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What is Truth's view of the philosopher's stone?
What is Truth's view of the philosopher's stone? In an episode Father mentioned that "playing god" was a sin in Truth's eyes. Why doesn't Truth punish alchemists merely for creating or using a philosopher's stone then?

This question does not have a straightforward answer: the only normal alchemist we ever see making philosopher's stones is Dr. Marcoh, and it does not look like he has ever actually seen Truth, based on the Q&A "Wasn't Dr Marco a sacrifice?". It is also doubtful whether or not the alchemist who created the artificial humans towards the end of the series ever saw the Gate; if he did, the homunculi would have had an additional candidate for the fifth sacrifice, but they only mention alchemists that the readers or viewers have already met at that point, none of whom would have seen the Gate. Similarly, Shou Tucker's experimentation on his wife and daughter surely should count as a form of human transmutation, but his body appears to be intact.
My guess would be that "playing God" is mostly at stake in attempted resurrections of the dead because the alchemist there is trying to reverse death, which is meant to be impossible. (Some posters in this Reddit thread on Shou Tucker argue similarly.) Those other transmutations that one might consider to be "playing God" might be morally suspect (much much more so than trying to resurrect a loved one), but they do not transgress the boundaries of life and death and attempt to reverse the natural flow from life to death in quite the same way.

didn't Dr Marcoh only ever make fake Philosopher's Stones which have questionable stability like Cornello's ring. even Cornello is wary of using his ring to bring back of doing anything too extreme with it (like bring back the dead)

@Memor-X: He clearly has knowledge of how the stones are made and IIRC there are flashbacks where he is sacrificing the people of Ishval, so I'd err on the side of believing that he made "real" ones.

Are there even "real" philosopher's stones in FMA? As far as I remember, anything that contains a soul (including Ed, any other human and any red stone that has been created out of sacrificed souls) can be considered a philosopher's stone. In neither anime, there was a stone that was perfect and undepletable. It's just a question of how many souls you pump into it.

@hajef: No, not in that sense, at least as far as I can tell. The closest thing is the "imperfect" stones that consume human souls. Ed and Al give up on the philosopher's stone route after learning how it's made, implying that they don't see an alternative, and their issue with it is more that it requires the use of human lives to begin with, not necessarily that it's undepletable.


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Song in episode 13 when Sakuta and Mai were on a late-night date
In episode 13 of Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai, when Sakuta and Mai were on a late-night date towards the end of the episode, piano music is played. Here is the YouTube link.
What is that song?

It should be 青春ブタ野郎 (Seishun Buta Yarou). The BGM in the scene is rather faint but the piano melody line matches up. This is the first track on the OST release and clearly takes its name from the title of the series itself.

The link to the YouTube soundtrack seems to be broken.

source: Stack Exchange

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

sort: votes


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Which Bach piece is Saki Yoshizawa using for her ringtone?
During the first part of episode 9 of Boogiepop Phantom, we meet Saki Yoshizawa, a high school student who plays piano. When her cell phone rings while they are on their way to a piano lesson, Saki's kouhai points out that Saki is using "Bach's étude" as her ringtone, and Saki, who is a second year student, replies that it is her "test piece" for "next year."
This appears to also be the piece that plays in the background during the students' piano lesson. (The music starts playing while Saki's kouhai is having her lesson, but given that it is Saki who has to prepare the piece, it is uncertain whether this is what the kouhai is actually playing; the kouhai's responses in the conversation about the ringtone also do not strike me to be those that someone playing the same piece would have.)
I do not remember J.S. Bach to be a composer who wrote "études" for keyboard: Bach did write pedagogical material, but I cannot recall a single piece of his that is labelled as an étude. I also tried searching for bach "étude" site:imslp.org to see if the IMSLP archive had something relevant, but nothing came up.
With this in mind, what is the actual title of the Bach piece that Saki is learning and using for her ringtone? If the piece is part of a multi-movement work, I would also like to know the specific movement that is quoted in Boogiepop Phantom,

I'm rewatching Boogiepop and 1) had the exact same question again and 2) couldn't find other online references, so I decided to undelete and write in my findings.

This is the A major prelude of Book II of The Well-Tempered Clavier; I was able to identify it by inputting the first few beats of the piece into Musipedia. As noted in my question, Bach is not commonly associated with works that are titled as "etudes." However, The Well-Tempered Clavier was written originally as pedagogical material, which might warrant such a casual description.
Moreover, this might be characterized as an "etude" as Bach is often assigned to keyboard students, although the inventions and sinfonias seem much more common.

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

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


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In Mirai no Mirai, where is the protagonist's family house in Japan?

Does anyone know where this location might be in Japan? Or is this a purely fictional location? I'm particularly interested in their house designs. The protagonist's neighbors' houses seem to be elevated. Is there a name for that style?

From an interview with Mamoru Hosoda, the film's director:

Mirai is not set in Toyoma but rather in Yokohama, which is a port city that was one of the first cities to be modernized because of its contact with the West. I chose Yokohama, a city that is constantly changing, because Mirai is a story about how a family can change but always remains itself.

So, no this location is not fictional.
Regarding the house design or style, as @AkiTanaka mentioned, these are called stepped houses. The link also mentions that the house is located in Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama.

The shown image is located around 35°22'25"N 139°37'24"E (Google Maps) which is in Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama.


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What was Kirito's actual family name?
Most of you will say Kirigaya, but that is his adopted family name.  Kazuto's mother was Midori's sister and was married to a man from a different family.

Per the fan wiki, his surname was Narusaka (鳴坂) prior to his adoption.

Born on October 7, 2008, Narusaka Kazuto was adopted by his aunt and uncle a year after his birth, when his biological parents died in an accident.

According to this news article and some other sources I found, this was revealed at the beginning of Unital Ring, originally in the January 2018 issue of Dengeki Bunko, which publishes SAO as a serialized story.


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How much did Tokuchi gain per game?
My copy has subtitles on it but it drastically changes from million to billions between games, which makes me believe the subs aren't correct. Could anyone here point me somewhere or tell me how many outs/runs and what multipliers are on which game? I just need this for the anime.

From One Outs Fandom,

VS
Sum Earned (yen)

Bloomers
105million

Fingers
135m

-- (Unknown)
30m

Eagles
150m

Mariners
135m

Mariners
180m

Mariners
1400m

Bugaboos
2065m

BlueMars
160m

Total
4360m

ah so some billions were actually correct namely 1.4b and 2.065b ? (i saw one out exactly 1 decade ago. forgot already.)

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Why did EVA Unit 01 only accept Shinji as its pilot?
In the anime, after Shinji leaves NERV, Gendo transfers Rei to EVA Unit 01, with the dummy plug as the backup system. However, EVA Unit 01 rejects these two outright, refusing the connection altogether. But when Zeruel attacks Dogma HQ, EVA Unit 01 comes back online and engages the Angel, with Shinji as its pilot.
My question is this, why did EVA Unit 01 reject the other two's connection but allow Shinji to connect on the first try?

EVA Unit 01 contains the soul of Yui Ikari, who disappeared during a contact experiment: in ep. 20, after Shinji achieves a high synchronisation rate and is absorbed into LCL in the EVA Unit, he comes into contact with his mother, and Gendo also makes a statement during one of these refusals that indicates a connection with Yui. Thus Unit 01's refusal to work with anyone or anything other than Shinji is linked to Yui's mother-child relationship with Shinji (a relationship she has with neither Rei nor an empty dummy plug) and Yui's own preferences.


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Philosophical meaning on how Ed beat/defeats Truth?
I've been reading around everywhere on this topic and haven't really come to a proper understanding.
From what I've read, Ed beats truth by sacrificing his gate and from this he gets to take Al back home.
Now this doesn't make sense. Does this mean that he essentially sacrificed everything, his ability to do alchemy, and in return he gets to "take anything you want" which is what Truth says back to him in the Japanese dub?
What's the deeper philosophical meaning to this? Why would you give up/sacrifice/destroy truth? Isn't it important to know the truth?
Does sacrificing truth destroy it, i.e. the truth is you can't do this, so I sacrifice truth, and truth doesn't exist except what I think it is?
So I become truth and essentially I can do anything because I am truth?
Any explanations?

The following is my interpretation of the end of the series. It does not necessarily reflect the original author's opinion.
Unmarked Spoilers Below
The point of Ed's sacrifice at the end of the series is that he finally understood the truth about alchemy, and, more specifically, the Law of Equivalent Exchange.
In the intro, Alphonse says:

To obtain, something of equal value must be lost. That is alchemy's first law of Equivalent Exchange. In those days, we really believed that to be the world's one, and only truth.

At the start of the series, Ed and Al believe wholeheartedly that almost everything can be solved with alchemy. That's why they attempted human transmutation to begin with - they see everything as an alchemical equation. They felt that there must be some way to bring back their mother using alchemy, and that there must be some way to restore their original bodies as well.
However, as the series progresses, the brothers begin to discover holes in this seemingly ironclad (fullmetal?) law of alchemy. They discover that Izumi Curtis had also attempted human transmutation, trying and failing to revive her infant child. Following this, when Edward spends some time in Resembool after visiting the ruins of Xerxes, Hohenheim suggests that the creature they transmuted back at the beginning of the series was not even their mother. Upon examining the remains, he and Pinako confirm that this is indeed the case. Knowing this, Edward comes to the conclusion that bringing someone back from the dead is impossible, which he tells Izumi in Episode 20.

This revalation is significant. If there are some things that are impossible with alchemy, like bringing someone back from death, it implies that there may be some things that do not have a set alchemical value. This throws a wrench into the law of Equivalent Exchange, since if not everything can be quantified by alchemy, Equivalent Exchange cannot be the only truth of the world.
What this other truth is, though, eludes everyone up until the climax of the series, when Edward performs his final transmutation. He realizes how he can get his brother back and keep his body. As he does this, Hohenheim seems to figure it out, too.

