ONE PIECE Ch. 748 Review

Pica won't stand in the way of the Straw Hats and allies from taking down Doflamingo. The only trouble is in deciding who's going to actually face him.

The Good

Watching the bickering between all these characters on who gets to face off with Doflamingo in the finals of this arc makes me think of what it's really like behind the scenes of professional wrestling. Who doesn't want to win the belt and take on all the fame that comes with it? Not just the fame. It's all the side benefits of the money you can get from appearances, movies deals, and merchandising. Those people put their well being on the line for what is basically live theater. It stands to reason they're going to advocate for themselves. Ultimately, it's always up to the writer,... or McMahon.

Some may find this arguing silly, but it's sort of what happens when you lock a bunch of big personalities into a confined area, and Oda is certainly known for creating characters with heavy personality. Each one wants to take the lead for their own reasons and in their own way. None of these people are used to taking orders from anyone, why would they start listening to Luffy and Zoro?

We all know it's going to be Luffy, and of the various motives. I like his the most. It's astoundingly simple minded, but it's exactly what I hoped it would be. Luffy wants to win this fight to pay Rebecca back for buying him lunch. That sort of logic fits right in with his character, and Trafalgar's reaction only adds to the fun.

The Bad

I hate to say it, but not a great deal happens in this chapter. It's a bit hard to be too upset by that when you're actually reading it. The dialog and art balances things out really well. If you came into this week looking for some action, you're getting a little bit, but it's all on a gigantic scale.

Verdict 3/5

The chapter is littered with several visual skeptical that I'm sure will make great animation fodder a year or so from now. Ultimately, this is a chapter of a bunch of people arguing over who gets to be top dog. That could have been astoundingly boring if it wasn't for the writing behind everyone. Oda has become a real master at balancing personalities and screen time. He's like the Joss Whedon of manga-ka.

Just so you all are aware. I tried very hard to do a "Big, Strong Hands" reference in this one. Props to anyone who understands the meaning behind that.

Follow along with the latest ONE PIECE chapters yourself, tune in for the SJ Podcast, and check out the free starter pack sampler at ShonenJump.com here. You can download the free app for both iOS and Android devices.

About the Author

Kristoffer Remmell (FoxxFireArt) is a freelance graphic artist, writer, and over all mystery geek. Follow for news updates:@AnimeVicers/@FoxxFireArt / http://ift.tt/1hmMpg1

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Anime Caption Contest! -- 5/29/14 -- AV MOD MATERIAL

Welcome back to the Anime Vice Caption Contest! You know the drill; we have three new images that need some funny captions! See who won the previous contest below!

Rules!

• You can caption any or all of the images!


• You can caption the same image more than once, but not in the same post!

Your captions will be judged by the hosts of THE VICE PIT themselves; Tom Pinchuk and Sam Weller! The winners and their winning captions will be featured in the next Caption Contest post!

Winners!

	"♪ NO no no... more ecchi yeah ♪" ~ Whats_out_the_bag
	"Please try free sample and do not listen to the news reports about our product." ~ Mutant_God
	"When there are no clothes, a friend makes for an excellent bra." ~ YotaruVegeta

How to Participate!

To post the images properly, you should copy them from this post and paste them into the comment box, rather than upload the images again yourself. To do this, highlight some of the text below the images (try starting from "want to recommend") all the way up to some of the text above the images (try highlighting up to "fill in the captions!") and then right-click on that text and select "copy", go to the comment box, right-click inside that and select "paste" - then all you need to do is fill in the captions! Hope that helps, have fun!

New Caption Contest!

So, are you up to the challenge? Just copy the images (READ INSTRUCTIONS ABOVE!) into the comment box below and fill in the captions!

"Caption me!"

"Caption me!"

"Caption me!"

Want to recommend some images for the contest? Go to my profile and send them to me in a PM and I'll check them out. Have fun and good luck!

About the Author

Daniel Newton is a senior editor at BagoGames where he writes about anime and manga, comics, video games, and other related shenanigans. He also really likes Wine Gums. If you're into any of that you can follow him on: Twitter /// tumblr /// Google+

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One Piece crosses 310M volumes sold

BREAKING NEWS: One Piece is pretty damn popular.

