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In season 2, why does Sakuya Togane have the highest Psycho Pass registered?
In the second season of Psycho-Pass, we learn that Sakuya Togane has the highest Psycho Pass ever registered. How can this be,

and how can he have a Psycho Pass of 799 right before dying, if he is Criminally Asymptomatic? Did his mother's murder "turn" him normal?

Sakuya Togane:

 was a failed experiment. His mother, Misako Togane, wanted to create an artificial criminally asymptomatic person. As an experiment Sakuya did show very good positive results, such as when he demonstrated sadistic acts towards defenseless pups repeatedly, and that having no negative impact on his Psycho pass. Similar conclusions reached from repeated observations of Sakuya's acts led his mother to prematurely conclude that Sakuya turned out to be a successful experiment, and that as a criminally asymptomatic person Sakuya is worthy of joining Sibyl system, much like Misako herself.

 However, Sakuya's failure as an experiment came to light when he failed to kill his mother, and her brain was scooped out of her body much to his horror. He tried to kill his mother because he could not stand the thought that her mother was leaving him for something/somebody else (in this case, she voluntarily agreed to be subsumed by Sibyl system). He was fixated on this thought that if he could not have his mother, then nobody else should be able to either. In order to ensure that he attempted to murder his mother but failed eventually.

 The combination of his stark failure to achieve the desirable outcome and the consequence of his failure he witnessed that ultimately darkened his hue to pitch black. This pitch black hue, an extreme end of hue spectrum, was not recorded for any other human being in the Psycho pass universe that existed up to Season 2. So whether the related crime coefficient is shown to be 799 or 2000 or any number, it is not the point of focus. It is an arbitrary number to show the audience something that should stand out among all the recorded Psycho passes. The focus should be on the pitch black hue he ended up with, as opposed to clear white hue he was supposed to have as a successful experiment.

 To make things clear, Sakuya turned out to be an exact opposite of a criminally asymptomatic person. And his mother was not murdered.


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Is this GIF correct about the dialogue of the scene? And what episode is it from?
A GIF of Okami-san saying "Baka! Baka! Baka! Hmpf! I love you too."
It's labelled as Taiga of Toradora, but more searching indicates that it's Okami-san.
Is it accurate and where is it from?

trace.moe gives a timestamp of 06:39 in episode 1. What more are you looking for?

@蛞蝓真宵 - If the dialogue was accurate. Because a tsundere being so upfront about her love was slightly off to me. And I was right. The dialogue is not show-accurate.

The scene comes from slightly before the 7th minute, approximately 06:39, and what Okami-san actually says is a response to Ringo teasing / asking her about her interest in Ryōshi.
Something like "N-Not really! No way. No interest whatsoever."

source: Stack Exchange

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

sort: votes


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Is Dr Stone: Ryuusui canon?
So another animated Dr. Stone segment is out, it's called Dr Stone Ryuusui. It is 55 minutes long, in some places they call it special, though it's larger than an usual special, but shorter than an usual movie.
What I'm interested to know if this new animation is canon, or it isnt part of the main continuity.
Is Dr Stone: Ryuusui canon?

It's officially called "Television Special" in Japan, so AFAIK it's not based on the manga. Still not sure whether it's canon or not (I don't follow the series).

Synopsis says it serve as a bridge between the second and third season.

all_licenses: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/


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Which Bleach productions are canon and needed to understand Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War?
As far as I know, Bleach have several productions like light novels, manga, anime, animated movies and even a Live Action. Different franchises treat differently different productions, so in some franchises for example, animated movies are canon and in others are not, and even in some like Dragon Ball some movies are canon and others are not, and some series are canon and others are not. How does this work in Bleach?
Which Bleach productions are canon and needed to understand Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War?

Spoiler alert: Wikipedia has a few spoilers in its summary.
To my understanding, the Thousand-Year Blood War follows the original manga where it picked up after the Fullbring arc which is in fact canon.
So long as you've followed either (or both) the manga and the anime, you should be OK.
No guarantees on whether or not they reintroduce filler-arc characters or characters from other media, but the vast majority of the story should be coming from the manga.

Cross-checking the manga chapters from the last episode of Bleach anime and the first episode of Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War anime reveals that it continues directly, just as Wikipedia stated it as "direct sequel".


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What's wrong with Satanichia's snapping a chopstick?
In Gabriel DropOut, there is a scene where Satanichia snaps her chopstick, then Gabriel makes some comment and Satanichia gets mad. What's wrong with Satanichia's snapping a disposable chopstick?

The joke is that Satania snapped the chopsticks incorrectly, even if they have an apparent shape.
This is an example of 割り箸 (waribashi, lit. "splitting chopsticks")

Image courtesy of kufura - もらって使わなかった「割り箸」みんなは何に使ってる？様々な用途が集まりました
And this is the expected usage

Image courtesy of mybest - 【2022年】割り箸のおすすめ人気ランキング25選
Not this

Image courtesy of イラストフリー素材タカヲ's - 怒って割り箸を折る子供（男の子）のイラスト

Is it even possible to split a piece of wood along its length?

@Michael yes, I also tried it while writing this answer, and it didn't need that much strength to split along its length.


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Why are fangs of girls so common in anime?
In many anime, the girls there have fangs.

Kiriha from Tsugumomo

Rika from Kanojo mo Kanojo

Senko and Shiro from The Helpful Fox Senko-san

Why are fangs of girls so common in anime?

I feel like there's a fair number of boys with fangs as well.  Generally seems to be a thing with younger characters, regardless of gender.

@DarrelHoffman well yeah maybe but wikipedia says 'In Japan it is perceived as a sign of youthfulness and natural beauty.[1][2] In 2013 it had become a trend where teenage girls would undergo dental procedures to cap the upper canines.[3]'

Because it is cute.

They're called Yaeba. Wikipedia says:

In Japan, yaeba (八重歯, "double tooth") are human teeth, especially upper canines, with an uncommonly fang-like appearance. Yaeba most often refers to a tooth overlapping another tooth or protruding from higher in the gum. In Japan it is perceived as a sign of youthfulness and natural beauty. In 2013 it had become a trend where teenage girls would undergo dental procedures to cap the upper canines.

What does it mean to 'cap the upper canines'? To make them more apparent?

@Michael good question but no idea. i think biology or medical/health stackexchange for this.

@Michael: A dental cap or crown involves essentially putting a false tooth on top of the existing tooth. In this case, they are essentially increasing the size of the canines. I personally know someone who has a cap to cover a twisted tooth and one to cover broken "dead" teeth. You can see before and after pictures here for this particular operation.

In addition to BCLC's answer, the girls in the The Helpful Fox Senko-san are kitsune, aka fox spirits.
Foxes have fangs. They, along with many of the other fox/wolf/cat/dog-human hybrids that show up in anime, have fangs as part of their "not-fully-human" character design.


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What is this metal object that Nino is rubbing against her face in Gotoubun no Hanayome?
See the picture for what I'm referring to. At the end of S02E03 of Gotoubun no Hanayome (aka Quintessential Quintuplets), Nino is lounging around in her residence, rubbing these metal-looking balls against her face.
What is this? My guess is it's some female-skin-care product, but I have no actual idea @.@.

It is usually called Small Face Roller(小顔ローラー) or Beautiful Face Roller(美顔ローラー, link to amazon.jp).
Personally I feel it is rather dubious whether it has any effect at all, but according to here for example, it is supposed to prevent hanging skin, improve blood circulation, or soothe swollen face (by fatigue). Either way you are right in that it is a "beauty apparatus" mostly for women.
Sorry if the wording is not clear, I have little idea on the right term for the symptoms.

Perfect answer. Thank you! But I suppose I may as well ask: is this mostly a japanese thing? Or is it also a thing in western cultures? @.@

@chausies Apparently similar things are sold also in the US. Have no idea how common it is, though. In Japan, it is widely known at least.

Is there any paper that support its effect? I think, by rubbing your skin more often, it can get your skin more loosened, i.e., get you more hanging skin.

face sculptor or face massager
https://www.amazon.com/face-sculptor/s?k=face+sculptor

https://wwd.com/shop/shop-beauty/face-massagers-1235068497/

First Impression of Skin Gym Face Sculptor | How to facial Massage | Bianca Janel
S02E03 - What do you call the face rolling thing that Nino is holding please?


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Why does Nenene put her finger into the barrel?
In the ending part of the first episode of R.O.D -The TV-, a terrorist hijacks the plane Nenene's taking. When the terrorist points his gun to Nenene, Nenene puts her middle finger into the barrel. Why does she do that? What's she trying to do?

I'm not sure how commonly this is believed (in Japan or not), the intention is to prevent the bullet from firing properly. That is, she thinks the gun will kind of explode at the end of the muzzle and that the person holding the gun won't be able to shoot because of it.
This was described in Master Keaton as "People somehow believe so due to movies or something."  (source)

To clarify, the issue here is that a finger won’t form a good enough seal with the barrel to cause the gun to explode. A blocked barrel that’s truly sealed will actually explode, just like a pressure cooker with a blocked pressure relief valve, and is one of the most dangerous possible malfunctions of a firearm.

I don't think this is really a myth; no one in real life believes this would work. This looks more to be a call back to old cartoons, like how Bugs Bunny does it to Elmer Fudd all the time.


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Why is Usagi both Sailor Moon and Princess Serenity?
Usagi is first awakened as Sailor Moon in the first episode.
Later, it is revealed that she is actually Princess Serenity from the Moon and awakened when Endymion is in danger.
Why is she both?
Sailor Mars, Sailor Venus, Sailor Mercury and Sailor Jupiter exist to protect Princess Serenity and their corresponding home planet.
However, Sailor Moon does not make sense in that constellation since she is Princess Serenity.
Why does Sailor Moon exist when Princess Serenity is a thing?
Is it ever explained why/how Sailor Moon became a thing?

Assuming you are speaking about the past Princess Serenity, then this tumblr page speaking about why Sailor Venus is the leader, answers the question of why Usagi is Sailor Moon.
There are images of the manga where Luna mentions Usagi was developed into Sailor Moon to better protect her and hide her from the enemies...hide who she really is, the reincarnation of Princess Serenity.
If it's also in relation to the future Princess Serenity, all of the essence and powers of Princess Serenity is latent inside Usagi/Sailor Moon which is awakened at some point, so she is able to exist as both from there on.

does it mean everyone can become a sailor soldier?

oh, good question. I'm curious now where the brooch came from if it didn't exist before, so I would assume.