At this point, Edward faces Truth, and offers him his own personal gate of truth in exchange for Alphonse's body. They exchange the following dialogue (English sub of Japanese dub):

Truth: You would lower yourself to become just a normal person, unable to use alchemy?
Edward: "Lower myself," nothing. I've been just a person from the start. An insignificant human who couldn't save a little girl who had been made into a Chimera.
Truth: You're sure you'll be okay without it?
Edward (thinking of his friends and family): Even without alchemy, I still have them.
Truth: That is the right answer, alchemist. You have beaten me. Take it with you. All of it! The back door is over there, Edward Elric.

Edward has realized something critical, something that circumvents even Equivalent Exchange. What gives him value is not his ability to do alchemy, but his loved ones. In Ed's eyes, he does not exchange anything of value, yet gains "everything" (his brother, his friends, and his family). He has not been lowered or decreased at all by losing his gate ("I've just been a person from the start"), but has instead increased.
Alphonse expands on this principle when he meets with the Hughes family in the epilogue:

Alphonse: We were afforded a lot of happiness, a lot of happiness, in a lot of places by a lot of people...including Mr. Hughes. And so, now, we feel it's out turn to return the favor.
Gracia: Is that equivalent exchange, like the alchemists say?
Alphonse: No, by taking ten, and giving ten, it all ends up the same. So we take ten, put something of ourselves on top of it, and return 11. It's not much, but it's a new principle we've hit upon. Now we have to go and prove it.

This "new principle" as Alphonse puts it, is that hidden truth beyond Equivalent Exchange. It's what Edward did to get Al's body back - he took what was there (his own body), added some of himself (his gate) and was able to come out with more than what he came in with (his body and his brother).
Winry reinforces this idea again right at the end of the last episode:

Edward: Equivalent exchange! I'll give you half of my life, if you give me half of yours!
Winry: Why do alchemists have to be like this? The principle of equivalent exchange is all nonsense, isn't it?
Edward: What did you say?
Winry: It really is nonsense. Never mind half, I'll give you all of it.
Edward (after some banter): You really are amazing! You turn equivalent exchange on its ear so easily!

Winry, by giving Ed "her whole life" (or at least 85 percent of it) is once again not decreasing or losing anything, but instead gaining something, just as Ed is gaining something by giving her his whole life.
Ed drives this point home with his final line:

Edward: There's no point to lessons that don't bring with them pain. People can't gain anything without sacrificing something, after all. But once you've successfully endured that pain, you gain a heart that is stout enough not to be overcome by anything. Yeah, a heart made fullmetal.

When you go through a painful lesson, you pay the price in pain, and in turn, gain a lesson learned, but you also gain something extra - a heart made fullmetal, able to withstand anything.
So, to answer your question, he beats Truth by realizing that there are things alchemy cannot quantify, things with infinite value, and by choosing them over alchemy, he has effectively gained everything and lost nothing.

Thank you Chrygore for your wonderful opinion it adds ideas i never would have really thought of, brilliantly put thanks :)!

I'm glad you found it helpful!

If you liked this answer, feel free to give it an upvote, or even accept it if you feel it answered your question!


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Why did Mitsuha's face go red when Taki told her that he drank her kuchikamizake?
Why did Mitsuha's face go red when Taki told her that he drank her kuchikamizake in Kimi No Na Wa?
This question has been nagging at me all night. So, can anyone explain what "kuchikamizake" is and why it pertains to this particular scene?

Kuchikamizake ("mouth chewed sake") is the sake produced by using saliva for fermentation. We see Mitsuha making it as part of her duties as the Shrine Maiden, during the festival.
Her face went red because Taki drank the sake that had her saliva in it. In addition, her own classmates considered it gross when she was making it during the festival, so the contrast to Taki might have made the feelings stronger.

As TheGamer007 mentioned, Kuchikamizake 'is a kind of rice-based alcohol produced by a process involving human saliva as a fermentation starter.'
Here, however, is where my answer differs.
Why did Mitsuha's face go red when Taki told her that he drank her kuchikamizake in Kimi No Na Wa? This was explained by Makoto Shinkai himself here. To quote from the article:

'The film’s oddest moment comes early on, when Mitsuha, as part of her Shinto ritual, chews and spits rice into a jar to make a primitive form of sake, fermented using human saliva. Later, Taki drinks the sake. Shinkai has said that he intended the scene to represent an idea common in teen anime, the “indirect kiss,” in which one drinks from the same container as one’s crush. But the image of a teen-age girl dribbling milky liquid from her lips has raised eyebrows. Pressed during a December TV appearance, he admitted that “saliva is a fetish element for a lot of teen-age boys.'

If you have seen other anime or read other manga with romance involved, it's a common occurrence for girls to get flustered or make a big deal out of boys drinking from the cups or glass they just used with their saliva in it, for example, as they see it as an indirect kiss. This question was also asked in another forum site, that's why I found out about that news article.


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Shouldn't Edward Elric still be able to perform alchemy?
The reason I ask this is because Edward had his own portal of truth that he discovers after leaving Gluttony, but that's the first time he notices it. The first time he meets Truth, there's only one gate. Unless that first gate was Edward's portal of truth, and Gluttony was like some weird second door that gave him a sort of secondary exit, wouldn't Ed still be able to perform alchemy?
We never really learn what the two different gates mean, other than that one is Edward's portal of truth. What is the other? Has it been there the whole time? (Is it the one he used when he was little? He performed alchemy then, didn't he? With just one portal of truth, that, for all we know, wasn't his? Is this making any sense?) He gives up his portal of truth, yes, and all that should do is make it so that Ed can't go hopping back and forth to see Truth, as that was the access the second portal kinda allowed.

I made some edits to make the gist of your question a bit clearer: if I've somehow changed the meaning of something, feel free to change it back.

The Portal of Truth (or Gate) that Ed finds after leaving Gluttony is not his Gate. Rather, it is Al's — this is why Edward finds Al's body sitting in front of that Gate. This is later acknowledged by Ed when he remarks that his and Al's Gates are connected and that this is how Al's body is sustained. The Gates were not always connected; it's made clear that it's unusual and that the connection is a result of Ed's exchange at the beginning of the manga of his arm for Al's life.
When Ed sacrifices his ability to perform alchemy, he is giving up his own Gate. Normally this would not be possible, as this would mean losing the exit back to the real world (cf. Why can't Roy Mustang bring his eyes back using his gate?), but since Ed and Al's Gates are connected, Ed is able to return via Al's Gate. This doesn't mean that he can do alchemy, however, because one's Gate is personal and tied to one's potential to perform alchemy; Truth refers to this in the exchange after Ed decides to exchange his alchemy for Al's body.


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Whom is Shiki talking to in the dream where he meets a serial killer (in the Kohaku route)?
In Tsukihime's Kohaku route, Shiki falls asleep and has a "dream" after the welcoming party.
In it, he (or SHIKI) encounters another serial killer. They drink coffee bought from a vending machine together and have a conversation. Afterwards, the other killer decides to leave the city, believing that there would be trouble if the city had two serial killers.
I'm wondering who this other person was, and if they, too, were sent by the same person who sent Nrvnqsr Chaos to kill Arcueid Brunestud. (I remember reading about it the other day, but I can't remember who; I know for sure it wasn't Roa.)

by chance... are they having a conversation in a park about boxing?

@Krazer i can't remember, all i remember is they get a drink from a nearby vending machine, are in the park at some point and they talked about stuff before the unknown person left, i waited until i saw every scene in Kagetsu Tohya just in case if it was explained in that

Can you please be a bit more specific? At least be sure which route you're talking about and if possible, the scene that precedes and/or fo;lows the one you're describing. There's a lot of dialogue and text to go through...

Is this the scene at the end here? The playthrough says that it's from the Kohaku route. (I vaguely remember this being in the Hisui route, which I just played through, but I could be wrong, seeing as I didn't pay extremely close attention and also skipped scenes I'd read before.)

@Maroon yes that's the scene. might explain why I kept missing it when I tried to look for it as I wasn't checking though the welcoming party scene (since the route splitting is further on)

@Memor-X: it looks like the split is at the welcoming party scene, but up to the events after the party, everything is mostly the same. I also thought it was later on though, but I remembered that the scene involved cans of coffee and so just searched for "coffee" in the playthrough.

I edited in to specify the scene. I'm still unsure as to whether this also appears in the Hisui route (per my earlier comment), and I haven't played the Akiha one yet, but since it seems to definitely come up in the Kohaku route, I'm just leaving that for now so that otherpeople can locate it.

@Maroon thanks, i was going to do that myself when i got on. it may be on both routes as there is more or less 3 "stories" with Hisui's and Kohaku's Route following a similar story like how Arcuied's and Ceil's did.

Tohno Shiki (who is really Nanaya Shiki) is meeting with Tohno Shiki (who is really Tohno Shiki) in that scene. They don't recognize each other.

SHIKI catches a drugged Shiki going berserk and killing some people in a back alley. Both have coffee on a park bench while discussing life and how they both fit into the world, and joking with each other like friends. SHIKI even points that Shiki reminds him of his precious childhood friend, not realizing that he is the same person. In the end, SHIKI does try to start a fight, but Shiki tells him that he's superior in a fight to the death. Surprisingly, he agrees with him, and decides to give up and leave town for good.

Source: http://typemoon.wikia.com/wiki/SHIKI_Tohno#Kohaku.27s_route


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Does one need to see the 2 Little Witch Academia movies before watching the series?
Prior to the 2017 series of Little Witch Academia there were two films: a ~30 minute one released in 2013, which is just called Little Witch Academia, and a ~60 minute one released in 2015 called Little Witch Academia: The Enchanted Parade.
I am wondering if one needs to watch either or both of these films before watching the 2017 series?

[This seems like enough of an answer to post as such, but I still haven't watched the films, so I don't have the full context.]
I watched the Little Witch Academia anime without having seen the films. I didn't have any trouble understanding the plot, and I could spot a major plot twist coming even without the context of the films. However, from the Wikipedia synopses, the events in the two films are not ones that appear in the anime, and at least one plot point is outright handled differently:

 Per Wikipedia and the fan wiki, how Akko finds the Shiny Rod is different. In the anime, she stumbles into the Shiny Rod while she is in trouble, while in the film, she finds it on a class assignment to look for treasure.