Well, that might not be so breaking. It's been at the top of the shonen game for years, and now we have some numbers to back that up. With the 74th (!) volume selling four million copies, the entire series has now sold over 310 million copies of manga. That's just obscene.

Unfortunately, the strain of creating a juggernaut like One Piece has caught up to its creator. Eiichiro Oda is going on a two-week hiatus to get tonsil surgery that he's been postponing. Apparently, he needed the surgery around this time last year, but was holding off because it didn't affect his ability to work.

Man, selling those types of numbers is something amazing. I'm pretty sure he never thought back in 1997 that he'd still be going strong and with sales figures like that. Big ups to Oda!

[via Ameba News]

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Anime North '14: Cosplay

Anime North 2014 is one huge con this year, and the convention's parking lot proved to be a nice gathering place for all kinds of cosplayers. The sun beat down hard during Saturday's prime hours, but many persevered nonetheless.

It's not really surprising to see the usual Madoka, Attack on Titan, and by some estimate there are quite a few Kill la Kill cosplayers out in force. There are also some pretty rare ones too, which hopefully we have delivered for you in the gallery below.

Read more...



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Annotated Anime: Mekakucity Actors episode 7

In typical Mekakucity Actors fashion, they once again subvert my expectations by actually picking up where the last episode left off. The story seems to be taking a more recognizable form now; having thoroughly explored the tip of the iceberg, this episode suits up for the deep plunge below the surface to give us a glimpse of what this show is really about.

Read more...



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Review: World End Economica Episode 1

[Originally posted at Destructoid.]

Visual novels are a finicky medium. It's difficult enough to drum up interest because of their exotic origins, and harder still to find an audience due to their nature -- it's a bunch of reading. And you can't always be sure that the story you're reading is going to be one that you'll want to invest dozens of hours in. On one hand, you've got a menagerie of engaging tales that capture the imagination and ensnare the reader until the very end. On the other, you've got a set of stories with dull, flavorless dialogue and uninteresting protagonists.

Why waste time on a less-than-stellar adventure when there are juicier ones at your disposal? I find myself asking this question and others when it comes to World End Economica Episode 1, Spice and Wolf author Isuna Hasekura's three-part visual novel series that follows a teenager who runs away from home and attempts to make a living for himself in the world of day trading. It's ambitious in scope, but ultimately ends up failing due to a lack of interactivity and a protagonist that's difficult to root for.

Read more...



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Community Spotlight 5/23/2014

Greetings, Anime Vice Community. I'd like to start off with apologizing for neglecting to write up the spotlight last week. My area had a lot of storms through much of the week that required me to keep my computer turned off through much of the day, in fear of potential blackouts. It really threw me off in trying to write up all the Shonen Trilogy reviews.

The Vice Pit returned in a big way as Tom discussed the good and bad aspects of the 2014 Spring season, and then expanded on a user question to talk about their favorite openings in anime. Surely everyone has an opinion on that one.

Over the previous week, I did manage to marathon through the entire run of ATTACK ON TITAN via Netflix streaming. That was well worth watching on the big screen. Only a few days later it was then announced that KILL LA KILL was also added to Netflix streaming.

​

Anime Vice Task Initiative: Alphabetical: HERE

Anime Vice Task Initiative: Wiki Style Guide: HERE

Wonderful Wikis

• Caesar Zeppeli


• Komatsu


• Sharrkan


• Fo


• Griamor


• Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders Ep. 7


• One Piece Ep. 643


• Fairy Tail Ep. 181


• Chaika - The Coffin Princess Ep. 7

WANTED Wikis

• Sinbad (250 Bounty)


• Z/X Ignition (350 Bounty)


• Seven Deadly Sins (200 Bounty)


• Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders (300 Bounty)

Blog-o-sphere & Formidable Forums

• Fetish Friday: MILF (Mother I Like to be Friends With) by takashichea HERE


• Viz Media Snags Up Sailor Moon Anime Franchise by Dream HERE


• MANGA REVIEW: STEALTH SYMPHONY-FIRST IMPRESSIONS… by katmic HERE


• Netflix (USA) will stream Knights of Sidonia by takashichea HERE

Remember, if you would like to submit something for the Spotlight. You can send me a PM, but please be sure to add "Spotlight" to the subject line I can't stress how important that is because it might just be lost in my Inbox when I clear it. Even if you have worked on something yourself and are really proud of your work. Get to work, and make more content for the next Spotlight!! Jana!!