I only watched the 90s anime, but in it, I think it was mentioned that the Sailor Soldiers are/were inhabitants of their respective planet. In Sailor Moon Stars, Galaxia is searching for Star Seeds, which only Sailor Soldiers have. If everyone can be a Sailor Soldier by using a brooch, that concept of star seeds does not work out.

After doing some research, I couldn't find any cases where either the manga or the anime formally explain the origin of Sailor Moon. However, there are a couple theories we can create based on what we do know.
Theory 1: Giving Usagi the brooch was the only thing in Luna's power to protect her from the various attacks coming her way.
In episode 1, Luna tells her to transform in order to save her best friend's shop. There's no real explanation of why Usagi is able to use it. We don't know if, like the other Sailor Scouts, it belongs to her, or if the brooch is one could work for anyone who says the commands. Since the power of Princess Serenity needed to be unlocked by Usagi herself, without her memories she was completely defenseless against the dark forces coming her way. Sailor Moon could have been Luna's best chance at protecting Usagi until she recognized her identity.
Theory 2: Sailor Moon was created because Princess Serenity felt powerless in her previous life.
In episode 35, Usagi recalls her memories as Princess Serenity in which she went from having everything she wanted to losing everyone she loves.  One could assume that she felt powerless about the situation and wished she could have protected her loved ones.  Sailor Moon could have been an alter ego that Princess Serenity wish she had that she was able to assume in her next life. It could also be why whenever she's backed in a corner (especially where Tuxedo Mask is concerned), Sailor Moon transforms in Princess Serenity who is the person who always wanted to save him.


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What may have happened to Pochita when Denji met him at the start of Chainsaw Man?
I've just caught up to the manga and I don't know if I missed this information or not, but how did Pochita end up in the state he was in at the start of the series? He looked like he had gunshot wounds.
From what I've seen, the Chainsaw Devil is very strong and I assumed that if he was killed in hell, he would end up on earth without injuries so that rules out that he was defeated by the Gun Devil in hell. Which means he was injured while on earth. Not to mention he also seems to be kinder and looks different too. So is Pochita a Fiend formed from the Chainsaw Devil taking over the corpse of a dog? And if so, could fiends make contracts with humans? I thought only devils could do that?
Sorry if this was information provided in the manga. I sometimes read this series just before going to bed so some details might have drifted away from me.

Pretty major spoilers from chapter 84, but

 In chapter 87, Makima states that he "disappeared" in a fight with the Four Horsemen and the other Weapon Devils. In chapter 84, we pretty explicitly saw him literally tear through hell, so it's likely that he used the last of his strength while he was fighting the other devils to escape, leading to him collapsing in front of Denji. Edit: I checked again in chapter 84, and it seems like him escaping was due to the hell devil's door still being present, so it's not explained if there are ways of getting out of hell other than dying or through the hell devil

Major spoilers from chapter 87!!!

 Pochita isn't a fiend but the chainsaw devil itself. The reason he appears to be a weak chainsaw dog devil at the start is because in chapter 87, Makima reveals that during the battle between her with the Weapon Devils and the Four Horsemen against the chainsaw devil, the chainsaw devil (pochita) managed to escape after being severely wounded and transformed to a "near-death form" (doggy pochita!)


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What's the first anime adapted from a galgame?
There are many anime which are adapted from galgames now, e.g., School Days, Kimi ga Nozomu Eien, Shuffle! and so on.
What's the first anime adapted from a galgame?

I assume that "galgame" is a synonym for eroge? (Note: link contains NSFW images)

@F1Krazy Not necessarily, I think. I've not played a single one, though.

@F1Krazy a galgame can be an eroge, but it doesn't have to be. An eroge is a visual novel with sex scenes. A galgame is a visual novel where the objective is to get a girlfriend. The word gal is what you get if you write "girl" in Japanese (ガール) and read it back ga-h-ru → gal. It's short for "Girlfriend Game". The play style of a galge (even shorter form of the word) is to collect hidden affection points for the girl of your choice through choices you make. Once you've got enough for a certain girl you are on her "route" and depending on how many more points you can get the ending differ.

@Ocean I'm familiar with those sorts of games, just not the term "galgame", and Google didn't throw up any meaningful results so I didn't realise that that was what OP was referring to. Thanks for clearing that up for me.

Anisearch allows us to filter anime based on the type of material adapted.
Using the more general term of visual novel as a category, the 2-episode OVA Rance from 1993 seems to be the first anime adapted from such a medium.
This OVA is very loosely based on the erotic RPG series of the same name (potential NSFW content).

It depends on what is meant by galgame, but a web search suggests* Dragon Knight is one of the oldest. The game is released in 1989 and animated in 1991.
* a source, you may not be able to see it depending on location

As far as I remember, it was To Heart (1999) that established these kinds of anime on TV.
Technically both Sentimental Journey (1998) (based on Sentimental Graffiti) and Night Walker (1998) came earlier as far as TV anime based on a Visual Novel go. But not every VN is a Gal Game and I do not think either of these does qualify.
Same for Rance and Dragon Knight. They aren't really Gal Games. At least not if you think of a Gal Game as one where you are a guy trying to get a girlfriend among a selection of heroines through choices you make interacting with those heroines.

I don't really know the scene in those days, but it look like  Tokimeki mememorial was OVA-ed in 1999, too.

@sundowner Tokimeki Memorial OVA released two months after To Heart.

I think SenGra is a gal game, esp. if you count Tokimemo. That being said, Pia Carrot 1 and 2 had OVAs before To Heart, if the 18+ versions counts.

@Jimmy I never read them so I cannot say, but based on the description SenGra doesn't look like a galge. Seems like a more linear experience where you don't have routes for each girl.

@Ocean SenGra is definitely a gal game. It is a love sim (or resource management, really) game, with the sequel been more of an adventure game. Multiple endings per heroin. In fact, it's more interactive than most gal games, which are just visual novels. (As much as I love the series though, the gameplay itself is kinda meh)


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How does harem isekai become a trend?
There have been tons of popular isekai with harem, for example, Sword Art online, the Rising of the Shield Hero, Parallel World Pharmacy, etc. Needless to say, harem isekai is now a trend.
What's the first harem isekai and its method of reincarnation in anime and manga separately? How does harem isekai gradually develop into a trend?

Related: Why is harem a common theme in manga/anime? and How did "other world" or "isekai" stories gain so much popularity and where do they have their roots?. Basically, trending + trending = more trending.

@AkiTanaka The question is not about the reason or the psychology behind the trend. It's more about commercial stuff like the growth of investment and size and activity of its fandom.

SAO is not really new though?

There is no doubt that isekai is a trend, but I guess you need to explain why you think harem isekai is a trend. It can't be a proof that there a couple (or even dozen) of them, considering the number of isekai titles.

@sundowner How large is the portion of isekai that are not harem nowadays?

@Michael That's what you need to address... I assume ikeseaki titles are well over 100.

I feel like you're asking two things here.  Harem anime have always been popular or have manifest in one form or another over the years.  Isekai anime have always been popular or have manifest in one form or another over the years.  Someone with marketing sense probably saw that combining the two could improve on the medium.  Can you be a bit clearer about what it is you're looking for, specifically?  I can't think of an era in which this wasn't some kind of trend.

if you were to take into account how much influence Zero no Tsukaima (a harem isekai) had in the isekai boom, it makes sense. Narou was full of ZnT fanfiction way back then, and some of these fanfiction writers went on to write their own isekai stories, i.e. Tappei Nagatsuki, the writer of Re:Zero. Over time, most of the Narou isekai web novels ended up having the harem trope, because their origin just happened to be a harem isekai. It helped that the most popular isekai in Narou also happened to be harems: Mushoku Tensei, Arifureta, Hachinantte, etc.

not the list I would have provided, but hey. My impression (and far from a cannonical response), is that the modern isekai phenomenon in anime specifically stems from Tenchi: War on Geminar (2005), and the .hack series, who have been stranding folks in video games since the ninties. Most of the modern isekais come from light novels rather than original mangas, and in the novels using an "another world" premise allows the author to double the depth of the world they have built with almost no effort, because any detail is just contrast to the known world of the characters origin.

@Makoto ah so harem has always been a trend and isekai has always been a trend but now Michael is saying harem isekai has recently become a trend?

@sundowner ah so harem has always been a trend and isekai has always been a trend but now Michael is saying harem isekai has recently become a trend?

@AkiTanaka ah so harem has always been a trend and isekai has always been a trend but now Michael is saying harem isekai has recently become a trend?

The trend was started in 2006 by Zero no Tsukaima.
The unexpected success of this franchise not only led to three more seasons, which as far as anime goes is very rare (even more so back then), but it also led to more isekai shows being produced.
Of course, it took about a year for the DVDs to come out and then another year for people to realize that this really was gold and not just a quick lived trend. So slowly we started to see more of this.
Isekai no Seikishi Monogatari (2009)
Dog Days (2011)
Sword Art Online (2012)
Oda Nobuna no Yabou (2012)
Ixion Saga DT (2012)
To call out a few that rode the wave Zero no Tsukaima started. By the time SAO was understood to be a very big success too, the thing was a made deal. This stuff sells, so more should be made. And the rest is history.

[citation needed] - I seriously doubt that this was something that only started in 2006 given how prevalent both of these were in modern media.

@Makoto You can try to find a harem isekai anime from before 2006, but you won't, since it doesn't exist. Zero no Tsukaima was a turning point for isekai shows. Before they were more pessimistic/sobering and didn't feature harems. They also weren't framed "isekai". If you go all the way back you get Alice in Wonderland (1865). Or if you limit it to anime there were shows like Orguss (1983), but those were Sci-Fi in nature. They weren't isekai anime in the modern sense and they have nothing to do with the current trend.

You might be right, but if you had some kind of citation or proof to go alongside of this, then that'd be a bit more convincing.  I just need a crumb of more evidence is all.

ocean is it that harem has always been a trend and isekai has always been a trend but now Michael is saying harem isekai has recently become a trend?

@Makoto This is one of those "I am the source" moments, but really I just took it upon myself to look at every single anime in one of them anime databases once upon a time and thus have a general understanding of every anime in existence (inside said database) up to 2015 or so. I also am a fan of isekai anime, so I put in extra work to find all the isekai anime ever™ more recently. Not only that, but I also have a general interest in anime history and the industry, so I am well-read on that, too. Organizing all my information on the topic is the source of my answer.

@BCLC I can't speak for other people, but Harem started to become a trend due to Tenchi Muyo (1992) and really established itself during the early 2000s, while Isekai became a trend due to Zero no Tsukaima (2006) and really established itself during the 2010s. You'll have a difficult time finding anything resembling Harem before Tenchi Muyo, but Isekai has always kinda been around. It just wasn't really a trend. To the point that when the protagonist in the anime Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuuutsu (2006) made a reference to "isekai-jins" no one made the connection to a genre.