As far as I can tell, the characterisations in the films and in the anime are consistent with each other. In particular, Akko's incompetence and her classmates' ridicule of her for her love of Shiny Chariot are a theme in both adaptations. Anecdotally, I have also heard that the aforementioned plot twist was foreseeable in the films as well, although it does not appear to be explicitly revealed:

 Ursula is Shiny Chariot.

You don't need to since the events of the movies are, in fact, not "canon" in the framework of the anime. In the first movie, for example, Akko discovers the shining rod, but in the anime, she discovers it as well but in a completely different way and place. Feel free to skip the movies if you want to, they are completely independent on the anime.


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What's the piece of music played at the 5min mark of episode 5 of Tokyo Ghoul?
I'm asking about the classical piece played on the disc while Tsukiyama ponders over how to eat Kaneki.
I tried using Shazam to search, but unfortunately, it couldn't work for me.

Assuming that I'm watching the correct segment of Tokyo Ghoul, this is an extract from the first movement of Antonín Dvořák's Symphony No. 9.


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Can a manga get an anime even if it already has a live action drama?
I'm an avid manga reader and my absolute favorite manga of all time, Takane and Hana, just revealed that it is getting a live action drama. I don't exactly have the best opinion on J-dramas (I find them unbearably goofy), and I know that the premise and story will be extremely hard to make work with real life people. I've always hoped that Takane and Hana would get an anime, but now that it has a drama I don't know if it can. If anyone knows anything that might help I would greatly appreciate it!

Whether Takane & Hana will ever receive an anime adaptation is off-topic for this site, since that concerns unannounced future events. However, I will try to address the broader question of whether manga ever get anime adaptations after receiving live-action adaptations.
Off the top of my head, there is some precedent for live-action adaptations, whether television dramas or films, being created prior to anime adaptations. For example:

The Nana manga ran from 2000 to 2009. The film adaptation first came out in 2005; the anime was released in 2006.
The Perfect Insider originated as a novel in 1996. A manga adaptation came out in 2001 and a game in 2002, and a television series was broadcast in 2014. An anime adaptation was released in 2015. Note, however, that the television series contains material without the original novel that the anime did not adapt.
The Great Teacher Onizuka manga first ran from 1997 to 2002. A television drama came out in 1998, and an anime series in 1999.
Yamada-kun and the Seven Witches ran from 2012 to 2017 as a manga. The television adaptation was broadcast in 2013, the anime in 2015.

Superficially, the answer then is yes, manga sometimes get anime adaptations after receiving a live-action adaptation. However, many of the dates in my examples are relatively close, and without doing much more research, it is unclear to me when the announcements and decisions about the adaptations were made. It is possible that a television series and an anime released only six months apart might have begun production or been announced at around the same time.


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Why did Sakuta's wound start bleeding again?
In the last episode, when Kaede got her memories back, Sakuta went out screaming and crying, and his wound started bleeding again. What was the reason of that bleeding?

I haven't read the light novel, so I can only offer speculation based on the anime. From what I can see, Sakuta's chest wounds seem to appear whenever he's faced with a really shitty situation that he can do nothing about.
It was mentioned in the anime that his wounds first showed up when Kaede was getting bullied and had bruises suddenly appear on her body. And the instance that you quote is similar, Kaede reverts to her original self, probably permanently, and there is nothing Sakuta can do about it. He thinks it's all his fault and hates himself for letting it happen.
So my best guess is that the wounds are his version of Puberty Syndrome, and are representative of his self-loathing.

Yeah maybe this is the only reason.

Hopefully we'll get to know more from the upcoming movie. :)


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Are the Japanese and US releases of the Yu-Gi-Oh! manga the same?
Is the Japanese manga version of Yu-Gi-Oh same as the US manga version? Also, if it is not, what is the difference?

This discussion of how the manga is divided is probably relevant.

The editor of the English Version of the Manga, Jason Thompson stated that the licensing of the Yu-Gi-Oh! manga had not been entirely coordinated, so Viz decided to use many of the original character names and to "keep it more or less violent and gory." Thompson said that the manga "was almost unchanged from the Japanese original." Because the core fanbase of the series was, according to Thompson, "8-year-old boys (and a few incredible fangirls)," and because the series had little interest from "hardcore, Japanese-speaking fans, the kind who run scanlation sites and post on message boards" as the series was perceived to be "too mainstream," the Viz editors allowed Thompson "a surprising amount of leeway with the translation." Thompson said he hoped that he did not "abuse" the leeway he was given. In a 2004 interview, the editors of the United States Shonen Jump mentioned that Americans were surprised when reading the stories in Volumes 1 through 7, as they had not appeared on television as a part of the Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters anime. Takahashi added "The story is quite violent, isn't it? [laughs]"Source


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In which Lupin III film did Fujiko Mine get possesssed/brainwashed by a cult?
I watched a certain Lupin III film as a kid at my neighbors’ and never got to learn the title. I really enjoyed that movie and wish to see it again.

Could you give us the approximate year in which you watched it? That would be very helpful in narrowing down our guesses.

When were you a kid. We were all kinds once at different times. Are you sure it was a movie and not a series like "The Woman Called Fujiko Mine"?

This is probably Lupin III: Farewell to Nostradamus

After the mishap, Jigen and Goemon arrive in a helicopter and try to help Lupin escape, but Lupin is shot in the arm by Chris and falls into the ocean. The next day, Lupin wakes up on an island and is being nursed back to health by a boy named Sergio and his grandmother. While on the island, he discovers that Fujiko is there as well, but Sergio's grandmother says that she's really a handmaiden of the Nostradamus Sect named Tanya. Lupin follows Fujiko to a cathedral where the sect is located. When he sneaks in, he finds out that Julia is being kept prisoner there and Fujiko has lost her memory. Before he can find out anything else, Lupin is discovered by the sect and they throw them in a cell.


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How did Edward Elric transmute a car with different colors than the original one?
In Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, Edward Elric transmutes a car into one with different colors than the original. However, in alchemy, there is the principle of Equivalent Exchange.

How did he create the colors that weren't there in the original car?

In-universe explanation
The Principle of Equivalent Exchange can be understood as similar to the concept of Conservation of Mass in physics and chemistry. In other words, the elemental identity and quantity of the materials used should not change. (The degree to which this is a good comparison is ambiguous. Early chapters of FMA suggest that it is possible to transmute gold.)
Color changes may result from chemical reactions, and even different compounds consisting of the same elements may have different colors. Thus, by the same logic, the Principle of Equivalent Exchange does not preclude the possibility of color changes in transmutation, since color changes do not necessarily require an obvious addition of a source of color.
Out-of-universe explanation
The color of a car comes from paint, which has its color affected by its chemical components. Hence, it is unlikely that one can transmute paint of a certain color into that of any other color, particularly without the creation of chemical by-products from the transmutation process. (Edward's transmutation would have been messier had there been by-products.) However, color is a sufficiently superficial property that the animators did not think to worry about this detail.


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Do cell phones and email exist in Gankutsuou?
For the most part, Gankutsuou is set in Paris in the year 5053. Technological advancements shown in the series include:

Space travel and moon colonisation
Danglars' communication with Michelle, his assistant, over a wireless connection
Noirtier de Villefort's prosthetic arm
The pen inside Noirtier's arm, which auto-writes and which is used to access his memories
Lucien Debray's use of headsets to access government records through a VR application
The Count's pocketwatch, which is revealed to be a bugging device

With this taken into account, I was surprised to realise that the main characters never seem to use cell phones or email, even in situations such as:

Albert's failed attempted to see Eugénie after her engagement to Andrea Cavalcanti
Eugénie's thwarted attempt to see Albert after the Morcerf scandal breaks out
Eugénie's failed attempts to contact Franz while he was in Marseilles (although it is also possible that Franz intentionally made himself unreachable)

Do cell phones and email exist in the world of Gankutsuou? If they do, why do the characters not use them? Or are the technological advancements in Gankutsuou just constructed so that the original social structure  of the novel is not changed?

Gankutsuou's is an adaptation of The Count of Monte Cristo written by Alexandre Dumas and published in 1844. This is shown by the series' full English title: Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo.
The events of the original book take place in late 1830s France and as such the characters did not have access to technologies such as the telephone which would not be invented until the 1870s.
The futuristic setting of Gankutsuou is an adaptational choice and is very different setting to the original novel. This massive change in setting creates Adaptation-Induced Plot Holes such as this.
So your final question would be correct: Advancements such as cell phones are simply ignored in order for Gankutsuou to properly follow the plot of the original novel.


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Why does Sachi come to Kirito's bed? Does this imply more than what we see?
Midway through episode 3, Sachi comes to Kirito's room at night holding her pillow.  Given that we just saw Kirito comforting Sachi under the bridge, it's natural to assume that she is there for platonic comfort.
However, it's also natural to assume that she's there for non-platonic comfort.
Can we assume any more than what we see happens?  As is later revealed in the anime, adult themes and capabilities are present within the game, so the players can get it on if they want to.
The focus of this episode definitely seems to be on Sachi, and we can presume that later events have a significant impact on Kirito.  SAO Abridged continually refers to the events in this episode throughout the rest of it's first season.  In both SAO and SAO Abridged, the center of this is Sachi, not the entire Black Cats guild.
Given these details, can we assume that Kirito and Sachi got it on that night?

Why does Sachi come to Kirito's bed? Because she seeks comfort. She expressed her fears early on in this episode and she probably just seeks friendly company instead of sex since she's having trouble falling asleep. After seeing Kirito's true level during that, however, she felt more at ease. Does this imply more than what we see? No, it doesn't. I watched this episode again just to make sure and no, nothing else happened on that night. While she seems to have feelings for Kirito, Kirito only exhibits 'Platonic' love for them, as shown in the same episode when he promised to himself that he would protect his friends. The idea you pointed out that 'adult themes and capabilities are present within the game' is exactly the reason why I believe nothing happened. The anime had no problem showing his and Asuna's bed scene so why would they omit his and Sachi's if it really happened? Unless, of course, no sex really happened that night.