About the Author

Kristoffer Remmell (FoxxFireArt) is a freelance graphic artist, writer, and over all mystery geek. Follow for news updates: @AnimeVicers /@FoxxFireArt / http://ift.tt/1hmMpg1

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I'm Finished with HUNTER X HUNTER

There’s some fitting symmetry here. This is the second long-form shonen serial I’ve watched all the through (to the latest episode, at least). The first one, of course, was YU YU HAKUSHO. Two series by the same creator. One demonstrates the positives of the genre. The other showing the negatives.

The only compliment I can make here is that the show did answer my complaint in the last write-up about the latest, twenty-odd episodes lacking real stakes. Nukes go off! Thousands of innocents are threatened with mutation! Reality itself seems to implode in on itself!

...And I couldn’t be more nonplussed.

== TEASER ==

In all the time I’ve been doing these write-ups, there are few moments more disenchanting than when I get thrown out of the implicit handshake deal I make with these shows. I know it’s all mumbo jumbo. I know it’s all silly. But let me at least pretend to be serious about it.

I can’t do that when I’m watching moments of tense, dramatic conflict involving a red, talking octopus with bushy eyebrows, cherub-like chibi’s and an old man in a bike suit who actually has a special attack where he makes a heart with his hands. Togashi’s game has always seemed to be about him making you feel pathos for inherently ridiculous characters. That game got old a long time ago. There’s no sense of humor about these characters. The shows seems to be taking them seriously. Whether it’s failed drama or failed comedy, it’s just too silly to watch.

The biggest shame about all of this is that the “Chimera Ant” arc started so promisingly. I never indulge the assurance that I should power through lame episodes because “it gets soooooooo good after episode #57,” but I decided to give in this time. Episode by episode, I went through material that never felt like A-content, always hoping that it would build to something. Well, it never did. I can’t wait for anything, anymore. It never came.

As far remakes go, this makes FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST: BROTHERHOOD look much better. And as far as Togashi fight shonens go, it makes YU YU HAKUSHO look significantly better. I'll probably do a post-mortem on this in a video later.

Watch this last episode and decide for yourself, then read my comments on the last batch of episodes.

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Marathoning JOJO'S BIZARRE ADVENTURE #13-16

I’m too anxious to catch up to “Stardust Crusaders.” I can’t stay patient with this pace. Also, it was getting a little redundant to find different ways to re-phrase how ridiculous, good and, at many times, ridiculously good this show is. So, I’ll chew through the rest of this season in chunks. It feels just that much more frenetic that way.

Anyway, as we continue to figure out where this show fits in genre fiction’s whole train of influence, it’s worth noting that this batch of episodes really made me think of the ROAD WARRIOR. Obviously, that one flick had tremendous influence on pop culture, inspiring everything from WATERWORLD to JOJO’s contemporary, FIST OF THE NORTH STAR, to… well… a good 50% of wrestling gimmicks in the 80’s. On surface level, you might liken the… threatening sexuality of Wez to that of the Pillar Men, but I think the more profound connection is also more subtle.

== TEASER ==

LITTLE KNOWN FACT: George Miller, the director of MAD MAX, started his filmmaking career with a flick called VIOLENCE IN CINEMA that actually spoofed the kind of gory movies he’d later be known for. And I think the reason ROAD WARRIOR made such an impression was because Miller had picked apart action cinema so thoroughly that he understood exactly what to with every competent when he made a serious actioner. Having a healthy sense of humor about all the derring-do - - as opposed to being overly dour about it - - probably helped, too.