Also, back when Zero no Tsukaima released, it wasn't considered "isekai" in the same way as we would do so now. There was no such genre. It was seen as a normal fantasy anime. I watched Zero no Tsukaima back when it still aired in 2006 and even by the second season no one called it an isekai anime. It was a fantasy anime. I also watched Haruhi and didn't even make the connection to Zero no Tsukaima when Haruhi talked about isekai-jins. The translation called it "sliders" back then (just looked it up) and I still don't know what sliders are supposed to be. But I know what isekai-jins are.

@Ocean right so indeed harem and isekai individually have always been around but harem and isekai together is just about mid 2000?

@BCLC If you are comfortable calling Alice in Wonderland and Digimon Adventure Isekai it has always been around. Zero no Tsukaima was the first to combine Isekai with Harem elements.


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Where does the "You are 100 years to early" trope come from?
"Hyakunen hayai ze!"
This is a common boast in shounen anime, declaring that someone is X amount of years too early to even consider facing their opponent.
Is this a long-lived reference to an older anime's catch-phrase? (in a similar vein to "You are already dead" from Fist of The North Star)

It's a fairly common taunt that probably predates anime by a few hundred years.

While Akira Yuki really popularized the phrase with his iconic line, the idiom has been around for quite a while.
It may not be the first recorded usage, but it has been recorded to be used in 1965 the magazine Gendai Rakugo Ron (source).

The catchphrase comes from character Akira Yuki from the Virtua Fighter series, and was popularized as a seiyuu meme (basically a meme associated to a voice actor) related to famous voice actor Shin-ichiro Miki.

Akira is the main character of the Virtua Fighter series, and his catchphrase was used in every game of the series, starting with the first opus in 1993 for arcade.

十年早いんだよ！
It's ten years too early! [for you to win against me]

History of jyuunen hayaindayo! (youtube)
After the success of the first game, a Virtua Fighter anime is produced in 1995, with Shin-ichiro Miki acting the voice of Akira. Since then, Shin-ichiro Miki voiced the character in every installment of the series.
The catchphrase gained popularity and became an easter egg related to Shin-ichiro Miki.

Notably, Shin-ichiro voiced in 1996 Ryuusei Date, the main character of the game Shin Super Robot Taisen (Shin Super Robot Wars). In this game, Ryuusei says the famous sentence. With the success of the Shin Super Robot Taisen game, the catchphrase will gain even more momentum afterwards.
In the following games of the Robot Taisen series, Ryuusei said the catchphrase again, and, starting with Super Robot Taisen α (2000), Ryuusei got more confident and started adding years to the sentence:

百年早いんだよ！
It's 100 years too early!

Ryuusei didn't stop there, and a 1000 years, then a million years variation ensued in the following games. Eventually, Ryuusei got back to 10 years in the more recent installments of the Super Robot Taisen games.

At this point in time, it is a nod to Shin-ichiro Miki to mention the catchphrase, and it is interesting to note that the seiyuu played a part in most major shounen anime, even though most are also minor roles.

It actually comes from Fist of the North Star ironically, The fight between Kaiser and Shachi which released in 1987, Years before Virtua Fighter was even a thing.

For reference, chapter 170 was published on February 16, 1987.


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Does the amount of blood on Denji's body determine how much chainsaw will be released from Denji's body?
In Chainsaw Man S1E4, we saw only part of Chainsaw protruded from Denji's head and the blades on his hand didn't got released. Prior to that, Denji lost his right hand. He said he lost a lot of blood, hence the full devil parts was not activating. Is he referring to his own blood? If so, why does losing any of his blood won't fully activate the chainsaws as the devil powers are coming from Pochita?

I'd assume so in the anime. The manga prioritized the sole use of blood as a devil's form of healing (Unlike Power who specializes in blood). But seeing how Denji's chainsaws melt of him in the anime rather than scrap off into metal in the manga, I'd assume that detail is saying his chainsaws are made of blood.


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Can Denji return to human form at will?
Denji can retract the hand blades as we saw in Chainsaw Man S1E3 but we also saw in S1E1 that he can fully return to human form only when there is human contact (Denji's devil parts melted on Makima's contact). Can Denji also retract the head blade also so he can return to be human on his own without needing any external human contact?

Yes, Denji does have the ability to return to his human form. However only when he remains his conscious self.
The only instance when Denji loses control is when he unlocks the true form of the "Chainsaw Devil" and begins to decimate his enemies whilst forcefully taking Kobeni out on a date.

I accepted your answer but I couldn't understand your second para. Is this your own viewpoint? If not, please include information that is canon to source material. I haven't read the manga so, can't confirm if what is said is true.


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Why did Araki change the power system in JoJo's?
The original power system in JoJo's was 'Hamon' or the 'Ripple', which utilizes controlled breathing so the user can fill their body and attacks with sunlight energy. Making it very effective against Vampires, Zombies, and Pillar Men.
After part 2, Hamon was just disregarded and then 'Stands' became the new system. I'm not saying that Stands aren't cool, but it just seems like a waste to completely forget Hamon so why did Araki change it?


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Is "Why-Man" an alien or an AI?
So I just finished Dr. Stone, and the ending was kinda confusing to me. After being able to understand all of the terminology and understanding the theory of what happens, I can't seem to understand the ending. Was "Why-Man" an alien from space or something?


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How are manga character polls done?
As I understand it, publishers of magazines that host manga series hold popularity contests/polls to gauge the readers' interests. However I can't find any information on how it is being done?
Do they include a link to a survey or a QR code to scan? How do they prevent vote manipulation? I imagine someone going out of their way to cheat the system to boost their favorite character.
Also do the publishers decide who gets to be in the popularity poll? For example, in Chainsaw Man, Kobeni's car of all things ranked pretty high up. Did they include her car specifically as a sort of joke or was it the readers who collectively suggested it?

Short answer: (1) It is in most cases done by postcards attached to the physical magazine. It generally costs ～$3 to cast a vote (magazine+postal cost). These days, apparently there are polls online. I suppose issues are handled individually, but it is possible to cheat.
(2) Regarding the list, it is simply decided by authors or editors, but in some cases, the list is open and voters can just write their favorite character's name.

Some sources.
This poll (2021) seems to have been collected online whereas this poll (2022) clearly states it is votable only by postcards as follows (the bold part):

投票券、圧巻のキャラクターリスト、賞品の詳細は電子版やマガポケには掲載されない。想いを託したハガキを投函しよう。

This wikipage has a bunch of episodes. Just randomly translated a few:

In a Nisekoi poll, there was a person who sent 1500 votes to a character. This means the person spent a few thousand dollars for this vote(s).
In another Nisekoi poll, this voter was voted and ranked 19th. (Here the list was open.)
In a Bleach poll, there were votes by cardboard boxes full of votes (which I assume are for the same character), but these were counted as just 1 vote, because the magazine side decided it was fairer.

(a side note: Nisekoi was a Shone Jump comic. Shonen Jump is about the size of a large university text book 257mm x 182mm, a few cm thick. Just think of 1500 copies of them...)

1,500 copies is just plain absurd. Thanks for the concise answer!


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What is the Japanese term for the CGDCT tag/genre?
What is the genre or tag in Japanese terms for CGDCT? (Cute Girls Doing Cute Things for those that are not aware)

Possibly related: What does 'moe' mean?

@AkiTanaka is CGDCT filed under moe in Japan?

I don't know if there's a good source for anime genres in Japanese, one that focuses on fan language rather than industry terms. There is definite overlap between CGDCT and both moe and iyashikei but neither is a perfect equivalent.

Looking at this list, I don't think there is a genre (in Japanese categorization) that is completely matches CGDCT, but moe should be largely overlapping. Another word is 日常系 (Nichijo-kei), literally 'daily-life type'.

@sundowner I guess it really is just either moe or slice of life then

Yeah. Sometimes people say 'girls doing activities typically done by middle aged guys'  -  女子高生などの美少女に、おっさんの趣味をやらせる作品一覧  https://areablue.jp/2022/08/07/post-24632/.

I'm not aware of the Japanese having a word for this.
It's overlapping a fair bit with healing or in Japanese Iyashikei 癒し系 ( いやしけい ).
But it is not the same thing.
Not sure about today, but years ago when cute girls doing cute things was first used (around 2008, as far as I remember), it wasn't really to categorize anime. It was to make fun of them. For example "does this anime have a story or is it just cute girls doing cute things?".
In that sense the origin was a lot closer to healing than what the literal meaning of the phrase describes.

Thanks for the answer and interesting that it was used to make fun of that certain type of anime when nowadays, people actively seek it

@user9564371 some people liked this genre back then, too. But the phrase originated from the one's that didn't care for it. People who appreciated it used healing or moe. The others called it moeblob and cute girls doing cute things.

this is what gets translated as "Slice of Life," and imo Iyashikei x Shoujo = CGDCT


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Does the Natsume Yuujinchou manga ever directly address whether Tooru Taki can hear or communicate with Madara (nyanko sensei)?
The question is: does the Natsume Yuujinchou manga address the direct interaction between Taki and Madara?
Per their interaction, the natusme fandom wiki, under Tooru Taki says:
"Nyanko-sensei/Madara..
Taki first meets Nyanko-Sensei after he trips her. Nyanko-Sensei/Madara helps Taki get free of the curse, and their bond goes as close to "helpers" or "friends." Because she is overwhelmed by the cuteness of his cat form, she can't resist cuddling Nyanko-Sensei every time she sees him. Nyanko-Sensei tries but often fails to avoid this."
The same resource for Madara's page is empty regarding their character interactions.
The anime version of Natsume Yuujinchou (Natsume's book of friends) is at best vague about whether Taki can understand Madara when he is in maneki-neko "lucky / beckoning cat" form, She certainly thinks he's cute and is always trying to cuddle him. Later in the (anime) series there are instances where it seems they can actually communicate and she knows he is not a "normal" cat - as she also shares in Natsume's secret. On my current "rewatch" of the series (which began because the summer 2022 anime season was mind numbingly uninteresting with the exception of a few standout productions) I've only reached up to season San thus far, so I haven't noted the specific episodes with specific instances of their interaction (if I reach a specific episode I will update this question). But even my first time through the series, I remember having this same question which continued to linger in the back of my mind.
Taki should only be able to see Ayakashi (youkai) when they step within one of her familial Onmyoji circles as is addressed in Zoku episode 6, The Maiden's Circle, but they are vague regarding her ability to interact with them - as she is clearly still cursed even though she can not see the stitch face youkai - and Madara is technically "possessing" the lucky cat statue which is why people can see him.
The question, again, is: does the manga address the direct interaction between Taki and Madara? If you can cite/link something specific which I can google or quote a comment from the author that would be ideal, because I think it's pretty clear the anime material doesn't directly address this and other than "who is Natsume's grandfather?" which I believe was an intentional question mark, there are not a lot of lingering plot holes left open at the series close, so it seems the author was fairly thorough.
Thanks in advance for your informed contributions!