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Has Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood always been the number 1 top anime on MyAnimeList?
I would like to know if there were animes which reigned supreme on MAL before and after FMAB made its entry on the list. Has any anime ever dethroned FMAB (even if temporarily) or has it always been the defending champion, to this date.
Thanks in Advance.

IIRC, Inuyasha beat FMA:B out for like a week or so but was returned to a lower position shortly thereafter. I'm not 100% certain on which show it was, but I do remember at least at one point FMA:B was beat.

In July 2022, FMA:B was overtaken by Kaguya-sama: Love is War - Ultra Romantic, the third season of Kaguya-sama. By October 2022 it had regained its #1 spot.

In April 2023 it was overtaken by Oshi no Ko, but gained #1 back again the following month.
In November 2023, it was dethroned again by Frieren: Beyond Journey's End. As of March 2024, Frieren remains at #1 - I'm uncertain whether it's been #1 the whole time, though.

I've heard that Bleach: The Thousand-Year Blood War and Chainsaw Man also briefly overtook FMA:B, but haven't been able to confirm it.

I heard some immature FMAB peeps might be 1 star brigading Kaguya s3 just so FMAB can go back to the top. Ever heard anything like this?

I haven't, but I wouldn't be surprised, as I know similar incidents have happened before on MAL and other rankings sites. If it is happening, it will likely be reversed.

@BCLC I don't follow MAL regularly but AFAIK from my previous outings, FMAB used to be #1 at ranking for many years and folks there do not like it to be dethroned. Whenever a hype anime is released,  it became #1 even though only 1 episode was released. This happed with Kaguyasama S3. As the show progressed, it dropped and FMAB became #1. Vote brigading and bots helped that. Same case with Chainsaw Man. When it is released, it was 9.03, now it is 8.98. This is enough evidence that MAL is infested with bots and spams. Bottom line, MAL ratings is not accurate.

Also FWIW, the current FMAB ratings is 9.12 (dropped from 9.16)

On this reddit thread, you can see state of top anime list since 2007 until 2016. According to it, FMA: Brotherhood was outscored by Gintama at least for some period of time.
This history thread is not up to date, but at least it answers your question - yes, there was another top anime since FMA:B was released.

As of writing this answer, Gintama: The Final has surpassed FMAB to be the #1 rank on MAL.

Also, Fruits Basket: The Final was ranked #1 on MAL for a short period of time. It was also a matter of heated discussion on MAL for reasons I won't get into.


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What is the connection between Stands and Ripple Energy?
I don't understand how Stands are connected to the Ripple Energy, which is from breathing. The third part does not seem that linked to the first two parts of JoJo.

this one might help: https://anime.stackexchange.com/questions/49650/are-any-jojos-anime-related

If I’m not mistaken, the Stand is supposed to be an extension of the Ripple, but I’d have to look it up again to know the exact details.

I’m a third of the way through Part 3, and as far as I can tell, there’s minimal, if any at all, link between Stand and Hamon (Ripple) abilities. Initially, I thought the Stand was an extension of Hamon, since there’s a remark about Jotaro’s ability to fight while unable to breathe in his initial fight with Avdol, which other people on the internet have also noticed, but this doesn’t amount to much.
Discussions I found in a web search attest to this as well:

This Reddit thread and this Quora post discuss the relationship between Stand and Ripple. Posters cite Part 7, in which Hamon is indicated to be a stepping stone to Stand. (I haven’t gotten to Part 7, so I can’t judge for myself on the details.) However, this is seen as a retcon, and for the most part, people seem inclined to say that there’s not much relationship.
The fan wiki article on Stand and this Reddit thread, among other sources, note that Hamon was more or less discarded after Part 2.

My Explanation
So, I think that due to someone using Hamon creates a Hamon current( ,similar to electricity,), and stands conduct Hamon, and I think that's how Old Joseph can send Hamon through his stand.
I have also collected a paragraph from a Fandom page showing Ripple Transmission through Hermit Purple.
Ripple Transmission
Joseph has shown the ability to transmit the Ripple through Hermit Purple as an extension of his body. Joseph has used this property of Hermit Purple to attack DIO or prevent him from touching him by wrapping himself in it.

By the way, Young Joseph uses clackers, and is showcased in part 2, not part 3.


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Is there any explanation about Selim Bradley's true form?
After the defeat of Selim Bradley (aka Homunculus Pride), his true form is revealed to be a tiny baby in a fetal position.
This makes me wonder, is Selim Bradley's true form is actually an aborted fetus, found later by The Father and given new life as Homunculus Pride?
This will explain a lot about his psychology (ex: Unconditional obedience towards his Father).

The production of a homunculi in the stories of alchemists is literally the production of a miniature human (esp. body) by alchemical means.  The Selim Bradley body is a mask.  The 1st true form is a recreation of the dwarf in the flask himself (which shows he is playing god). The real form is what a homunculi should be. Bringing aborted fetuses into this is needlessly reaching for the macabre.  If a human body is an ingredient for the production of the homunculi, it is by definition no longer a homunculi.  It is more fitting say that by recreating God's greatest work, Father has become god.

I think that none of the original forms of the homunculi are given an explanation.

Lust has the body of women that can change her fingers to needle
things.
Wrath is a mortal homunculus that has a human body.
Sloth has that big giant kind of body.
Envy has that green monster thing as the original form that he
disguises to a normal human body.

Only Gluttony can be given a reasonable explanation for his original body. He is the failed gate of truth and hence has a false gate in his stomach.
You can argue Envy has that green monster body since he is a compilation of many human souls but that is true for all the homunculi, so we can't take that as an explanation.
Also, I went through the WIKI and couldn't find anything on this.
I also think the fetus body remained in the end because Pride was removed (killed) from the body and only that fetus remained symbolically telling that the monster has been removed and only a pure form of the being (baby) remains(even though the baby is a homunculus).

All of their natural forms represent the sin they are. Pride is a child, arrogant as many children are, envy is a green ugly monster representing jealousy, sloth is big and powerful held back by his own laziness, lust is a sexual icon, gluttony is fat etc

Please include relevant sources/references.


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Why did FMA 2003 Wrath (King Bradley) keep his skull?
In FMA 2003, homunculi are paralysed if they come into close proximity of a part of their original bodies. Wrath (Fuhrer King Bradley in 2003) was defeated by Mustang after his son brought him his skull, which he usually kept locked in a safe.
Why did he keep his skull? Why did he not simply destroy it or dispose of it in a place that he could not be traced to?

It could have been a way to make sure he always knew and (theoretically) could control where it was.

@kuwaly Then why not destroy it instead?

We don't know. It can't be answered, since not enought information is given. Maybe he wanted to keep it near. Maybe he couldn't destroy it. Maybe it was just a plot device to defeat him.


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Do you have to say anything to activate a NerveGear?
I was wondering if you had to say anything to activate a NerveGear. I remember Kirito saying something before he went into the SAO world but I can't remember what. I thought he might have said something to activate the NerveGear, but I don't know if he actually did or if my memory is playing tricks on me. Can someone please help me figure this out?

linku starto

To use the NerveGear, the player wears the game console over the head. Then it is recommended for the player to find a comfortable position to station the body, commonly a bed. Afterwards, the game will load upon utterance of the initiation words, "Link Start".

(Emphasis mine)
Source.

The first time Kirito dove into the SAO world, he did say something like "link start" but it has nothing to do with it. Afterwards, when he dove into ALfeheim, he did not utter anything, so that was just a way for the anime developer to make that scene cool.
In Accel world (another anime, partially similar to SAO), players have to shout "link burst" to get into the gaming world.

To make it more relevant, it might be worth mentioning that both SAO and Accel World are stories from the same person, Reki Kawahara.


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Which episodes of the Slam Dunk anime correspond to which manga chapters?
I enjoy watching anime episodes based on the manga chapters I read. I couldn't find any source on exactly which Slam Dunk episodes are based on which chapters?

did you go to wikipedia?

Yes. I wouldn't be asking here is it was on wikipedia or the wiki.


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In the OVA "The Blind Alchemist", how come the subject of human transmutation live so long?
In one of the OVAs of Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood Specials - The Blind Alchemist, there's a blind alchemist who also attempted human transmutation, but

 it actually turns out to be the girl he brought back to life, his master's dead daughter is just bones and a bit of flesh. The weird thing is that she actually moved her jaws when Al went to see her, and this is years after the transmutation was performed.

So if human transmutation isn't possible and what comes back is just a few organs, how is she able to live, or at least move her jaw for this long?

It's not that Human Transmutation is impossible in the sense that it doesn't work, it's just that it very very rarely goes the way people want it.
as with any other Transmutation, Human Transmutation is still governed by the law of Equivalent Exchange where the input must be equal to the output, failing to do so results in a rebound where the transmutation forces are thrown out of balance.

In the manga, it is determined that resurrective Human Transmutation is impossible because a soul that has left the mortal coil has passed on into the afterlife and can never be called back by human means. The attempt will cause a rebound due to both the inherent lack of any particular substance able to match a human soul in value and the fact that the initiated transmutation is reaching for an unattainable goal. Of the known attempted Human Transmutations, the rebound has been the "taking" of parts of the initiator's body out of the living world and into the void of the flow (in the case of the Elric brothers' attempted transmutation of their mother, Edward's left leg and Alphonse's entire body were taken and in the case of Izumi Curtis' attempt to revive her dead child, several of her internal organs were taken). It should be noted that the size of the body parts taken are generally equal to the size of the human being transmuted, in accordance with the law of Equivalent Exchange.

Source: Alchemy > Human Transmutation > Resurrection (2nd paragraph)
Remember that with both Trisha Elric and Izumi's child both showed signs of "life"
as for how the body was still alive years after, we can suspect it was more because of a Soul Binding or something similar

Rosalie leads Al to a room with what appears to be a little girl's shriveled corpse inside. She reveals this as the result of the real Rosalie's transmutation, while she herself is a girl named Amy, who was adopted due to her similar appearance to Rosalie. Alphonse is surprised to learn that it is not in fact a corpse, but is alive, in a way similar to him.