I feel like Araki’s done the same thing here. The most striking part about this story is that - - if you take away all the comedy bumps - - it’s still a tightly plotted pulp adventure. The threats are constantly escalating. The reversals are surprising. Tension is infused into even the most seemingly mundane exercise. It just also happens to be funny. I previously called it the shonen antitode, but now it really looks more like an antidote to overly self-service thrillers like GHOST IN THE SHELL, TEXHNOLYZE and GUNSLINGER GIRL are. It’s giving you your cake, and letting eat it, too.

Last point, while we’re keeping tally on all the references - - is one of the Pillar Men really named for Wham? The references to AC/DC, Lisa Lisa and the Cars were easy enough to pick up on, but that one wasn’t so obvious. Tell me, lunatics - - did I guess correctly?

Watch "JoJo vs. the Ultimate Lifeform" and decide for yourself, then read my comments on the previous episode.

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NARUTO Ch. 676 Review

Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura are blocked at every turn as they try to stop Madara's insidious plan, but nothing seems to be able to prevent the casting of the Infinite Tsukuyomi.

The Good

One of the strongest aspects of this chapter is in the action. The illustration work is solid here throughout, and Naruto continues the trend of using various Bijuchakra to form new Rasengan. Some may find that silly, but I think this idea is being used to good effect, so far.

The Bad

At what point is Madara going to stop getting power ups? It's starting to get as silly as things did with Frieza in the closing chapters of the Namek Saga. As a mortal, he whooped the ass of all nine Biju with one glance. Since then, he's absorbed the revive Ten-Tails, the entire Divine Tree -- which was also the revived Ten-Tails, and now he has both Rinnegan. Only now is he finally starting to do something with all that power. However, I still have this nagging feeling that we still haven't seen his "true-form".

One of the biggest negatives has to be Sakura. Don't get me wrong. She starts off solid enough with an awesome display, but drops right back into her role of the passive observer. This in spite of expressing how she wants to stop being behind the boys. Seeing how such dramatic effort come to no effect, I'm having a hard time deciding if she's being impressive or just reckless.

Kishimoto doesn't seem to realize that it doesn't count as growth for a female lead if she's constantly repeating the same cycle and having to be rescued. To top it all off, she's still upset it wasn't Sasuke who helped her. It's a series of compounding frustrations when it comes to her in this issue.

Verdict 3/5

When he focuses on moving the plot forward, Kishimoto's style really shines. For all my complaints with the chapter, I still found the events entertaining. This is a better example of the NARUTO I've been wanting to read over the past several weeks/months. It's just a shame that he treats Sakura so poorly, and has turned the big bad of the series into one of the most obnoxious JRPG final bosses ever.

Follow along with the latest NARUTO chapters yourself, tune in for the SJ Podcast, and check out the free starter pack sampler at ShonenJump.com here. You can download the free app for both iOS and Android devices.

About the Author

Kristoffer Remmell (FoxxFireArt) is a freelance graphic artist, writer, and over all mystery geek. Follow for news updates: @AnimeVicers/@FoxxFireArt / http://ift.tt/1hmMpg1

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Sword Art Online season 2 to premiere worldwide

To promote SAO season 2, Sword Art Online II, which is due out this summer, Aniplex of America is hosting a premiere screening of the first episode at Anime Expo on July 4th. It predates the screening on Japanese TV on July 5th by a few hours. While details of the stream is to be finalized later, Crunchyroll will simulcast the TV series proper after the premiere. Aniplex confirmed the French announcement on the same day at Anime Central.

Along with the Anime Expo premiere, Aniplex is bringing over the light novel author and creator Reki Kawahara and original character illustrator abec to AX. The pair will participate in the usual con events such as signings and panels. The SAO2 festivities is not just limited to the US too; the lucky folks at France's Japan Expo will get the first taste of SAO2, and premiere events in Germany, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Korea will also happen that day along with, of course, events in Japan. More details can be found on Aniplex of America's SAO site.

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Unboxing New FUNimatiom DVD/Blu-Ray Releases

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All-Time Favorite Anime Intro's?

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Anime North 2014 is this weekend!

With Memorial Day weekend upon us, we have three great cons in North America again this coming weekend. Anime North, the biggest anime con in Canada, is offering its usually diverse programming from J-rock acts to live action wrestling? English and Japanese voice acting? Flea market and exclusive balls? You name it, Anime North has it, probably.