I'm not sure if this answers your question, but I see nyanko-sensei saying the following on p101, vol.5.

お前が消えた間タキに私の正体を話した. While you (Natsume) were disappearing, I told Taki what I really am.

So Taki should be able to hear nyanko-sensei.

That's pretty convincing. Does that (to your knowledge) correspond to any particular episode of the anime? what is the plot thread? I'm going to accept this because google translates that passage to "I told taki my true identity while you were gone", I don't know if you could get any clearer of an answer out of japanese language.

@shigginpit Not sure you can see this, but it is essentially the same question and the answer says: In Ep07, when Natsume was kidnapped, Taki says she heard about yujincho from nyanko-sensei. But there is no scene of conversation.

The vol5 episodes 17-18 are titled 呼んではならぬ, which is the same as anime Ep07 according to the linked answer.

very helpful, thank you for the link and information.


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Is Gran Torino faster than One for All 30%?
In My Hero Academia season 6th episode 6th,

 Gran Torino grabs Midoriya and Bakugo who are both flying at One For All 30% speed and takes them away from Shigaraki

Does this mean Gran Torino is faster than One for All 30%?

Yes, it is implied that Gran Torino is faster than One for All 30% because it is said that when Izuku will reach 100%, his speed is set surpass Gran Torino.
Warning: Spoilers as the events are ongoing

 At 100% his speed rises to levels rivaling or even surpassing that of All Might, which allows him to casually blitz capable villains and move several times faster than the eye can see. During his fight with Overhaul, he could completely out-speed the villain and move fast enough to create afterimages, and later completely overwhelm him with an instantaneous rush of punches. When fighting against Tomura Shigaraki, he could effortlessly blitz the villain and severely damage his weakened body, despite him possessing speed rivaling that of All Might and outclassing that of Gran Torino.

From: Izuku Midoriya - Fandom Wiki


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Are there any non lethal devils other than Pochita in Chainsaw Man?
Currently, the devils showed in the episodes are lethal and intended to kill humans. But are there any small and non lethal devils other than Pochita that can be petted?

Non-lethal devils from Chainsaw man include "Bucky" the chicken devil, which takes the form of a headless chicken with a groovy bowtie.

I don't think so, but if there are, then they would be extremely rare.
In the very first chapter of Chainsaw Man, it's shown that devils are the natural enemies of humans. They are attracted to the human soul, which is like a "light" to them, and they will instinctively try to eat it.

Devils were attracted to the soul like a light, so they would instinctively try to eat it.

We also know that there are different types of devils, some of which are more aggressive than others.

Devils come in different shapes, sizes and types. There are those that are aggressive and those that have been completely pacified.

So, it's possible that there are some devils that are naturally less aggressive and more docile, but if they exist, they would be rare.


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What do you call the thing when three or more people in a line are whooping in a circle?

Was watching the newest Episode of Bochi the Rock and Saw it again, it's haunted me for years, but what is that called? the little spinny Hype Dance, Gif Above From Durarara!! because I couldn't figure out the term to find the Bochi one

There is not really a name for it.
It is from a song Choo Choo Train by a group named ZOO (In the article, it uses Choo Choo train Dance). It was covered by another dancer-singer group Exile. Mainly the dance/movement is known because of this cover, so in Japan, most people recognize it as 'that thing of Exile'.
This video is the original Zoo's performance, where the movement is in the opposite direction. This (Exile version) is the same as the one you posted.


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Is Trigun Stampede a remake of the 1998 series or a sequel?
The day before yesterday they started airing "Trigun Stampede". How does this series relate to the 1998 series? Is it a remake or a sequel?

It's technically a remake of both the anime and manga.
The new series a direct adaptation of the Trigun and Trigun Maximum manga. The original anime series ended before the manga and had a lot of filler. This new series is intended to follow more closely with the original source material by Yasuhiro Nightow.


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How did Takagi know about 100% Unrequited Love in S01E04?
Maybe related: Nishikata hides 100% Unrequited Love from Takagi even though Takagi already knows

I watched Takagi-san out of order. In particular I watched S01E07 before S01E04. (Maybe I also watched S01E05 before S01E04.)

In S01E05 "Bookstore" (Ch9), Takagi finds out Nishikata bought a volume of 100% Unrequited Love.

In S01E07 "Shopping" (Ch37) Nishikata denies buying another volume and even makes an insane bet with Takagi.

Question: In S01E04, how did takagi know that nishikata was up watching 100% Unrequited Love?
It makes sense if S01E04 takes place after S01E05 or S01E07 (maybe S01E05 or S01E07 is a flashback?), but I don't see how it makes sense if S01E04 takes place before. (In particular, I think the chronological sequence for the 100% UL parts should be 1st S01E07 and then S01E05 and then finally S01E04.)

From a later episode

 S03E03 Takagi: Because I know everything about you.

 This is when Takagi reveals knowing about a TV programme that Nishikata looked forward to watching. Takagi just knows in general I guess. I guess it's not really to do with the 100% Unrequited Love.


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What happened to Itsuki's report card?
The codes on the top left of their cards matched, at least first few number, 102-660202... The number of students taking the exam matched, 234516. So we can tell they took the same exam.

Why did Itsuki only get 4 subject scores? Did she literally skip one? If so, why? Is it possible to tell which one based on Japan's rule for listing scores?

According to Futaro's card, you need an above 54.8 deviation to be graded D. Itsuki's is 48.7. How did she get a D? Maybe she should get F?

How are their deviations calculated? What statistics can be deduced using those on their cards? (Just for your convenience, Itsuki's ranking is 176598/234516.)

Futaro

Itsuki

Itsuki 2

Maybe A,B,C,D,E,F are different depending on the university? Eg University of Educational Psychology has lower standards compared to Ninomiya University?

@BCLC I don't know much about their system.

Why did Itsuki only get 4 subject scores? Did she literally skip one? If so, why? Is it possible to tell which one based on Japan's rule for listing scores?

Most probably literally skipped one. In Japan, the actual test is (mostly) prepared by each university. That is, different tests for different universities. Which subjects to be included is also a decision on the university side. So, when a student applies to a university requiring fewer subjects, s/he will take those practice tests with fewer subjects.

According to Futaro's card, you need an above 54.8 deviation to be graded D. Itsuki's is 48.7. How did she get a D? Maybe she should get F?

As indicated above (and commented), it depends on the university. From the scene, you can tell the university Itsuki is going to apply is easier to get in. (Roughly, you can think this way: if the university on Futaro's card is Harvard, the university on Itsuki's card is a lower-ranked one)

How are their deviations calculated? What statistics can be deduced using those on their cards? (Just for your convenience, Itsuki's ranking is 176598/234516.)

It is called Hensachi. According to the article, it is calculated with:

A x { (Score - Average Score) / Standard deviation } + B,

where A=10 and B=50 (In SAT, A=100 and B=500). Hensachi/deviation-score 50 means one got the average score, so Itsuki is slightly less.

Kind of related https://japanese.stackexchange.com/a/88946/45489

Perhaps A,B,C,D,E,F are different depending on the university or the programme applied to.
Eg University of Educational Psychology has lower standards compared to Ninomiya University.


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Why does Shirai Kuroko make "spiderman hands" in shock when she gets accidentally tased by Misaka's body?
In the scene where Kuroko and friends arrive to rescue Misaka and Nunotaba from STUDY where Misaka has been given a paralysis drug and is using her electrical abilities to control her own nervous system to move (becoming somewhat like a "human stun gun"), Kuroko teleports to embrace Misaka unaware of that fact and gets a surprising shock (pun intended).
She makes a gesture with both hands resembling the hand gesture spiderman makes when he shoots web silk from his hands (thumb, index, and little fingers pointing out, and middle and ring finger pointing in / folded (actually, her right thumb is pointing in too, but left thumb is pointing out)), and crosses her arms in a defensive-looking pose.
What's the meaning/significance of that hand gesture?
I haven't read the light novels or the manga adaptation, so perhaps there's information about this hand gesture that I'm missing from there. I also know little to nothing about culture in Japan.
I think must be missing something meaningful, because it's so specific, and seems weirdly out of place.

To my memory, having watched all three seasons about half a year ago and rewatching them now, I don't remember her making such a hand gesture in any other scene in the anime.

The hand gesture seems intentional. It's not a gesture that one would accidentally make or make without a bit of thinking.
She doesn't seem to be involuntarily contorting / spasming due to the electrical shock. Her body pose and arm configuration is one of defending oneself (again, a rather controlled and intentional movement ("A inVoluntary Movement (AVM)"- if you will ;) )).

Does this hand gesture have some sort of cultural significance in Japan, in anime/manga, in the Toaru world, in Academy City, or in Misaka's friend group that explains why she made it here? Does she even make it in the manga adaptation?
Before and during the embrace:

Kuroko's reaction showing the hand gesture in question:

It looks like the Chudon Pose (ちゅどーんポーズ), which is commonly used in Rumiko Takahashi's manga/anime (probably Inuyasha is best known abroad).

In the linked article, it says something like 'the gesture is often used when the character is blown away (physically or mentally)', which would fit the scene where Kuroko is electric-shocked.
It also mentions that the pose is used by many manga artists. While the pose itself has no meaning, it is instantly recognizable in the manga/anime world. Artists today may even be using it without realizing its roots.
I don't know the timeline of Railgun, but Takahashi's Chudon pose is used already in Urusei Yatsura or Ranma 1/2, which were made in 1970s/1980s. Regarding the Railgun light novels and manga adaptation, I can't personally check, but most probably, it's homage by animators.

To be clear, the gesture means nothing in Japan.

It's essentially a manga/anime in-joke/reference.

ooh that's why kyoukai no Rinne always have the char doing something with their finger after getting blasted


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Why did Sophie and Howl spare the Witch of the Waste?
I just finished watching "Howl's Moving Castle" and I'm wondering why Sophie and Howl basically became best friends with the Witch of the Waste.
She cursed Sophie and couldn't remove the curse, so she was useless to them, and in the beginning of the movie Sophie seemed to hate her. While escaping from the king's castle Sophie and Howl could just throw the witch out of the plane, or at least just leave her somewhere. Why did they let her live and even stay in the moving castle with them?