Source: Bonus Episode: The Blind Alchemist > Synopsis
and in the manga, when Ed exhumes Trisha's body which Pinako buried, Ed learns that what it wasn't Trisha that he and Al resurrected as her hair colour and bone structure were different, so the "life" in Rosalie may have not really been her but some other soul if the body was comparable to a suit armor like Al's (in this case, a suit of fleshy armor)
Ofcause there's also the possibly that what "life" there was in Rosalie was not even human as showing signs of life doesn't equal being human as the Homuncli aren't human and Father's/Dwarf's body is described by Van Hohenheim has being a Leather Bag no different from his original flask


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Why doesn't Edward transmute any large blocks or weapons other than spears and a blade?
Why does it seem like Edward can never create large blocks or large weapons to kill his enemies? I'm only on season 2 so so far, but it seems he always creates spears and arm blades.

just a hunch but probably because he need to pick weapon most suitable for him? what's good of a mace or war hammer if he can't use it properly. Also blade and spears look cooler

Two reasons (one in-universe and one out-of-universe): character definition and familiarity.
Character definition (and easy identification) are part of a good story.  Say you see an image from an FMA:B episode and you see flames shooting across the screen but can't see who's attacking.  Any guesses as to who's lighting it up?  If you didn't guess Roy Mustang, well, we need to educate you in the ways of FMA:B.  See pink sparkles and muscles, who is it?  Major Armstrong.  Red lightning and explosions?  Kimblee.  The list goes on.
By giving each person a distinct fighting style, it does a few things for the story.  It helps people to differentiate characters.  It helps people to find someone they can admire / relate to / enjoy watching.  It also keeps things interesting.  Mustang is an absolute terror to fight against.  Until you get him wet, then he becomes the laughing stock of the show.
As far as in-universe reasons, I'm sure it has to do with familiarity.  For example, Major Armstrong is always shouting about his "alchemical style that has been passed down the Armstrong line for generations".  That's how he was trained to fight.  And he's good at it.  It plays to his strengths.
But think about it.  Could Armstrong create a sword if he needed it?  Sure, draw the appropriate circle and poof, sword.  But I doubt he would be terribly efficient with it.  Look at the way he moves.  He moves like a boxer and wrestler.  Trying to do that with a sword just wouldn't work.  Fighting with swords is different from hand to hand combat.  Which is different from using guns or throwing fireballs or ...
One other thing to consider is the need for transmutation circles.  Most alchemists keep their favorite one handy.  Armstrong's gauntlet things or Mustang's gloves have a circle on them to enable their preferred alchemy.  I doubt most people keep a plethora of those handy for whatever they need.  That would also imply they have the knowledge to use multiple types of alchemy.  While most alchemists can handle the basics, they tend to specialize.  There are multiple mentions of alchemists who specialize in things like medicinal alchemy, chimeras, etc.
I know you've asked about Ed specifically and I'll address that now.  Ed is a special case.  He doesn't need a circle, so he should be able to theoretically do whatever he wants.  But, as stated above, he may not know enough about a particular type of alchemy to use it effectively.  Just because he wants to use a gun in a fight doesn't make it a good idea.  Does he know how to make a good gun?  Ammo?  Can he hit the broad side of a barn even if he had the gun?  No, Ed is going to use what he knows he can be good with.
Not sure if you are there yet, but Ed was trained by Izumi Curtis.  And part of that training was hand-to-hand sparring.  So Ed is trained in and comfortable with close quarters combat.  So his choices in weapons are going to reflect that.  So an arm blade or spear are going to suit him nicely.  A gun or cannon aren't going to make good weapons.  Too much potential for collateral damage, hurting yourself, etc. especially if you aren't proficient with them.  Could he try blowing stuff up like Kimblee?  I suppose, but he's just as likely to wound himself as his opponent if he can't control it well.
TL/DR:  Ed is trained in close quarters combat.  So he picks weapons that play to that strength.  Anything else would like be a burden or liability if he tried it out in real combat for the first time.

Also worth noting that the spear and blade suit Ed's size as well as fighting style. With the spear, he can keep distance from opponents with longer limbs, and with the blade he can close distance and put them at a disadvantage.

To put it simply: time.
Alchemists, decompose matter, reorganize it, and then recompose the way they want, this requires deep knowledge of the item to transmute/create, in the heat of battle you need something to hit or defend yourself and you usually need it NOW, so, alchemists prefer simple transmutations, that don't require much time.
I can't remember much but there are battles where Ed has some prep time and makes some complex devices.
Mild spoiler
Put scar for example, his arm tatoo is a transmutation circle, and he only uses it to decompose matter so he destroys everything, and since he doesn't reorganize nothing, his transmutations are really fast.
source: mostly remembering the manga that I read about a year ago


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Why can Renamon disappear, while Guilmon and Terriermon can't?
In Digimon Tamers, we see Renamon disappear or fade out after she is no longer needed several times. (For instance, she disappears at the end of episode 7, after Rika, Henry, and Takato have rescued Guilmon.) Meanwhile, Guilmon and Terriermon do not seem capable of this: Takato has to take pains to hide Guilmon (ep. 2), and Henry has to pass off Terriermon as a stuffed animal when he is at home (ep. 1).
Why is this the case? Does it have something to do with the monsters themselves, or is it an issue of the abilities of the Tamer? (But Henry seems knowledgable enough to me, so I am not entirely convinced by that theory.)

Maybe Renamon is only one of the three that knows how? Ep7 - After she leaves, Takato asks Rika if Digimon can disappear for no reason. Rika says probably, since Digimon are just data

Right, but in that episode, what Takato is concerned with is the irrevocable disappearance of Digimon, and that seems different from what Renamon is doing. (She nearly disappears in the same way in that episode, where part of her body looks lighter, and that's different from her "normal" disappearance, where it just looks like she disperses or fades out all at once.)

It’s been years since I’ve watched tamers, so must’ve misinterpreted the context of the scene based on the wiki text

I think, that it is just one of Renamon's skills, but haven't found proof, yet.

Renamon is based on / heavily influenced by the Japanese kitsune, which have mystical abilities, most famously that of illusions. On top of that, Renamon has ninja-like speed, and I'd say it's a combination of both that it's using here.
Blink an eye and you'll miss it. One moment it's there, the next it's gone and only leaves a fading stand-in illusion of itself (what a trickster), as it's probably hiding away in the shadows or trees. Or it's actually using illusion abilities to straight up become invisible for extended periods of time (that would have to be harder to keep up, but who knows).
Point being, these abilities would have to be balanced for fights - can't just have Renamon "godmode" and stay completely invisible, after all. That's why I'm assuming it has to stand completely still and concentrate to actually become and stay invisible, and therefore, using it's speed to jump away and leaving behind a stand-in illusion from it's physical hiding place would be less taxing and preferable, whenever possible.
A kitsune's mystical powers increase with age and amount of tails they have - from one, up to nine tails (see Kyubimon, Renamon's Champion level). Ninetales from Pokémon, nine-tails Kurama (Kyuubi) from Naruto... kitsune are a big, big thing in Japanese mythology.

Renamon fades out because she moves fast than the eye can see. See renamon vs deathbattle to see how fast she is.don't know how rika and renamon were talking in that one episode where everyone looked around them stopped moving.

Sources? Include them in your answer.


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Is the timeline messed up in episode 27 of FMA: Brotherhood?
In Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood episode 27 "Interlude Party", Hohenheim is seen talking to a very young Pinako Rockbell, much younger than she ever was when Ed and Al are around. And still, she talks about them not only as if she knows them, but also as if they have already committed the taboo.
Did she age from that beauty to a grandma in 4 years?

"Interlude Party" is a recap/clip episode designed to catch up viewers who may have missed the preceding episodes.
The episode is structured as a dream Hohenheim has in his travels, where he revisits past timeline events through interaction with a very old friend of his (Pinako). He knew her when she was much younger, so it is not unreasonable that, in a dream, he would see her as her younger self.
Nothing about the timeline is messed up; dreams, in both fiction and reality, don't necessarily maintain temporal consistency, and the same is true here. Hohenheim knew Pinako as a young woman, and he knows what his sons have done. Therefore, in a dream, a young Pinako can indeed talk about events that occur when she is an old woman, with no damage whatsoever to the timeline of the waking world's timeline.
The dream nature of the events are made clear several times throughout the episode (characters abruptly changing age, or knowing things that would not yet have come to pass at their depicted ages); furthermore, it is emphasized at the end, when Hohenheim wakes up.


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Did Hiromu Arakawa have any input on the 2003 FMA?
The 2003 Fullmetal Alchemist anime, as we all know, departed significantly plot-wise from the manga. The mangaka for FMA is Hiromu Arakawa. Did she have any input on the plot or production of the 2003 anime, or was it written by other people just based on the manga?

It was directed by Seiji Mizushima, written by Shō Aikawa and co-produced by Bones, Mainichi Broadcasting System and Aniplex. Character designs by Yoshiyuki Itō. During the making of the anime, Arakawa was present in meetings to advise the staff about the world of Fullmetal Alchemist, though she did not write for the television series.
Source:Wikipedia

Did she contribute to the plot, though, or was she just providing details about the world in general?

During the development of Fullmetal Alchemist, Arakawa allowed Bones to work independently from her, and requested an original ending different from that of the original manga. She did not want to repeat the same ending in both media, and wanted to continue writing the manga to develop the characters.
In short, just the world and not the entire plot.


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What is the name of the song playing in Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood in episode 6 at 9:40?
What is the name of the song playing in Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood in episode 6 at 9:40 ?

I believe the song playing in that scene is Entr'acte.


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How does one, if it is possible, destroy a death note?
I know that the death notes have certain, almost magical, attributes to them (unlimited pages, the fact that you can kill someone by envisioning their face and writing their name down, etc). Given that, I was wondering if these properties apply to their destructibility too and if that was the case, whether Light's plan to burn the Death Note if someone opened his desk incorrectly would even have worked in the first place.