The third and fourth largest anime conventions in North America last year are Anime Central and Anime North. They land on back to back weeks this year, and I pity whoever has to attend both conventions, like me. But at the same time I'm pretty excited to be able to see Yumi Hara, the voice of Takane from Idolm@ster, along with super veteran Japanese voice actor and co-founder of Aoni Production, Hidekatsu Shibata, and fellow seiyuu Mai Goto. Anime North will also showcase J-rock band DaizyStripper, who are pretty cool back when I saw them in '08, and VK duo Rose Noire. To top it off, there's the usual parade of English voice acting talents, aerial acrobats, wrestlers, comic artists and illustrators, costumers, fashion designers and cosplayers, entertainers, performers and musicians from North America and more.

Toronto is a fun city to visit, but I hope the locals come out in force this weekend and come and support the guests! Who's going?

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ONE PIECE Ch. 747 Review

Everyone has picked a side, and the forces are now engaged in the war for the fate of Dressrosa. Two loses won't shake Doflamingo's resolve. Not when he has a monster such as Pica on his side. Just try not to chuckle when he talks.

The Good

It was fairly obvious that the mystique behind Pica had to be hiding something. He's remained silent and absent for nearly this entire arc. I can't say I'm all that shocked that it was hiding his high-pitch voice. That's a classic gag for large dudes covered in muscles. Although cliche, Oda plays it off to great effects, and it really pays off when Luffy reacts to it with his usual level of tact.

In turn, he takes a huge leap away from another story cliche. Rather than keep hope alive of invading the SMILE Factory, Doflamingo has decided to just destroy the only keys needed to enter past it's impenetrable walls. Finally, an antagonist who doesn't seem to suffer from needless arrogance or just blind stupidity.

Despite my better judgement, I'm finding myself fascinated with the character depth of Doflamingo. I was already interested in knowing how he lost the title of Celestial Dragon. In this chapter, he makes a rather harsh distinction between his parents. He "lost" his mother then "killed" his father a few years later. Don't be surprised if the loss of his mother is what inspired him to later kill. For as ruthless as he can be, there's something sympathetic buried in there. Don't yell at me, but I sort of want a flashback to dig up what I'm certain is a dark past.

The Bad

The bit about having a squeaky voice is very hard to pull off in a manga format. I just don't think you can really understand what the creator is going for. That does allow the reader to sort of fill in the blank, which could very well be funnier than say what's ultimately selected in the anime version. However, I do applaud the use of a unique text for his dialog to really make his "voice" stand out from others.

Verdict 5/5

Oda is getting high marks with me for nailing out seriously solid chapters week after week. Two weeks in a row, we're getting chapters that really feed the hunger of various types of readers. It has plot, back story, some action, and ends it all up with solid laugh and a desire to see what happens next. I'm sort of on the fence with the voice joke, but the best effort was made in what's likely a tough situation.

Follow along with the latest ONE PIECE chapters yourself, tune in for the SJ Podcast, and check out the free starter pack sampler at ShonenJump.com here. You can download the free app for both iOS and Android devices.

About the Author

Kristoffer Remmell (FoxxFireArt) is a freelance graphic artist, writer, and over all mystery geek. Follow for news updates: @AnimeVicers/@FoxxFireArt / http://ift.tt/1hmMpg1

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Annotated Anime: Mekakucity Actors episode 6

This week's entry starts with a bang, passing on the usual OP and going straight into a action setpiece, where a black-haired Ene races down the metropolitan city blocks that seem to be collapsing all around her. The high tension beginning is followed by a trip to the past which lays down yet even more enticing circuits in this labyrinth of a chipboard that is Mekakucity Actors.

Read more...



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ACEN '14: Scenes from opening ceremony

Anime Central 2014 opened with a great list of guests. What's actually really unusual is that most of the guests on the roll call showed up at the opening ceremony, which seems like a good omen for a convention weekend given it's very often that guests don't show up bright and early on the first day.