That must be a change they made in the movie; in the original book, Howl kills her with a word of power as she's fighting the scarecrow, after she threatened his family and Sophie.

I would like to make it clear in the beginning that I am going to be presenting my answer on the basis of English dubbed version of the movie of ‘Howl’s moving Castle.'
Sophie and Howl both had reasons to dislike the Witch of the Waste. Sophie despised the Witch of the Waste because she had put a spell on her that turned her into an extremely old woman. Her anger was quite prominent when she was unable to tell the truth about her spell and thumped her hands on the dining table and exclaimed, “If I ever get my hands on that Witch, I’m gonna wring her fat neck.”
Howl, on the other hand, was scared of The Witch of the Waste as she kept on hunting him down. He had explained the reason of this hunt to Sophie that, “she was once quite beautiful, so I decided to pursue her then I realized she wasn’t, so as usual I ran away,” therefore, he did not want to confront her.
Now it makes sense to find it a bit strange and confusing as to why these two characters had a change of heart and accepted her. Well, there are some of the following  factors behind this.
Beginning with Sophie, as she was the one who had initiated the acceptance. After becoming an old lady, the first time she had met the Witch of the Waste was while going to the palace. Sophie did not wring her neck as she had exclaimed before because she was under the disguise of Howl’s mother and was trying to save Howl from going to the war. During the talk with madam Suliman in the palace, the Witch of the Waste was sucked out from all her powers, restored to her true old age and was brought sitting on a stroller into the hall of discussion. Sophie then realized the wicked intent of the invitations to the wizards by madam Suliman. When the Howl also entered in the hall and their disguise blew up, they flew away.
Sophie allowed the Witch to sit with them because of two reasons-
The Witch is now ripped off from all of her powers and has met her karma for her evil deeds. So, there is no need for Sophie wanting to take revenge on her. It is also made clear by the dialogue of madam Suliman that the Witch of the Waste was never evil from the beginning and she states, “Once she too was a magnificent sorcerer with so much promise, but then she fell to the prey of demon of greed who slowly consumed her body and soul. Hypothetically, it could be the similar type of contract as that of Howl’s with a demon but she might have unfortunately met a corrupt demon which then led to her demise. Secondly, Sophie has a kind heart and a forgiving nature. She knows how to move on from things and it is prominent in the manner she has managed and accepted to live inside the body of an old lady. Similarly, when she was overwhelmed and cried outside the castle, she maturely calms herself down and comes back to check upon Howl. These reasons suffice as to why Sophie spared the Witch of the Waste and didn't hold any grudge against her.
Howl, on the other hand, goes along with the decision of Sophie. He has asked Sophie when they flew away from the palace, “did you have to bring those two with you?” and Sophie shows her annoyance to the dog first and not to the Witch of the Waste and replies with “I can’t believe you work for Suliman. I guess it’s too late to toss them.” Howl shows indifference to this situation. They both then decide to let them flee away with them.  Later on in the movie, due to the ongoing tension there was no time for them to talk over this issue again. The Witch is weak now; therefore, Howl seems to have no reason to fear from her anymore. Apart from this, he didn’t have any other ground to dislike her. In the ending part of the movie the loving nature of Sophie again appears as she hugs the Witch to make her let go off Calcifer from her hands implying in a way that she has accepted the Witch of the Waste as she is. There was no direct dialogue which elaborated that the Witch of the Waste had repented but it is implied through implicit actions, gestures that she didn’t intend to deeply hurt anyone. She has instead helped them by getting rid of the peeping bug which is sent by madam Suliman through Sophie’s mother.  She even said, “I will never let Suliman get hold off Howl.” It could be both because she was possessive about Howl and had genuinely started to take care of him. Moreover, The Witch didn’t possess either any strong detestable traits or performed gruesome acts that would make it hard for Howl and Sophie to not forgive her. Afterwards, she was portrayed as a fun loving and flirty type of women. Hence, they both spared her and at the end accepted her as a part of the family as she was shown sitting in the balcony of the castle where the dog and Markl were playing.


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Why does Elaina leave the flower field?
In episode 3, after finding the soldier and his (presumably deceased) sister getting eaten by the flowers, Elaina simply leaves without a word. This naturally left me puzzled as to why, as it feels quite cold and heartless. Is there simply nothing she can do at this point? And does it not cross her mind to at least destroy the whole place so there are no more victims in the future? I would guess this would probably be easy to answer with the novels, but I haven't read them. Does she elaborate on her decision there?

I'm deriving an answer from the manga, since I still have yet to have a chance to read the light novels.
The manga adds a bit of narration compared to the anime, and it does indeed give the impression there's nothing Elaina could do. Not only that, but it offers more insight into the guard Solor's and his sister Artemisia's relationship. Solor seems a bit obsessed with her, and it might be crueler to make Solor continue living without his sister.
Most importantly, after learning how the flower field is poisonous, Elaina resolves to go and try and save Artemisia, indicating she at least intended to help.
From chapter 2:

When I leave tomorrow, I'll stop by that field and try to persuade her to go home. If the "poison" is a spell, there may be a way to break it. And if I break it, I'll have discharged any obligations then.

And at the end, Artemisia is obviously gone, but even though Solor is still alive and talking, Elaina seems to conclude there's no hope (emphasis mine).

Just one day ago, that thing had still been his sister. She had lost her body, her mind, everything, somewhere in the flower field. Maybe, just as the witch had cleared the land, sown seeds... and grown flowers with a spell... the flower field was luring people with its magic and attempting to grow humans. [...] All that remains is the fact that those two can never be parted. Ironically, they looked like a love-binding flower.

No she just leaves. It not really explained why she didn't do anything. Also the slave girl Nino in the Manga kills the Chief then kills herself.


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What were the Reiss family doing the night Grisha kill them?
So i have this doubt when i was rewatching the show.
Before Kenney died he recalled the moments with Uri, and is also shown he was present when Frida already took the founding Titan. This makes me think that there was a time between Frida's ceremony to take the founding Titan and the night Grisha murdered her and the rest of the Reiss. If that's the case, then what were the Reiss doing the night Grisha kill them in the underground place? Under this asumption it is known that Frida had her Titan for a time. Was she already passing her Titan to the next successor?
On the same line of thought, Historia's Father also says something among the lines that Frida wasn't used to the Titan power when Grisha kill the rest of the Reiss. That would look like Frida had recently adquired the Titan and Grisha got there just right in time.
Any explanation would be helpful. I may be skipping something but i couldn't find any similar on Google
Thanks

A few facts are stated clearly in the source material (chapters 63 and 121). On the night right after the attack on Wall Maria, Frieda Reiss, her parents and her four legitimate siblings secluded themselves inside the secret cave under the chapel in their family estate. There they were reached by Grisha Yaeger, who murdered everybody except Frieda's father Rod and took the Founding Titan's power, later to pass it to his son Eren by having the latter eat him. According to wiki, this happened in year 845, which was the third year of Frieda's reign. The time limit to pass down the power of the Founder is 13 years (chapter 88), so it was too early.
To my knowledge, the only frontal assessment of a reason behind the Reiss family being in the cave is in an intelligence report that Hange Zoë reads in chapter 62, according to which they had gathered there to pray for deliverance from the disaster. The intel itself was collected by Erwin Smith's spies in the Reiss estate, and it was most likely a cover-up story by Rod Reiss, as recollected by the staff working in the mansion. As those events touch several layers of secrecy, it's clear that the account is generally unreliable (in fact, the same story is untrue in attributing the massacre to "bandits"), however there isn't, to my knowledge, any upfront textual challenge to the claim that they were gathered there in prayer. Obviously we could argue that context might imply that they were hiding in response to an unforseen crisis and, possibly, unknown threats.
As for Frieda's mastery of the Founding Titan, she was reported (chapter 63) to alter Historia's memories, but Rod indeed claims that she was too unexperienced to draw its full power. There aren't many textual evidences that can clarify what "power level" a successor of the first King of the Walls (Karl Fritz) would have in a titan-on-titan fight, nor is it clear how much comes from legends about feats of the past (like building the Walls) and how much comes from actual experience of Rod observing his father and brother. There are textual evidences of the Kings of the Walls having limited access to the Founder's powers, and we could argue that Rod's claim is unclear or questionable due to him not having a full understanding of the Founder's power. More details in spoiler.

It is stated by the Tyburs (chapter 99), that no royal could draw the full power of the Founder Titan in self-defense or in defense of his subjects, due to Karl Fritz's Vow. Due to the Kings never disclosing the truth about the World or their motives, Rod somewhat understands (chapter 66) that Karl Fritz's will prevents the Kings from acting against catastrophes that may befall their subjects (which he believes to be the entirety of humanity), but he still believes that Karl Fritz's will is for the Founder to rule over humanity, which is inaccurate. So it isn't clear if he expected Frieda to draw from some of the legendary powers that the Vow would have prevented her to use, or if he had experience from Uri or his father of a purported "intermediate level" of power that she might have access to and that would have allowed her to beat the Attack Titan.


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Does anyone know what Shinichirō Kobayashi and Takashi Kochiyama are doing now?
Shinichirō Kobayashi and Takashi Kochiyama were the founders of Manglobe which made some pretty awesome anime like Ergo Proxy, Samurai Champloo and Genocidal Organ. Wikipedia does not have anything on them and they haven't been on the news since Manglobe went bankrupt.
Does anybody know what they have been doing? Have they left the anime industry?

About Shinichirō Kobayashi, he has been working as a 3D animation producer for Image Logic and a creative producer for Mangrove.
According to CGWORLD.jP - 「まずストーリーありき」。
リアルタイムカットシーンで魅せたイメージ・ロジックのディレクターズに聞く、 制作スタイルとは。,

そんなイメージ・ロジックがゼロから"物語"をクリエイトする心強い味方が、関連会社のマン・グローブだ。クリエイティブ・プロデューサーを務める小林真一郎氏は、アニメオリジナル企画のプロデューサーとして数々の作品を手がけてきた。「…」

Image Logic's reassuring ally in creating "stories" from scratch is its affiliated company, Mangrove. Mr. Shinichiro Kobayashi, a creative producer, has worked on numerous original anime projects as a producer. [...]

According to his profile on アニメーション学科 講師紹介,

[PROFILE]
株式会社イメージ・ロジック／3Dアニメーションプロデューサー、株式会社マン・グローブ／クリエイティブプロデューサー
主な企画・プロデュース作品は『勇者王ガオガイガー』シリーズ 『無限のリヴァイアス』『サムライチャンプルー』『デッドマン・ワンダーランド』『ハヤテのごとく！』シリーズなど。

[PROFILE]
Image Logic Inc. / 3D Animation Producer, Mangrove Inc. / Creative Producer
Major planning and producing works include "The King of Braves GaoGaiGar" series, "Infinite Ryvius," "Samurai Champloo," "Deadman Wonderland," "Hayate the Combat Butler" series, etc.