I don't think it would be possible to destroy a death note. It is quite unlikely as it is no ordinary book.

I was wondering why this question got downvote, it seems like good question to me...

I remember in Episode 2 - Confrontation, Light and Ryuk are in a secluded area where Light explains to Ryuk how he will devise a way to prevent others from touching the death note, pouring flammable liquid on a book and lighting it on fire.
The purpose of the experiment was for creating a trap for the Death Note because Ryuk warns Light that if Saya were to touch the Death Note when she came in to get help on her homework, she would be able to see him. this blows Lights original plan to claim to have been taking notes as practice for becoming a detective should someone discover the death note.
Later in the Episode light is explaining to Ryuk back in his room about how he has hidden the Death Note, i can't be for sure what light says but he does say the explosion from his booby trap will "destroy the evidence" so he may be hinting that the Death Note would be destroyed aswell.
In the Rules it makes references to the Death Note being destroyed, in How to use LXII, it says

If the victim’s name has been written and then the Death Note is destroyed in the middle of writing the cause of death, the victim will be killed by heart attack in 40 seconds after writing the name.

Finally the second live action film of Death Note "The Last Name" however, when Rem dies from killing Watabi, to prevent Light getting his hands on another Death Note Rem destroys it aswell, however since the live action movies play out differently to the anime i'm not sure how close they are to the canon on how the Death Note works.
With all of this, it seems like the death note can be destroyed, however i'm unsure if How to Use: XXXI is still in effect if a page is ripped out before the note is destroyed, it is after Light creates this booby trap he starts to rip out pages and use them instead like when he was being watched

Out of curiosity, where was this in the series?

@hungerartist Light using the bucket? not sure exactly, it's been a while but it would be before Light explaining about the false bottom to his draw and the "key" to it

yeah, I'm referring to the bucket - I remember the false bottom bit, but I don't remember seeing Light trying to light (unintentional pun I guess?) the notebook on fire, at least not in the anime.

@hungerartist i looked up the episode, it was episode 2 but it might not have been the death note that was put in the bucket, when i first saw it i though Light was making it fire resistant but i may have been mistaken, i've reviewed my answer based off a better investigation using the wiki rather than just relying on my shoddy memory

@Memor-X I looked it up in the manga and in chapter 4, page 16 it shows light's plan to light the book on fire and on the rules page you posted for How to Use: LXII it says that "Once the victim’s name, cause of death and situation of death have been written down in the Death Note, this death will still take place even if that Death Note or the part of the note in which it has been written is destroyed, for example, burned into ashes, before the stated time of death." So I would presume that since it was stated as an option to burn the Death Note to ashes that Light's plan would have worked.

In ep35 of the anime, it is clearly shown that a paper from the Death Note held by Takada is burned in the flames when she and her body got burned by Light actions earlier. and every page of the Death Note is known to have the powers of the Death Note.


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Can gold be transmuted in the Fullmetal Alchemist continuity?
In the Fullmetal Alchemist manga/2009 anime, we learn that alchemists must obey three rules:

Do not oppose the military
Do the transmute gold
Do not do human transmutation

Moreover, at one point in the early manga (probably chapter 3, according to Wikipedia), we see Ed transmute what appears to be gold from rocks, when he is duping Yoki into selling him rights to Youswell. (However, in the context of my question below, this might also be attributed to early-installment weirdness, since in the corresponding episode in the 2003 anime - episode 9 - I think we see Ed giving Yoki rocks that have been coated with gold from coins Ed got from Yoki.)
Both of the above seem to imply that transmuting gold is possible in the FMA universe, yet this seems to be contradictory given some other manga details. In the first chapter, we learn from Al that with alchemy, one can only transmute like from like. Being me, I read this to imply that the sort of conservation of mass alluded to when chemical equations are balanced generally applies in terms of what alchemy can do the FMA universe (at least in the more practical, mundane examples we see in the manga). (On a second read, I'm really not sure if that's a "correct" interpretation.)
Thus: is transmuting gold actually taken to be something possible in the FMA universe (or is it even possible to come to a conclusion about this)?

After the update, I think that there could be a problem, too. They need the exact ingredients to create a human (or something close), but for gold, they need coal? Hm.

Yeah - I'm wondering if I'm simply reading too much into the equivalent exchange idea, but I'm not sure if even a looser interpretation (e.g. metals can only be transmuted into other metals) would be consistent with, for instance, the more or less exact ingredients we see used in (trying to) transmute corpses or humans.

Update: it seems that there isn't a clear-cut answer to this. While there seems to be an issue as mentioned earlier, the concept of having "four elements" (as mentioned in the same page I linked) combined with the general ambiguitiy of how transmutations work would seem to imply that transmuting gold (at least from lesser metals anyway) would be possible.

Actually, the gold coating came from the gold coins Yoki gave him.

Yes, transmuting gold is possible (at least in the manga). The reason why it's forbidden is stated later in the series: It's forbidden so nobody can destroy the economy by making the gold worthless.
The mass is also conserved, I see no problem there. A ton of coal makes a ton of gold. Equal mass :).
Note: In the first adaption, Ed did not transmutate gold but instead coated the coal in gold. Either it's not possible in the 2003 anime or he didn't want to violate the law. (Thanks to キルア)

Thanks for the response! I just realized that I didn't quite get my actual question across in my question though, so I'll probably either edit my question later or write a new one.

I'm accepting this for now since it otherwise doesn't make sense that there would be such a law in the first place, and at least in theory (given Al's comments) it sounds like I might not be understanding how alchemy works in FMA well enough. But as you pointed out with the human transmutation case, it does seem ... weird.

You may want to edit this answer to reflect that Ed did not make any gold. He used alchemy to reshape the coal, then used the gold coins he had to coat the coal in gold, appearing as gold bars. We never see gold actually manufactured in FMA, but it is never stated to be impossible.

Might that have also happened in the corresponding scene in the manga then? (At least that was my interpretation, but I'm not sure.)

When the Elric brothers go to Youswell in the beginning of the 2003 series. They don't actually transmute coal into gold, but rather Edward uses the gold coins that Yoki bribed him with to cover the coal.
This was not the case in the manga though. As you can see he says that "by logic" he should be able to transmute the same amount of coal into the same amount of gold.

Click for enlarged image.
And then here he really does transmute coal into gold, which he later gives to Yoki (and performs a reverse transmutation...)

Hmmm... either way I suppose it's still reasonable to interpret him as just making "fake" gold, and that to a degree, this is what is being prohibited in the law? Since that would make the most sense in light of the precision required for things like human transmutation.

I need to clarify here: Edward did say that he could create the gold through alchemy, but he does not do this. He uses a pile of sludge he finds in a rail yard (page 29 of chapter 3) along with the bribe he received (page 23 of chapter 3).

@キルア: Ah that makes sense. idk, after asking this question I've concluded that I actually don't quite know how FMA alchemy works, so I was wondering.

@Maroon Such a question might be too broad for the site, but if you want some one-on-one clarification, there's always chat.

Gold on the periodic table is Au.
Alchemy is the science of deconstructing and reconstructing matter.
Simply put so long as we are talking about taking apart and rebuilding compounds one would only need to separate gold from any existing compounds. This is suggested in several episodes, yet still, it is never made explicit. This would mean that no. It is not possible to create gold from compounds not containing Au.
Au is actually kinda rare in everyday items. Seawater contains a small amount of it, yet most things that use gold use gold in it's purest form to conduct electricity.
If it is deconstructing atoms to base protons, electrons and neutrons and reordering them to have the properties of AU then yes it is possible and easy. It is suggested that this isn't the case but the existence the "law of equivalent exchange". No alchemist would need any specific ingredients because they can create pretty much anything out of anything else.
The former is suggested in several episodes, yet the possibility to create gold is suggested in the law that state alchemists can not create gold.
So the correct answer. Shrug Full metal alchemist doesn't let real science get in the way if it's fun. Which is a good thing.

I'm quite confused what your point is. Are you saying that it is possible but forbidden to transmute gold - or that it is not possible to transmute gold at all?

Scientifically Possible but prohibitively difficult.
In Canon Possible but forbidden.

It's important to remember that alchemy in FMA follows the Law of Equivalent exchange... Essentially a more lenient version of the 2nd law of thermal Dynamics.
Mass is not the only ingredient conserved, energy must be conserved as well. Transmutation of rocks into differently shaped rocks can be accomplished with the geothermal energy available in the environment or Philosopher's Stones but changing the composition of elements would take orders of magnitude more energy.
Perhaps why such exact ingredients are required for human transmutation is to avoid a rebound... Or make them less likely.
Of course any mining castoff should contain a large enough amount of Iron and Sulphur to produce loads of Pyrite, if that energy wasn't available.

Yo, guys. I'll try to clear some of this up. In the manga(and as I see it, the true canon, being that it was made first) Ed turns Sludge(coal dust in ViZ version) in to Gold. As stated earlier, Sludge has trace amounts of metals in it, being that it comes from mining coal, and being that coal is under ground, where we find metal, it is possible to convert coal sludge in to gold. More difficult than just straight up metal, since you can never tell how much metal is in the sludge without a proper examination, which Ed never did. Again, this is all based on the manga, being that it was the original story and ultimate source if you can't consult the author. I hope this cleared it up at least a bit, thanks for reading.


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Which countries watch the most anime?
You know, I just got curious, and I guess the answer would be somewhere around Asia.
For example I know in Canada they watch anime but I'm also wondering about places like Mexico, Europe, Russia, and so on . . .
Do they watch anime like Bleach, Naruto, and more?
I've been wondering this for a long time . . . Is it popular there? Or does it depend?

Fact is that it really fluctuates depending on the target audience. aka Shounen, seinen etc.

@Dimitrimx Let's refer only to the well known animes like Naruto and all the other that I writed above.

K, ill write a answer when i have time holding naruto bleach and one piece as main animes ;)

Japan, perhaps?

Is this an opinion based question? Not sure if I should flag it or not?