Take a look at the gallery below. The most impressive list of guests, aside from a partly arrived roster of WUG idol group, is the parade of Japanese DJ ready to party with the locals. It's also good to see returning faces like Yoshitoshi ABe and Helen McCarthy on stage once again, along with the usual cast of English voice talents. That said, Bryn Apprill deserves a special shout out for making her first appearance as an anime con guest!

Read more...



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Annotated Anime: M3 The Dark Metal episode 5

Our psychological mecha anime of the season has finally built enough layers of story and intrigue to feel like a fully established show. This episode is the most focused one yet, keeping the spotlight on fewer characters and dropping larger bread crumbs as they lead us further into the story.

Read more...



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Powering Through HUNTER X HUNTER #111-120

Earlier on, I described this series as an ongoing demonstration of the difference between how a scene sounds on paper and how it actually plays on screen. That was Togashi’s goal : spinning compelling yarns with characters that were almost intentionally bland. At the time, I meant that positively. The prospect, for instance, of Gon playing a dodgeball sounded dumb, at first, but ended up playing quite engagingly in the episode itself.

While HxH still exists to demonstrate that concept-to-execution gulf, it’s now showing the negative inverse, instead. If you told me we’d see ten episodes where this whole gang of superheroes finally raided this horrific super-villain’s palace, and waged war against all his powerful minions of a non-stop series of highly-destructive battles… well… I would’ve said “Game on!”

== TEASER ==

Yet, here I was, watching over three hours of combat that was somehow never that exciting. Initially, I wondered if that might be due to something simple, like the unwisely-drab color palette they selected. Thinking about it more, though, the colors wouldn’t really matter that much. This is actually the point where the cleverness of Togashi’s conceit has dried up.

YU YU HAKUSHO had fights that were just as protracted as this, but the key difference was that there was always some sense of stakes. Yusuke could spend 30 episodes trading blows with Toguro, but it was always stressed that, if he lost, then Toguro was going to go on and kill Keiko and the rest of his loved ones. HxH has skirted any of that stuff, and simply thrown in any fighters to balloon its cast in a really self-defeating way. Why should I care what happens to Knuckle? Would it have made more sense to involve Kurapka and Leorio in this, since they were properly introduced? What does it matter if the King is defeated, if he’s just lollygagging over his world conquest plot? It’s just fighting for fighting’s sake.

You can accuse a lot of other shonen of that, but DBZ and YYH always at least maintain some sense of stakes. And I can’t really stay involved without stakes. After I fulfill my pledge to catch up with this show’s most recent episodes, I’ll definitely be parting ways with HxH.

Read my comments on the previous batch of episodes here.

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Community Spotlight -- 5/19/2014

Rebecca

Welcome everyone to another beautiful community spotlight! For many college students in our community, many of us are enjoying our summer vacation after grueling finals. For high school students, I wish you good luck on your AP exams. Cheers to our students and everyone for their hard work!

Please check out the last community spotlight we did together.

Wiki Spotlight

Awesome job to Taichokage and ForgottenOne for doing another great job on their wiki pages! Taichokage is scoring big on the Magi and D. Gray-Man pages while ForgottenOne clear some Jojo's Bizarre Adventure wiki tasks. Compared to them, I did only 2 episode summaries this week and one anime series page. Gyn uploaded wonderful images of One Piece. Check his stitched cap of Rebecca. Looks pretty awesome. RubberLuffy did his first wiki bounty task, Lisa Lisa. Lastly, Demonic13 did a cool summary on Kenko Zanrakei Suieibu Umishou Episode 4.

We have a new wiki editor these past 2 weeks. Sidapa is a Wikia editor from Hitsugi no Chaika Wikia. He is one of my teammates on the Chaika wiki project. Please welcome him.

Best Wiki Pages

• Jean-Pierre Polnareff


• Mohammed Avdol


• Lisa Lisa


• Miranda Lotto


• Lulu Bell


• Yamraiha


• Pisti


• Chaika - The Coffin Princess


• Kenko Zenrakei Suieibu Umishou Ep. 4


• Chaika - The Coffin Princess Ep. 6


• Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders Ep. 6

Forum Favorites and Hottest Discussion Threads

• waezi2 revives an old discussion for Blood Lad Blood Lad.