As for Takashi Kochiyama, he has been working as an animation producer for Asahi Production, including Santa Company: The Secret of Christmas (2019), Heaven's Design Team (2021), and Giant Beasts of Ars (2023).
According to アニメ「天地創造デザイン部」が、釜山映画祭内アジアコンテンツアワードでBest Asian Animationを受賞しました！,

作品を代表してリモートで受賞式に参加していたのは、本作の監督・増井壮一とアニメーションプロデューサー・河内山隆。「…」

Remotely representing the film at the award ceremony were the film's director, Soichi Masui, and animation producer, Takashi Kochiyama. [...]

The Japanese Wikipedia article about the series (1, 2, 3) also mentions him as the animation producer.


text:
When did Ash catch all his Tauros
Was re-watching every episode of the first season and suddenly he had a bunch of Tauros. I was like "when did this happen?"

Ash caught his Tauros in Episode 35, however the episode was banned in many countries

This episode was banned due to the prevalent usage of handguns throughout the episode. Kaiser, the Safari Zone warden, points a gun at Ash's head a couple times, and even shoots the gun at Team Rocket at one point. The banning of this episode left a major plot hole and a continuity error in the English dub, as this was the episode where Ash captured all 30 of his Tauros. As this is the Safari Zone episode, it also makes the Safari Zone unseen in the English anime, though it is mentioned in the two episodes that took place before it.
Source


text:
What is this Mario version of air hockey Shimamura is talking about?
In the second volume of the light novels, in the chapter called White Christmas, after playing a round of air hockey, Shimamura says something odd that kind of left me puzzled.

"Weird... This game doesn't work like I remember..."
...
"I play this game with my sister sometimes. But we have the Mario one, and I think maybe the setup's different."
[Shimamura] tapped the mallet against her forehead. Evidently, she was well-versed in air hockey, hence that smug chuckle from earlier.

It wasn't really elaborated upon further at any point in this volume. What is she talking about here? A specific video game? If I'm recalling correctly, she and her sister were confirmed to have a Wii. I'm not aware of a Mario air hockey game, but I could easily see it being a mini-game in the Mario Party series.
It seems unlikely it would be an actual air hockey table, since Shimamura says it's something she has, but I've seen miniature air hockey games, and I even found a Mario one (not sure when it was made , but this one probably doesn't match with the book's timeline of being published in 2013).

Haven't seen the anime, so I wonder if it adds any clarity

Just a quick check that the related episode is episode 6, starting around 16:13~. The fansub that I watched mentioned "video game" and certainly doesn't mention "Mario" (possible trademark issue), but it's a bit hard to hear the original Japanese dialog layered with another inner dialog.

@AkiTanaka Thanks for the timestamp; I checked it myself. So it is most likely refers to a video game in both versions. Shimamura seems drastically different in the two versions. It can't be blamed on translation either, because this moment is actually captured in the colored pictures in the volume, and it shows Shimamura with a much more ditzy expression. Interesting.

You are right that it probably isn't the one you have listed; that one was released in 2017, which is much later than the 2013 publishing of the book. This is likely referring to the New Super Mario Bros. Wii Nokonoko Air Hockey toy, which was released in 2011. This version uses a Koopa shell that can slide on any surface, so you play without a table.
That reference really is a bit hard to get IMO; maybe it was a hit for the author, who thought the toy would catch on more than it actually did.

Jimmy's answer actually makes a lot of sense, particularly as Shimamura seems puzzled that her past experience with some type of air hockey isn't carrying over to the current match. It would be strange (and kind of dumb, if we're being honest) if she thought playing a video game would help her with actual air hockey.

(The translation here would further seem to support that she has a miniature air hockey set. However, the translation I got in the official English release was the quote as seen in my question, mentioning "the Mario one", so that is what I will be focusing on.)
However, considering the expression on her face, and that she taps the mallet against her head, the point may just be that she is being dumb. Though the story doesn't justify it much (in my opinion), the summaries on the back and on some of the colored images often describe Shimamura as a "slightly ditzy girl". Additionally, as was pointed out to me in the comments by Aki Tanaka♦, the anime's English subtitles and English dub definitely say "video game". Thus, with this in mind, I decided to look into the video game angle.
Firstly, I think we can confirm we're looking for a Wii game, from these quotes from the book:

[Little Shimamura] sat on the floor playing a video game, her randoseru backpack lying forgotten in one corner. Specifically, she was playing one of those motion control games where you swing the controller around. Ping-pong, by the looks of it. Onscreen, a little cartoon character jumped for joy; her "opponent" had scored on her while she was distracted.

From Adachi, Questioning in volume 1, on page 155

Once [my sister] confirmed that Adachi was nowhere to be seen, she plopped down in front of the TV in the corner and grabbed a Wii controller.

From The Isosceles Triangle in volume 1, on page 158
So the Shimamura sisters are confirmed to have a Wii, and in any event, motion controls would probably be necessary for Shimamura to believe playing the game would make her better at actual air hockey. Going by Wikipedia, Adachi and Shimamura was released in Japan on March 10, 2013 (the year matches what is written in the copyright section of my library's copy), so the game in question will have to have come out before then.
Mario Party
I first looked through the minigames in Mario Party 8 and 9.
https://www.mariowiki.com/List_of_Mario_Party_8_minigames
https://www.mariowiki.com/List_of_Mario_Party_9_minigames
However, nothing stuck out to me as looking like air hockey (closest thing was Shell Soccer). I had to go back to Mario Party 2 with Speed Hockey and Mario Party 7's Ice Moves to find something actually resembling air hockey.
Any Mario Game
So next I checked Mario Sports Mix, released in 2010 in Japan. This has actual hockey in it. So it's a possibility, but not a likely one, since we'd prefer to find an actual air hockey video game.
There's Bowser's Lair Hockey, which, hey, is actually an air hockey video game! But, problem: it's a flash game used to promote Mario Party 7, so it's not a Wii game and is not really something Shimamura could have, but is rather something she could have played on Nintendo's website.
Any Wii Game
At this point, I gave up on the whole Mario angle. Anything for the Wii will be sufficient! I wouldn't find it odd at all if someone referred to some random Wii game as a Mario game, particularly if that person is not especially video game savvy (okay, it might be a stretch).
First up is Okiraku Air Hockey Wii (JP)/ Family Glide Air Hockey which was released in 10/21/2008 in Japan. This game actually fits pretty well. It has motion controls and it is air hockey. Additionally, IGN supposedly said this game is "a dull, awkwardly controlling air hockey game", so there's no way Shimamura would get any actual air hockey XP out of this (though notably, the link on Wikipedia goes to the review for the Table Tennis version of this game, and I can't find this actual quote).

Next is Game Party, which does have air hockey, but did not seem to have a Japanese release. Which is honestly a shame, because it would be a good contender in spite of it having a side view. See this video, around the 45 minute mark, for some air hockey: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEPvQTR2IBo
The only other thing that seemed almost reasonable was Wii Play, released in 2006 in Japan, with its Laser Hockey. I've actually played this one. It's a side view and is honestly more like Pong than air hockey. It would be really weird if Shimamura thought these skills would transfer to air hockey. Thus, not a good candidate.
And What Game is Little Shimamura Playing?
Though not related to the actual question, it should come as no surprise that, after finding those passages about the Shimamuras' Wii again, I also tried to figure out what ping-pong video game Little Shimamura was playing. And I thought I may as well share what I found out.
There are three candidates: Wii Play, Wii Sports Resort, and Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games, which were all released pre-2013.
After reviewing footage of gameplay, I found some problems with Wii Play and Wii Sports Resort. In Wii Play, you play as disembodied hands, so the characters do not "jump around" after you score a point. The winner does jump and down at the end, however. In Wii Sports Resort, you play as cartoon characters (Miis) as in the passage, but they do not jump up and down when they score a point either. I did notice a bystander doing so, however.
In the Dream Tennis mode of Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games, the characters do jump a bit when they score a point, so it technically does fit the description (kind of a weak match, if you ask me, because its more like a couple of hops). As of right now, I haven't actually been able to find a video with someone being scored on, however, so I can't actually say if the opponent jumps up and down.


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Why did Reiko choose to be a teacher at class 3-3?
Reiko was a student at class 3-3 15 years ago. She knew about the curse. Why did she become a teacher at class 3-3?

Although not explained explicitly, it is implied that she became upset when her best friend died when she was a student in Yomiama high school and she wanted to know the root cause of the curse.   Later when her sister died (whom she idolized the most), she held the idea that the death is related to the curse (atleast this is what was implied in the show) and thus she became a teacher in that school.

She seemed to get very upset whenever someone talked about the incident 15 years ago, when she was in the 9th grade in class 3. Also, at that time she didn't believe in the curse until her best friend, Ryoko, died. When she saw that day by day, more classmates and their relatives are dying, she wanted to find out how to stop the calamity, asking Mr. Chibiki about it. Reiko claimed that her eldest sister, Ritsuko, was the woman she admired the most and also her idol and that she was very happy when she came to Yomiyama. She loved her very much, and Reiko frequently visited her at the hospital after she gave birth to Kouichi. Also, before Kouichi came to live with her she claimed the fact that she would protect him, as Ritsuko said that she will protect him shortly before she died
https://another.fandom.com/wiki/Reiko_Mikami


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Why does the mazoku barrier let people not use magic outside of it?
It is stated that people outside of the mazoku barrier do not know any magic.
Why is that? Shamanistic Magic works by using the forces of nature, which should work outside of it.

"let people not use" This construct is a bit confusing. Could you rephrase your question?

