is this what we call a plot shield?

Because I'm flippin' awesome!

From chapter 659,

Madara mentions that due to the healing powers of Hashirama's he is able to recover must faster and is taking close to no damage.
So it is not just just Hashirama's senjutsu, but also his healing powers that have made Madara virtually invicible.
Also from the same chapter:

It is not that he is not being damaged, but that his healing is so fast that all damage seems to have no effect at all.

Here's what I don't get. Hashirama's healing powers come from his Senjutsu. But Madara also stated that Hashirama's Senjutsu was a disappointment to him, as he was expecting a great power. If Hashirama's senjutsu is a joke to Madara, it shouldn't be letting him live throughout all these brutal attacks. I guess the plot shield here, however, is his master of Senjutsu within seconds of stealing it. People like Minato couldn't even learn it and Senjutsu takes a long time to master.

I guess the second thing that is bothering me is that he tanked every single hit, and then healed everything afterwards. His healing wasn't immediately after each attack, but rather a one time massive healing in chapter 659. Just how was Madara able to sustain blow after blow in the chapters prior to 659?

@krikara Madara is a bigger legend than Minato. Even to Minato, the thought of Madara coming to life was dreadful. Also, could you please provide reference to the fact that Hashirama's healing powers come from his senjutsu. The other point that I would say is, the time between him tanking all the attacks and him healing is very minimal. It happens just after he takes the attack from the "tail whip"

He really only healed once, in chapter 659. We know this because his wounds faded upon the healing. From what I recall, there is no substantial evidence to prove that he healed inbetween attacks. As for the Senjutsu part, Madara only uses his heal after he drained the specific chakra from Hashirama. So the healing might not be dependent on senjutsu per se, but the (heightened) healing capabilities came when he absorbed the senjutsu chakra.

As stated, it's not like he is taking no damage, but rather that the damage and the healing are going on side by side. Madara was only worried that he might have a hard time manipulating it. Still, even if the level of power may be a joke, healing is healing.

Sasuke did manage to stab him in the arm but at that time Madara was blind - maybe he was not able to dodge in time, or maybe he was not worried about the injury. Besides, this also gave him time to talk to Sasuke and invite him to his side.

As for the healing part, we only see Madara after the attack, not during it, and he also stated before that Hashirama didn't need hand signs to heal his injuries, and now that power belongs to him. He does not have to concentrate, he can just do it subconsciously. Besides, Madara does have Susano to protect him from physical attacks, so he doesn't have to form the big one. He can just form a small shield.

Okay, we know Madara heals himself in 659 because we can see it visually (steaming up and wounds closing). Now how do we know he is healing inbetween attacks such as Sasuke's sword or Gaara's sand? There are no visuals as far as I can tell.

@krikara Yes, there is no visual because of which we can't be sure of what happened, and we know already healing will take place. We see his healing only in 659, but we should also consider the level of attack he faced because of which it took him some time to heal completely. Even Madara complements those attacks, it should mean something coming from him.


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Differences between anime and manga versions of Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic
I watched Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic and want to pick up the manga starting from anime end. If manga and anime are too different, I might read skipped chapters.
How different are then anime and manga versions? Do I need to read it to cover the whole story?

The anime is alot higher paced. alot more happening and skippin minor events that are in the manga.

They're about the same, but the anime doesn't always follow the manga's plot.
If you're new to the series and want to know where to start, go with the manga first, then watch the anime, because the anime is based on the manga.
If you want to know the differences, I have spotted a few changes in season 1 that differ from the manga. The examples below are from chapter 120:

 In the anime, Alibaba became a Dark Metal Vessel user or Dark Djinn Equip near the end of season 1, which isn't part of the manga.

 Another change is that Hakuryuu got his arm cut off in a sword fight trying to protect Alibaba, instead of falling off after the Zagan arc in the manga.


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Do Akatsuki rings have abilities?
Each of Akatsuki's members wear unique rings.
I guess Itachi's one can use genjutsu.

But how about others? Can it be used as ninjutsu or genjutsu abilities?
And why does Zetsu always collect those rings after each one of the members died.

Are you sure his ring used genjutsu? Or that he used genjutsu and made it seem like his ring had powers.

not sure. according to NS- 14 (07:45) ,  he said "it possible with my finger as well" then point out with his left finger where the ring was worn.