@MiharuDante I wouldn't really call it opinion based. More likely to broad. If you are doubting feel free to discuss it in meta ( as you are doing ) or discuss it with people in the Chat

I don't think this is opinion-based or too broad. It's a statistics-based question. If you had the data yourself it would be pretty easy to answer well in a few paragraphs. The fact that I don't know of any comprehensive data to answer this question (and apparently neither do most users here) means that it's a hard question, but not that it's an overly broad one.

The question is a bit ambiguous. Some people use the term 'anime' to refer to animated cartoons in general, while some use it to mean Japanese animated cartoons. Could you please clarify the meaning of 'anime' in your question?

@user1551 As I answer Dimitrimx, you can reffer the question to the most popular anime (which by the way is not a cartoon) like Naruto/One Piece/Bleach.

Most likely Japan.

(Edit) For anime:

In 2001, animation accounted for 7% of the Japanese film market, above the 4.6% market share for live-action works. The popularity and success of anime is seen through the profitability of the DVD market, contributing nearly 70% of total sales.

Also,

The anime market for the United States was worth approximately $2.74 billion in 2009.

In Japan in 2011, the DVD and Blu-Ray sales were approximately $250.6 million for DVD and $381.7 million for Blu-Ray (according to here).
From this:

In 2006, overseas sales of Japanese anime hit ¥16.8 billion but that has since plunged due to sluggish sales of DVDs — a direct result of pirated videos online and video-on-demand services. In 2011, global sales were a mere ¥8.55 billion. (¥16.8 billion=~$139 million, ¥8.55 billion=~$70 million)

Obviously, there are some discrepancies in these numbers, as the US market cannot be higher than the total overseas market. However, the US market number is likely accounting for television and possibly toys, while the overseas numbers are likely just sales.
This gives the North American sales numbers.
Overall, it will be nearly impossible to determine the distribution. The Japanese numbers are the highest, but because much of anime is watched (often illegally) online, it is difficult to determine where people are watching from.
The manga market may be a good representation of the anime market distribution.
Japan has the biggest market for manga.
From this and this:
In Europe, France used to consist of about 50% of the manga market, with 1/3 of the comic market in France being made up of manga (2003 numbers). In 2011, their percentage of the European manga market dropped to about 40%.

According to the Japan External Trade Organization, sales of manga reached $212.6 million within France and Germany alone in 2006.
France represents about 50% of the European market and is the second worldwide market, behind Japan.

Germany's comic market is made up 70-75% of manga.
Manga is not very popular in Russia. In general, comics aren't very popular in Russia as a whole. The spread of anime has, however, helped to increase the popularity of manga.
In Thailand, there is manga, but it is primarily bootlegged.
According to this,

...by 2008, the U.S. and Canadian manga market generated $175 million in annual sales.

You can also look at the list of manga distributors to see a general range of number of distributors, though that doesn't give the amount of distribution in a country.
From this:

Annual manga sales in Japan are about $5 billion, he said, whereas American manga sales are $120 million and Europe and the Middle East combined make $250 million.

Please note there is a slight difference in manga and anime. And i asked only about anime...

@HashiramaSenju I added some information about anime, though it is nearly impossible to find because so much is television and online numbers. I hope it helps.

This pdf is the original source for the numbers from 2002-2012, also contains information about what methods of distribution were most popular.

Why can't the US market be higher than the total overseas market?  The US pays more for everything, so it would stand to reason that if each disc or merchandise item costs more, the dollar amount would be higher.


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Why does Kirito end up in the forest when he first enters Alfheim?
In the Sword Art Online anime, we see Kirito enter Alfheim Online first in episode 16. Although he is supposed to enter the Spriggan base when he first arrives, he instead encounters something like a glitch and ends up in a forest. Is there any explanation in the anime or light novels for why this happened? I don't recall it being mentioned in any of the later anime episodes.

Note: from a plot point of view it's somewhat necessary that this happens since it gives him a way to meet Leafa, but this still doesn't really explain why this happens purely within the context of the SAO continuity.
In case it isn't clear from my wording and the inclusion of the first image, I am asking why Kirito ends up in the forest after some sort of glitch appears while he is travelling to the Spriggan base (where he was supposed to go initially). The accepted answer here gives the best explanation for why that's the case.

From Sword Art Online Volume 3 - Fairy Dance, Chapter 2 (emphasis mine):

"[...]. Yggdrasil...she seems to be there. That place, you know
  it?"
"Ah, this I know. Eh, eh, it's generally to the northeast, but quite a
  ways from here. If I were to convert it into real distance, it would be
  about fifty kilometers away."
"Wow, that really is a long distance. That’s what, five times the
  diameter of Aincrad. Actually, why was I brought to this forest anyway?"
Yui lowered her head for a moment at my question.
"I think that your positional data was either damaged or confused with a nearby player, resulting in you ending up here. That’s just a guess, though."

In the screenshot, the pyramid like structure is the signature building of the Spriggan hometown. The blocky void above it is the glitch that "teleports" Kirito to the forest.
Yui raised two possibilities for the glitch:

Kirito's positional data was damaged
Since Kirito and Asuna was teleported to the sky outside Aincrad in SAO moments before the game shut down, and Kirito's character data from SAO was loaded in ALO, chances are that the positional data was also loaded, which sent him on a free fall nosediving trip into the forest 50 kilometers away from Yggdrasil.
While this matches the fact that ALO's map is much bigger than SAO (as seen in the above quote), it was quite a miracle that Kirito dropped right at the forest where Leafa was. As the map in ALO is much bigger, he might as well had ended up elsewhere in ALO.
Kirito's positional data was confused with a nearby player
Since Kirito and Suguha were accessing the game from the same IP address (which is quite common for IPv4 in real world), Kirito's positional data got glitched up and he was dropped in the forest where Suguha (Leafa) was, instead of the hometown of the Spriggan. The fact that he fell from the sky matches the fact that Leafa was having a mid-air fight.
I admit this is a bit stretching, but this is the closest I could relate a real life concept with the theory above to explain the proximity of Kirito and Leafa's position in the game and the timing when the glitch happened.

(Either way, I take it as an excuse for the story instead of general knowledge).

And here I thought it was picking up his last-known-location from SAO (given that it gave him all his other stats....).  I was going to say it'd be stupid server if it didn't log him in as Leafa, but perhaps a buffer wasn't fully cleared or something (note - this requires some really stupid programming).  They're lucky college dorms don't have this problem regularly...  Of course, given that I hear characters have actually hacked stats... (here's a hint - if you trust the client to maintain this information, it's going to be hacked, period.  Never trust the client)

So, what you're saying is that even int eh future where you can do a full dive MMORPG................... IPV6 still isn't implemented yet.   For anyone who doesn't know, IPV6 was released in the 90s and has barely started to make headway in the 25+ years it's attempted to solve all the problems of IPV4.

What I think happened is that since ALO is made off of SAO, and the place you log off in ALO is the place you stay unless in a safe spot or a hut, and the SAO game ended with him in the boss room that maybe the place he got moved to is the same spot he was last in at SAO.

Speculation:
Yui's item was in Asuna's sotrage, in that she was wearing it on her person in the final fight with 'Heathcliff'.  We know that the storage between married characters is shared, so when her avatar dies in SAO Kirito would gain all her storage and inventory items (also a possible reason why he uses her sword to fight with when his second breaks, it was in his inventory).
Since we know that neither Kirito or Asuna die (IRL) and ALO's data was a merger of SAO's client I think it would be possible that the data link between them was having an effect on Kirito's inital spawn location, in that he was being spawned in her area, the Tree of Life.  However, due to the admin rights and lock downs by RECT the system overrode this link and force spawned him out of the Tree of Life.  Since the IP was linked with two VR devices (Leafa and Kirito) his new spawn area was generated from her world position.
(Sorry for the lack of references, my comptuer's restricted on some sites right now)

The worlds work basically the same. So where he was in that SOA technically his location mapped over to that worlds map location. that is why he dropped out of the sky that way and retained all his data. His local x,y position was where he started. He has special data since he has Yui's data written into his local. So that data overwrote the starting default for users.

This is somewhat of a late comment, but this doesn't really make sense given that we see him first approaching the Spriggan base before the glitch happens and he lands in the forest.

There was never an explanation in the novel, as far as I could remember. However, everything about SAO indicates that player data is saved locally (like how Kirito said he saved Yui to his NerveGear's storage, which somehow put her in his inventory when he got into ALO). Additionally, the fact that ALO used SAO's source would explain why ALO might become confused, and load in Kirito's previous data from SAO.
To some extent, this makes sense in the context of SAO. Saving the data on a remote database would possibly allow "others" to tamper with it, and possibly alter player stats, one way or another. My guess is, this means ALO's player data is also saved client-side. You could reason that this is because ALO's programmers were stupid (Look at how ALO makes use of "GM Pass cards" and 12 digit (wut?) number pads, for things that are supposedly very important). However, I doubt Kawahara really thought that far ahead.


text:
Why does Yuno fall for Yuki in the first place?
It occurred to me that in the whole anime, there is never any reason mentioned for why she falls in love with Yuki. I mean, the first Yuno from the first dimension loved him as much as the Yuno from the second dimension and so on the third (probably). But there was never any explanation for why that made her like him so much. Is there anything that explain that in the manga? or somewhere else?

Been a long time since I watched it but If I recall correctly Yuki approached her on the past I don't remember the reason but since then she had the feeling there is also the another universe occurrence. But I don't recall enough to make it an accurate answer.

The reason is simple and a little bit ridiculous. It explain on chapter 5:

Because Yuki said he want to stargaze with his family, but his parent broke that promise to buy him a telescope because they got divorce. And then Yuno said that she will become his bride (so she can become his family) to watch a star with him. And Yuki (jokingly) answer that she have to wait until they're grown up, and Yuno accept that statement seriously.

these are pages on chapter 5, click to enlarge picture, page order: left to right

It's Yuno, she's yandere and crazy stalker. So I think it's reasonable for her to fall in love with Yuki because of such a reason like that

It's really doesn't explain why would she be loved so much just because of that single reason, And why she stalk him so long before she could at least said she interested in him  (or show him any clue that she is)...