It would also help if you told us precisely where you saw this (chapter, episode number)

In Slayers TRY, Episode 3 Amelia is considered an "angel" because she practices holy magic. Zelgadis is labeled as a demon/monster because he uses some offensive spells.
This indicates that magic is not known outside of the mazoku barrier. However, Shamanistic magic works with the forces of nature and does not borrow power from both shinzoku nor mazoku

I watched all of Slayers sometime in the last four years, but unfortunately, I do not currently have access to the episodes. Thus, I have been making do by reading the Fandom Wiki pages for synopsis of episodes and other concepts in order to come up with an answer.
Answer to the Question
The answer to why people outside of the barrier are able to not use magic is actually the same reason people inside the barrier are able to not use magic. There is no compulsion to use magic. In order to use magic, one has to cast a spell. So it's obviously a choice whether one uses it or not.
Analysis
I will now address other points brought up in the body of the question.
According to this, the Mazoku Barrier was a barrier that was created by the mazoku (beings who are invoked when casting some types of magic), and it completely sealed off the world we saw in Slayers from the outside world, up until Lina killed Hellmaster Fibrizo (this is explained in episode 1 of Try).
It is further stated in these articles that Holy Magic could not be cast while inside of the barrier, but could be outside. The article on Holy Magic states:

However, it is assumed that it will take some time for humans to rediscover the traditions and spells that were lost 1,000 years ago.
[...]
In order for humans to use holy magic again, they would need to translate the spells, now in dragon language, into literal human terms.

We will see why this is relevant soon.
The synopsis for episode 3 states the following:

When Gourry asks how they got into such a ruckus by simply walking around town, Zelgadiss and Amelia mused that the townspeople seem to be surprised by magic. Filia replies that of course they are, since the high concentration of magic within the Mazoku barrier doesn't happen without; the sorcerers in the outer world can only cast Lighting and Sleeping spells at most.

First of all, the world inside the Mazoku Barrier was completely sealed off from the outside world. There is no reason to believe the outside world would have the same knowledge of magic, including of Shamanistic Magic. Secondly, it is stated there is a higher concentration of magic inside the barrier, and this may have made people inside more attuned to it, and thus magic may have developed more swiftly inside the barrier while it stagnated outside. And third, the statements about Holy Magic gives us some insight into how spells can be lost and how long it could take to recover them. In spite of Holy Magic now working again, it doesn't mean everyone is going to be instantly using it. The same is true for all the other types of magic.
In short, just because Shamanistic Magic would work, doesn't mean the people outside have a good understanding of it. They seem to only use a little White Magic at most (which is the type of magic Amelia mainly uses).
Further Reading/Sources
https://kanzaka.fandom.com/wiki/EP01_(Slayers_TRY)
https://kanzaka.fandom.com/wiki/EP03_(Slayers_TRY)
https://kanzaka.fandom.com/wiki/Mazoku_barrier
https://kanzaka.fandom.com/wiki/Holy_magic
https://kanzaka.fandom.com/wiki/White_magic
https://kanzaka.fandom.com/wiki/Black_magic
https://kanzaka.fandom.com/wiki/Shamanistic_magic
https://kanzaka.fandom.com/wiki/Amelia_Wil_Tesla_Saillune


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Which episode has Team Gurren Lagann split out and stand in rows infront of the Mecha?
I am talking about this particular shot:

Which episode does this scene come from?

https://trace.moe/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.stack.imgur.com%2FK30wJ.png

This is from the last episode of the series. See here for a recap of this episode (obviously with spoilers!), with the depicted scene described such:

Nia smiles and thirteen drills crash down in front of Gurren Lagann in two columns containing Yoko, Viral, Gimmy, ...


text:
What is this silly horn sound that's always made by someone on the street in Maison Ikkoku?
Example clip:
https://i.imgur.com/7OgVPIc.mp4
In Maison Ikkoku (which takes place in Tokyo, and was released in the 90s), this person on a cycle occasionally cycles past and makes this silly horn sound. The clip above doesn't show the cyclist, but it shows the sound being played. If I come across a clip with the cyclist, I'll post that one too.
My question is: what is this? Is the cyclist selling something? Is this something common that Japanese people will recognize? All I'm aware of is, sometimes, men will walk across the street hollering their wares in a sing-song voice, like "baked potatoes~ (yaki-imo)". Is this like that?

In episode 51 you can see the person on the bike playing the sound.

It is Charumera tune, famously known to indicate the presence of ramen food car(t).
Charumera is a double-reeded musical instrument that originated from China, known as sunoa, similar to the oboe. (Not to be confused with a ramen brand with the same name by Myojo/Nissin and a PS1 game with the same name). The name charumera itself was derived from the Portuguese word charamela, a similar but different musical instrument brought by them when they visited Japan during the beginning of the Edo period.
According to Yamaha - Trivia : The charumera was the oboe's cousin

The charumera was a woodwind instrument that was played by people running ramen stands in the not-too-distant past.

According to Archive.org - Charumera (PS1 Game)

the word “charumera” is actually derived from the Portuguese “charamela”, a type of flute that was brought to Japan around 400 years ago. This flute has traditionally been used by yatai (ramen mobile food stalls, [...]

According to J A P A N o F I L E S # 8 – Chronicle of Starting a Shina Soba Shop,

The name ‘charumera’ refers to a double-reed woodwind instrument that is said to have derived from ‘charamela’ – Portuguese for shawm -, hinting at a possible introduction to the Japanese by way of Christian missionaries from that provenance sometime during the 16th century. The simplicity of the instrument made it popular among pushcart owners, not only because its sound signalled their impending arrival, but also due to the clever employment of signature melodies in what can only be described as a primordial manifestation of brand awareness. All these practices are exquisitely demonstrated in a scene from Yasujirō Ozu’s 1936 film Hitori Musuko (The Only Son). Needless to say, a viewing of the entire picture is most advised.

Some videos demonstrating the action:

リヤカー屋台ラーメン大統領　チャルメラの音: a traditional ramen food cart with the real instrument (warning: loud sound)
Old Style Ramen Stall - Ramen Cart - Japanese Street Food: a traditional ramen food cart with recorded sound (warning: loud sound at the beginning)
【チャルメラ】突然聞こえてきた懐かしのメロディー「屋台ラーメンが家の前を通りがかったよ」: a modern ramen food car with recorded sound

Additional references:

Japanese Wikipedia - Charumera
Yahoo! Chiebukuro (Japanese)

This famous ramen cart tune is also the first tune that Yui plays on Gitā in K-On!


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Did the letters from the fortune show spell something?
In volume 3 of the light novels, Adachi watches a fortune telling show which has a letter of the day. Keeping track of the letters of the day gives these letters in this order: D, A, N, C, O, U, G, A, or DANCOUGA.
This corresponds to episode 8 of the anime. However, the message is incomplete in the anime. The resulting message is D, A, _, C, _, _, A (Underscores represent an episode of the fortune show where the anime did not show a letter of the day being announced. Note that this still yields a character count of 7, one less than in the novels, meaning an entire episode of the fortune show was likely skipped). Despite the missing letters, it would seem they probably spell out the same thing: DANCOUGA.
Does this mean something? Are the letters perhaps scrambled? Is there a word or message to be found in these letters?

I was initially looking for an English meaning behind these letters since they were given as English letters. However, most likely the meaning is in Japanese.
だんこうが
Doing some searches on jisho.org gets us to the word 断行 (dankou). This word means decisive action. Thematically for the story, this makes a lot of sense, because Adachi needs to take decisive action with Shimamura. It also makes sense canonically, because the fortune telling show is about love and such, and it is around the time of Valentine's Day, so advising its viewers to take decisive action makes sense. As for the remaining "ga" in the letters, this could be the subject-marking particle.
I would be remiss if I did not mention that it is a bit odd to use a "c" instead of a "k". Japanese, however, uses a phonetic lettering system, so the "c" and "k" sounds are equivalent. I would also be remiss if I didn't mention I don't know nearly enough about Japanese to be evaluating how strange or not strange the usage of "c" instead of "k" is.
As for the "ga", it might indicate this is an incomplete sentence. Perhaps there are more letters of the day and Adachi simply didn't see them because she stopped watching the show. As per page 106 of volume 4, it is stated that the "A" is the final letter. One might still imagine that there is more to the message, however, even if it is only the beginning of a sentence. For example, something like, "Fill in the blank yourselves, viewers!"
It should also be noted that Adachi also could have missed letters from the beginning. Assuming we still have だんこうが, I have seen sentences end on the topic-marking particle は (possibly very informal sentences, though I can't say I understand the grammar very well). For example: 好きな食べ物は. Assuming this could also be done with が, the rest of the message could effectively just be at the beginning even though the sentence is kind of out of typical subject-object-verb order, and maybe incomplete.
The passage on pages 54-55 for the first letter shown say that the contest is ongoing, and gives us little clue as to whether this is actually the first letter or not:

"Our Valentine's promotion is ongoing! During the promotion, listen for the clue at the end of each episode. Collect them all for a very special prize! Today's clue is 'D'!"

For reference, this part of the chapter takes place on Wednesday, February 5.
It's difficult to say what the nuances of this word are, and whether I'm properly understanding the meaning of it, so I did at least a little bit of research.
The example sentence here: https://www.japandict.com/%E6%96%AD%E8%A1%8C is

彼は即時断行を強調した。

And this means

He put emphasis on the necessity for immediate action.

断行 is a noun, and we see it used here with the direct object-marking particle を. Thus, it most likely can also be used with が.
I tried an internet search to find example sentences, and got these
(emphasis mine):

世間に不評でも利上げ断行が責務

断行がスムーズにいく時間帯

Dancouga: Super Beast Machine God
That's one explanation. Though doing an internet search reveals there's an old giant mech anime called Dancouga. This doesn't really make sense in-universe as the answer. However, Hitoma Iruma talks about video games and anime in the afterwards quite a bit. I've never seen this one specifically mentioned, but it's possible the letters could be a reference to it.
I cannot find any definitive proof, such as an author comment, but in the comments, Aki Tanaka has shown a review by a Japanese reader on their blog, where they make the connection to this anime. tvtropes.org also seems to think that this was a reference to the Dancouga anime. It would seem the "couga" part in Dancouga is the English word cougar. See here for the loanword and note the similarity to the Japanese spelling on the Wikipedia page, as well as that it states the mech can transform into a cougar. I also suspect that the English spelling "Dancouga" was used in the Japanese version, which would mean Japanese watchers would recognize Dancouga when spelled with English letters. For this assumption, I am mostly just going off of the picture on Wikipedia though, which shows the English "Dancouga" in the background, while the Katakana spelling "ダンクーガ" is used for the title under the picture.
Right now, I'm leaning very heavily towards this being what the author meant to invoke.
In-Universe Answer
One might question whether it makes sense for a fortune show to reference the Dancouga anime. There might be reasons it would; for instance, if it was on the same network or if a producer happened to be a big fan of the anime. But if we're still suspicious about that, I again point back to my initial answer of  断行. The in-universe answer is that the fortune telling program is telling its viewers decisive action is important. We do a bit of hand-waving with the "c instead of k" thing, because for the purposes of the author writing the book, it has to also serve as a reference to the Dancouga anime.
Textual Evidence
Skimming just now, I found a passage describing how the Shaman on the show explained exactly how she'd come up with the secret message, on page 106. Unfortunately, that's basically all the text stated: that she explained it. It doesn't actually give the explanation.