Well, I know what he was referring to when he said that. Do you read the manga? I don't want to spoil anything.

Itachi himself can use genjutsu but his ring? I doubt it. There is something special in those rings. It's durability is extra-ordinary given the fact that they could withstand the power of it's members.

The rings do not have abilities.
They are simply used for the Akatsuki membership, which is why Sasuke's group Taka was never really considered Akatsuki. They might have had the cloaks, but they didn't have the rings and the rings signify a true Akatsuki member.
Also, Orochimaru's ring was never replaced when he left the Akatsuki. There have been 10 Akatsuki rings total as well as 10 members of the group.
Taken from Naruto wikia

Right thumb: "zero" (零, rei); worn by Pain. Its colour is purplish-grey.
Right index finger: "blue," "green" (青, ao, shō); worn by Deidara. Its colour is teal.
Right middle finger: "white" (白, bya); worn by Konan. Its colour is white.
Right ring finger: "vermilion," "scarlet" (朱, shu); worn by Itachi Uchiha. Its colour is >red.
Right little finger: "sign of the boar" (亥, gai); worn by Zetsu. Its colour is green.
Left little finger: "sky," "void" (空, kū); worn by Orochimaru. Its colour is slate blue.
Left ring finger: "south" (南, nan); worn by Kisame Hoshigaki. Its colour is yellow.
Left middle finger: "north" (北, hoku); worn by Kakuzu. Its colour is dark green.
Left index finger: "three" (三, san); worn by Hidan. Its colour is orange.
Left thumb: "jewel," "ball," also the black king in shogi (玉, gyoku); worn by Sasori and >later by Tobi. Its colour is purple.

Akatsuki thinks that the rings are very valuable for some reason. You point out how Zetsu insists on collecting the rings of dead members. It's also telling that when Orochimaru actually managed to take a ring away from Akatsuki, they didn't make a new ring and they didn't replace Orochimaru. It's almost like the ring is more important than the person in that position.
But as of now, we don't know why Akatsuki places so much importance on the rings. They might have some kind of abilities, but if they do, we haven't seen them.

Potential Spoilers!!!!
Read at your own risk...

My theory is that the rings are what allow Pain to talk to them telepathically and for them to astral project onto the fingers of the statue. When they preform the ceremony, there are at most two-four members physically present. (often the team that captured the jinchuuriki) My guess is that the black Kanji in the rings is the same as the rods used to control the six paths of Pain telepathically, which when the members concentrate chakra into the ring they connect to Nagato. Also, it's probably time consuming to forge the rings and Nagato isn't exactly in the best of health at the point that members start dying.
I do not believe that the rings have special "powers", beyond my theory they are what help them connect to Nagato telepathically. As for Itachi's comment about other ways to cast genjutsu, you don't have to have a sharingan to cast genjutsu. Take Kurenai for instance, she's a genjutsu mistress. I don't believe Itachi relied just on his eyes and considering his failing eyesight and health, it stands to reason that he couldn't always use his eyes in excess. Likely the whole pointing the finger thing is likely a distraction for a half seal he is using on his other hand or is the half seal in and of it's self.

I hope this helps,
Murakmi no Kitsune

does that mean Orochimaru can still contact them through the ring?

Maybe the rings are to connect with the Gedo statue. May be their seat on the statues fingers in also where their ring should be. For example I think that Sasori's ring was in his thumb and he sat on the Gedo's thumb. Another example Orochimaru's ring was still with him and the statues had a missing spot. So Zetsu must have collected them in case of more member to make the extraction of the tailed beast quicker( if they were able to find a new member whom was willing to join) ps people are way to into Hidan being a new member and having a past


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Could FP-shell kill Ergo Proxy?
This question contains spoilers for the whole anime.

 Ergo Proxy, being imperfect creation of Proxy One, is shown to be immune to sunrays (all other proxies die when in direct sunlight). It seems to me, that FP-shell, which works by emiting UV rays on contact (thus simulating sunlight and killing the proxy), shouldn't be able to hurt Ergo. However, when hit by FP-shell from Raul, it looks like it's working.

Is this explained somewhere?

When did Raul shoot Ergo? i remember Proxy One being shot but i can't remember if it was Raul and Re-L