@HashiramaSenju just like I said, it's Yuno, she can kill people with smile in her face, you can't expect logic from a Yandere. And if you want to go deeper, see Zargin's answer.

@HashiramaSenju You can accept another answer if you want, after I reread the manga, Zargin's answer is more correct. anyway, about why she stalk him so long, it's probably because she doesn't know that Yuki will love her back, she only know it because her future diary tells her about it. She doesn't sure, so she only stalk him and didn't do anything about it

oh, Now that make perfect sense (almost =]) you mean because she didn't know if he will love her back, she stalk him for know him better until she got her diary and then 'and only then' she approach him because the diary said that he will definitely love her back?

yepp, that's most definitely it. Remember when Yuno first kiss with Yuki and she said that he won't stab her (first chapter), she know it because of her future diary. And the same diary said they will be bound together. Maybe she afraid she will kill him if Yuki didn't love her back?

like i've said earlier, this is the anime with the most plot holes i've ever seen =/

Wouldn't it be her mental illness called stockholm syndrome that she has,definition-feelings of trust or affection felt in certain cases of kidnapping or hostage-taking by a victim toward a captor.

There's also the fact that we're dealing with 1st world Yuno here. That is, the untold story of the 1st World Survival Game. The 1st world Yuki might have been "cooler" than the 2nd world as he might have not relied on Yuno that much. Her feelings from that stargazing even might me reinforced more by the events of the 1st world Survival Game. And when she came to the Second World resulted to a "crazed Yandere Queen" Yuno for killing her beloved 1st world Yuki and not being able to resurrect him with the godly powers she acquired. (The key is to know that we're dealing with a mentally unstable girl who killed her adoptive parents and her lover.)


text:
Where or how can I watch "Heidi: Girl of the Alps"?
Does anybody know how or where I can watch the anime "Heidi: Girl of the Alps" legally? I remember watching this as a kid, and loving it, but I am unable to find any links to it now. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

http://www.amazon.com/Heidi-Girl-Alps-remastered-DVD-BOX/dp/B003WJD9XQ
There's your answer. I will not tell you how to watch it illegally. If you haven't figured out how by now, you really needn't be doing it. Just buy the dvd set.

Outside of ordering online (or CD/DVD shops wherever you live), I'm not sure whether there's a short answer for this. A lot of online streaming is region-specific, and even the viability of ordering online depends on your location.

Your name suggests that this isn’t an option, but it frequently airs in German children’s television (yes, even nowadays).

As of right now there is no legal online source where you can watch Heidi girl of the alps.
Your best bet would be to buy the dvd box like Alex-sama mentioned in his comment.

The Crunchyroll page says "Note: There are no videos for this Series. This page is only for discussion and informational purposes." so I don't think you can actually watch this there.

This answer lacks research, if the comment by Logan M is true. Can't confirm from work, Crunchyroll is blocked.

@LoganM Guess I skipped over the site to rashly during lunch, Indeed discussion only. My bad.

It's currently available with the Filmbox addon for Amazon Prime.  Though, I'm not sure which countries it's available in, as I can only check for the United States. I'm also not sure if it's available in via Filmbox separatly from Amazon Prime.  Here is the Amazon Prime page for it: https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/amzn1.dv.gti.8b3a9fa8-e146-42cf-afbb-c239775b83a4

Unfortunately, this is such a classic, old-school anime that my mother adored and could not find any legal streaming sites that broadcasts it, as far as the ones that I know of.
There's a brief mention of a VHS English dub release on Wikipedia and ANN database, but I haven't came across it or heard of a current DVD distribution.


text:
Why is the Shinigami World so desolate?
In Death Note, the Shinigami world is almost empty of any colour or life.
We can see that in the Shinigami world:

Trees are lifeless (if there are any trees at all)
Fruits are dried up and rotten
There seems to be hardly any light (though there also doesn't seem to be any complete darkness)

Because of this I would like to know why there world is like this.
By the way where do you go once you are killed by your own Shinigami, given that Ryuk told Light that once you write in the Notebook, you can neither go to heaven nor hell?

Well, what did you expect of the world of the Gods that govern the dead? Historical speaking, the world of the dead and their gods live in a somber place. The author itself seems to just picture it like that without a real "motif" of the why but simply because it should be do like that:

Obata said that he used "no real design motif" for the Shinigami Realm, and that he never settled on any concrete appearance; Obata described the Realm as changing appearance in each instance in Death Note, with it sometimes appearing as a dry field and sometimes appearing as a room "full of cookies." Obata says that he likes to think of the Shinigami Realm as "an abandoned building with chunks of chocolate sitting around." Obata said that he thought of the realm as being "inside something" and having a "claustrophobic feeling." Obata added that he would like to develop the Shinigami Realm further if it was used as the setting for a story.

I don't have the "Takeshi Obata Production Note: Characters." Death Note 13: How to Read. book to verify the Wikipedia source but if you buy it it should tell the same.


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Are there any anime suggestion engines?
In the past, I've used apps that have suggested films, books, or music to me based on a set of items I've enjoyed that I provide to the app.
Is there anything like that for anime? Basically I'm looking for something in which I can input that I like anime X, Y and Z and for it to suggest that I might like anime A because it has similar themes, or because other people who like X, Y and Z have also said they like A.

If it's enough to go by genre, there is: https://www.randomanime.org/

Anime-Planet and MyAnimeList have user submitted suggestions for shows on a "if you liked X, you might like Y" setup.
As a developer myself, this is something I've wanted to look into making, and MyAnimeList seems to be the most common site to be used for an engine as they provide an API to programmers.
Anime-Planet Recommendations:
Per-show Recommendations:

Update:  Anime-Planet now have version 1 of a personalized recommendation engine that works off what you have already seen

MyAnimeList Recommendations:
Per show recommendations

There are a couple of engines based off of MyAnimeList that people have made such as AnimeRecs (which is down at the moment) or mal.oko.im
There's also a new anime cataloguer Hummingbird which gives you a range of  recommendations based on what you've watched, what genres you like, which are your favourites. It seems to be the easiest to access and isn't soley show-specific.
Hummingbird Suggestions:

Other Sources
Other websites which provide anime have recommendations engine built in, Usually these are based off of what similarly interested people have enjoyed also.
Crunchyroll (Thanks @David_Starkey ):

Amazon:

crunchyroll also has a "Viewers Also Liked" section on the anime pages.

MAL has personalised recommendations now on the front page, if you're logged in, although I don't know if one's anime/manga lists have to reach a certain length first before recommendations can be properly generated. FWIW I'm happy with the ones I got, insofar as they're not unreasonable as recommendations.

Just to add to the list, there's also anidb which will also provide related, similar, and random anime recommendations

graph.anime.plus is a great analyser for your myanimelist profile.
On top of giving you a great deal of information on your habits and breakdowns on what you've listed it appears to just trawls through your favs and pulls the mal recommendations (it'd be damn cool if itI've found a damn cool tool that finds similar-minded people and recommend things you haven't seen that they liked).

Another thing it does in the same tab is show you related items that you haven't seen yet, which may yield a sequel or cool OVA you missed

AniPlan does both of these too

I love this site: http://animesuggestions.com/
You just type any anime you like, e.g. "One Piece" or "Hunter x Hunter", and it shows you a bunch of similar animes from which you can choose whatever catches your eyes, I guess.
(I only tried it once and I searched "Nagi no Asukara" and found "Elfen Lied", and I really liked it, okay?)

adding another answer since this is a drastically different way to go about it
You can use affinity.animesos.net to search for other people that share your tastes (based on mal's affinity).

Wow, someone with >95% affinity! Click their name to see their profile, then simply click the "~ shared" link.

I recommend sorting by score and first looking at what you two agreed on and what you didn't to be able to gauge where their tastes will apply to you, then just scroll down to the "Unique to [them]" section to add some of their favourites to your plan-to-watch!

Disclosure though; see how the affinity search said we only shared 11, yet mal says we share 79? Mal includes the unscored entries as items able to be common between people.
Here's a link to the comparison page, we might not be a great pair to extrapolate our opinions to each other.
So I bumped the search requirements to only use people with 50 shared titles, and that dropped my closest match to 69% affinity, but have a look at our comparisons page.
This should be a much more useful match to find new anime, especially if I work my way down the result list and see any titles that continue to pop up in a lot of peoples lists. Good luck!

Yes there are engine's such as that.  A good sample would if you are a owner of a filled in Myanimelist. If you have that can go to mal graph mal.oku.im and see recommended. I attached my own recommended as a sample for this. http://mal.oko.im/d3ullist/recs,anime
Then again in the end it all depends on your own taste´s.

As a head's up, it looks like the site is closing down within the next two months...

There aren't really dedicated "suggestion engines" for anime. your best bet is looking through places like [MyAnimeList] or [AnimePlanet]. Otherwise, you can go through something like this, scroll through to something that has genres you like, and look for whether or not it is highly rated.
In the end, there are plenty of websites you can go to that will give you info about series, recommendations, suggestions, etc., but nothing with a dedicated system. Just use a bunch'a different sites, and you won't go wrong.

There are a bunch of recommendation sites (e.g. Hummingbird iirc, Tastekid) that may also involve anime recommendations.

AniDB also has a recommendation feature. To use it, you need to add the series and episodes you watched to your AniDB MyList. Most importantly, you also need to rate the series from 1 to 10 (10 being best).
The system then uses some hidden algorithm based on what you voted and what others voted and thereby predicts your votes for series you have not yet watched. You can even remove recommendations from the prediction list if you say ‘I’m not going to watch that, stop telling me I’m going to rate it with a 9’.
Note that for recommendations to work best, you should attempt to vote in a way that puts your median at 5.5 and resembles a standard distribution. While the system ‘corrects’ votes for overall series ratings, if you use exaggerated votes you will also receive exaggerated vote predictions (such as 13, which is obviously larger than 10).