Tonight's episode featured the final clue, which was "A". Then the Shaman revealed how she'd chosen the secret word herself. She went on and on (and on and on) about her decision process until some staff members ran out from backstage and attempted to haul her offscreen.

There is also mention of a special prize, but Adachi doesn't listen to that either. She says she forgot the first few letters, so she doesn't really care since she couldn't call in anyway.

Anyone with better understanding should feel free to write a better answer than this.

Regarding the mecha anime Dancouga, there's a review in Japanese mentioning that the afterword also talked about mecha anime and how Iruma probably liked mecha anime very much. I've yet to confirm the original afterword though...

@AkiTanaka Very interesting. So a Japanese reader sees a connection there. Definitely seems more likely now.


text:
Is the importance of Adachi being Namekian ever explained?
Early on in the series, the story establishes Adachi's drink of choice as mineral water. This prompts Hino to call her a Namekian (since Namekians can survive off of only water).
Adachi drinking mineral water struck me as being important, due to the weight the story seems to give to it; however, it didn't seem to go anywhere. Does it become important later or is there some kind of explanation for what it means?

While it has yet to become any kind of Chekov's gun at the point I've read to (volume 10), it does get explained much later, and elaborates on and connects to some points about Adachi's personality.
Before getting to that, there is an early partial explanation from Adachi that I may have initially glossed over. It is in the first volume on page 133:

When we sat down, the first thing I did was take a sip of my water. It was room temperature and tasted faintly of metal. Same with the tap water back home. That was why I generally preferred mineral water.

The importance of the mineral water and what it says about Adachi comes much later, with the volume 10 chapter The Moon Cradle giving a good picture. Spoilers ahead, particularly on the last quote. However, it is necessary for fully understanding the answer to the question.

 It would seem the main point is to establish that Adachi does not care much about food or eating. This complements her previous state, reminding us of how before she met Shimamura, her life was empty and she was apathetic to everything. There are relevant quotes on pages 135, 146, and 156.

Page 135:

 "You really don't care about food, huh?"
 "That's not true... Well, maybe kinda..." Only when I have to eat something I don't like. Wait, what food don't I like? I don't remember.
 "Eh, that's okay. Some people only care about food, so I'm sure it balances out." [...]
 Were the two of us balanced, her with a normal interest in food and me with none at all? [..]
 "So you have no interest in food. I get it now," she murmured.

Pages 146-147:

 "So, what do you want to get?"
 "Huh? Oh, uh... bread?"
 "Right, gotta have bread. Anything else?"
 "Uh, water...?"
 "I knew you'd say that!" she exclaimed. [...] "You're like a plant that eats bread," she giggled.
 "What?" Apparently, I talked about water too much.

Page 157:

 "You can be so incredibly passionate, and yet you sound so bored describing food."
 [...]
 "[That's because] I... I'm only interested in you, Shimamura."

As I suspected, we get an explanation earlier in volume 8 in the chapter titled Our First Trip, Part 1, and when pressed, Adachi does claim water to be her favorite food. As it is from Shimamura's perspective, as one would expect, the explanation is less complete than the one in volume 10, but one need only read between the lines a bit to reach the same conclusions.
Page 109:

Likewise, Adachi ate her noodles in silence. Was she physically capable of enjoying food at all?

Page 122:

 Once again, she showed literally no interest in her meal. Had she ever openly enjoyed eating something? I thought back over my memories of her, but nothing stood out to me. The only thing she seems to take interest in... is me, I realized bashfully.

Page 123:

"Do you have any favorite foods? Sorry if I asked this before, but I really don't remember!" I asked in a light tone of voice.
[...]
She started to say, "Not really," then fixed me with a suspicious look, silently asking me to explain myself.
[...]
Her expression softened, and she began to mull it over. "Favorite foods... Water, I guess?"
"What are you, a plant?"

In addition to claiming water as her favorite food, Adachi also asks Shimamura what her favorite foods are. And upon learning what they are, she silently surrenders them from her own plate and gives them to Shimamura. This is further evidence pointing to our earlier conclusion about what Adachi liking water means. Basically,

 that she has no interest in food, and her only interest is in Shimamura.

Disliking the vaguely metallic taste of tap water, related to important characterization? Maybe I need to read this now...


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What is "Rasetsu"?
I come across the term "Rasetsu" in Japanese games and anime, but I can't find a specific kanji or translation of term.
According to Google Translator, "Rasetsu" in Japanese means "Rasetsu" in English.

I know it has to do with undead, zoombies and vampires, but I don't have a clear and precise concept.
So, for example, currently, I am watching Hakuouki, which has a Rasetsu Squad.

Some animes where the term "rasetsu" appear:

Rurouni Kenshin: In this anime, there is a character named Makoto Shishio who is often associated with the term "rasetsu".
Tokyo Ravens: Onmyouji has the ability to summon and control spirits, including Rasetsu.
Ayakashi: Samurai Horror Tales: Includes a Rasetsu as a vengeful spirit.

Some games where the term "rasetsu" appear:

Muramasa: The Demon Blade: Rasetsu as challenging boss characters that the player encounters throughout the game.
Toukiden series: This action RPG features various types of demonic creatures, including rasetsu.
Nioh: Includes rasetsu as dangerous enemies that players must confront.

So the question is, in anime, manga, and games, what or who is Rasetsu?

I'll note that Google Translate assumes that you're inputting text in the appropriate alphabet, so using the English alphabet to input Japanese won't work.

https://translate.google.com.br/?sl=ja&tl=en&text=%E7%BE%85%E5%88%B9&op=translate @ConMan same thing.

Fair enough, this is clearly one of those cases where there isn't a simple English translation so it isn't particularly helpful - although it does also list "Rakshasa" as an alternative translation option.

Rasetsu (羅刹) is the Japanese Buddhist term for Rākshasas.
From Wikipedia:

Rākshasas ... are a race of usually malevolent beings prominently featured in Hindu mythology. They reside on Earth but possess supernatural powers, which they usually use for evil acts such as disrupting Vedic sacrifices or eating humans
Many Rakshasas appear in various Buddhist Scriptures. In Chinese tradition rakshasa are known as luocha (羅刹/罗刹).[18] In Japan, they are known as rasetsu (羅刹).

I am not Buddhist so I may be lacking some cultural context, but they tend to appear in fiction as demons who consume the flesh of humans or those who are sent to hell.


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Why is it called "Rurouni" Kenshin? What is "Rurouni"?
The MC is called Himura Kenshin. And Kenshin is a name given to him (meaning "heart of the sword", or something similar). But I can't remember "rurouni" ever being mentioned whatsoever in the series? I know "rurounin" means wanderer, and "rurou" has a similar meaning (e.g. vagrant). But looking it up to confirm it, the title is literally "rurouni" kenshin. So what the hell is "rurouni"? Why is it named that way?

According to the Rurouni Kenshin Fandom wiki page:

Rurouni (るろうに), while being a word invented by Rurouni Kenshin author Nobuhiro Watsuki, has a meaning similar or identical to that of the word rōnin (浪人), which refers to wandering, masterless samurai.

"Rurouni" is often being seen translated into "wanderer", which is not a real Japanese word. The show is also often dubbed as "Wandering Samurai" or "Wandering Swordsman."


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Can a Devil Fruit user survive under water?
The Devil Fruit eaters lose their ability to swim, but it's not been said that they would also lose their ability to breathe under water.
Like if a Fish-Man eats a Devil Fruit, he would lose his ability to swim, but wouldn't he be able to breathe under water due to being a Fish-Man?

Yes, fish-men retain their ability to breathe underwater, even if they have a devil fruit.
As an example, we have Jack the Drought of the Beasts Pirates. He is a giant grouper fish-man and ate the Zou Zou no Mi, Model: Mammoth.

Since he is a Devil Fruit user, he has lost the ability to swim, but because he is a fish-man, he can breathe underwater. Though, he still would not be able to move if he falls into the water.

We see him in Chapter 824 of the manga underwater being conscious but unable to move.


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Was Light's threat fake?
In chapter 30 of the manga, Light threatened to kill Misa, but both of them are death note owners. So, was it even possible for Light to kill Misa even if he wanted to kill her?

Why do you think that it wouldn't be? Specifically, what has her being a Death Note owner got to do with anything?

Nothing prevents Death Note owners from being victim of a Death Note. Light was entirely willing and able to kill Misa when he threatened her, he stopped not because a rule was preventing it but because Rem threatened to kill Light if he kills Misa (Ch 30).

If you kill this girl then I'll write your name in my Death Note and kill you. I can see her remaining  lifespan. If she dies before that, then I will assume you killed her. And of course, if I see you're about to kill her, then I'll kill you before you can do it.

With regards to Death Note owners killing each other, at least two examples come to mind, Light killing Kyosuke "the Yotsuba Kira" Higuchi at the climax of the Third Kira arc and Light puppeteering Jack Neylon to help him wipe out Mello's mafia buddies. In both cases, nothing in particular prevents Light from writing their names in the Death Note.
The Death Note has a rather extensive list of rules gradually revealed to the reader with each chapter. Poring over the entire ruleset some rules pertain to who can and cannot be killed by the Death Note, E.G. "If a Death Note owner accidentally misspells a name four times, that person will be free from being killed by the Death Note. However, if they intentionally misspell the name four times, the Death Note owner will die." (Ch49) or "You cannot kill humans at the age of 124 or over with the Death Note." (Ch41). But none of the rules say anything in particular about killing Death Note owners the only rule of relevance is the first one "The human whose name is written in this note shall die." (Ch1).


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Why is Chopper's bounty so low?
Why is the bounty of Chopper so low compared to his crew-mates ?
After the Enies Lobby Arc, all of the Straw Hats received bounties over atleast 1 million, except Chopper. Doesn't the Navy have the common sense that someone worth 100 Berries couldn't have beat up a member of CP9 ( Kumadori ) ?

Related/possible dupe: How does the One piece Bounty system work?

It might be worth noting the only other character with a bounty in the same ballpark as Chopper is the Heart Pirates' navigator Bepo whose bounty of 500 is currently the lowest known bounty. This may suggest animals tend to be throw-ins for capturing an entire crew (why even bother hunting a $10 bounty otherwise). Granted Bepo is a Mink and his brother Zepo and the Nox pirates demonstrate that Minks can rack up respectable bounties of their own so it might not be an animal thing

Long story short, the Navy doesn't realize that the big buff hairy man that fought CP9 alongside the Straw Hats is Chopper, so they just treat him as a mascot.