• Dream's Official Anime/ Manga Villians Voting Tournament Thread is going quite strong.


• WayBig1010101's AMV Tournament Election should be ending this week. Please vote for your favorite AMVs. (I actually forgot to include this in the last spotlight when I was rushing it. Sorry about that.)


• The Movies & TV Club is hitting home run when we're excited about the new Godzilla movie and updates about Arrow, Constantine, Supernatural, and the Flash TV shows. Come and please visit the thread.

Hottest Discussion Threads for this week:

• Hitsugi no Chaika Discussion


• Riddle Story of Devil Discussion (SP 14)


• Pokémon Discussion (Anime)

Best Blogs

• Viz Media Snags Up Sailor Moon Anime Franchise - Dream reported about Viz Media's latest announcement at Anime Central 2014, the acquisition of Sailor Moon


• For me, I made reports on updates about the newest team wiki projects: Jojo's Bizarre Adventure and Chaika - Coffin Princess.


• BigHeart711 shared his experiences with AWA 2013, ADW Lost Episode: My Day at Anime Weekend Atlanta 2013 and Absolute Destiny Whatever: Busted Ethics.


• Katmic has written reviews for NOBLESSE CHAPTER 321 REVIEW: M-21 and THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS CHAPTER 76 REVIEW:THE GREAT HAWK LORD.


• Marshal has written an argument for video games, In defense of video games as art.

Anime Conventions News

I'm doing threads for Guests of Honors for the following Anime Conventions:

• Anime Expo 2014


• MomoCon 2014


• Anime Central 2014

RPG Forums

For newcomers, check out Kuma's first RPG news blog, Animevice RPG Weekly News 22/02/2014 for more information.

Thanks to Vapovile for his news tip. The hottest RPG forums are...

• Mind the Gap [RP] and Mind the Gap [OOC]


• An Unexpected Train Ride - RP and An Unexpected Train Ride (OOC)


• Running The Asylum-Rp and Running The Asylum- OOC

Battle News

An old thread was revived, the Rate The Debaters, where users rank other battle users on a scale of 1-5 based on their opinions. The most visited battle threads wereLucifer(Supernatural) vs. Kid Buu, Kid Buu vs Broly, and Acacia Three disciples, 4 Heavenly Kings, Joa VS SSJ 1 Vegetto.

CAVs that are still going strong are CAV Presents: IndridCold vs DBZ_universe.

Front News

	Check out Daniel Newton's latest Caption Contest! Even the most simple GIFs can be a little hypnotic... caption time!
	Tom Pinchuk reviews Blade & Soul Ep. 1 and finds it to be the best pilot of this spring 2014 season. Special Review. I can't believe it's not fan service! Then, he did a review for episode 2.
	Tom Pinchuk does another W & L article on Jojo's Bizarre Adventure! Episode #12 -- Watch & Learn. Carlos Santana?
	Anime Filler vs. Padding -- The Vice Pit What's the difference really? Aren't we just talking about B-Material?
	FoxxFireArt reviews One Piece ch. 746. That's him on the monitor. That's Usopp in the spotlight. He's losing his religion.
	Anime Spring 2014 Season -- What's Bad? Tom and his friend Marlin of Anime Expo share their bad shows. THE VICE PIT. We've watched pretty much every new pilot so you don't have to. Which ones should you avoid?
	FoxxFireArt reviews Ch. 675. NARUTO returns from the Golden Week break with one of the most underwhelming reveals in the series' entire run.

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Anime Spring 2014 Season -- What's Good?

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Otsuka to send soft drink into space next year

Well, you know it had to happen sooner or later. The Earth became impossibly full of advertisements, so they had to start using the moon. In all seriousness, Japanese soft drink maker Otsuka, producers of the oddly tasty Pocari Sweat, have revealed plans to send one of their beverages to the moon in 2015 with the Falcon 9 rocket, which helps supply the International Space Station.

This isn't just any old can of Pocari Sweat. No, the drink maker had a can designed to withstand the rigors of space and the moon for 30 year. Enough time to, say inspire a kid to become an astronaut and grab that can. No word yet whether the Pocari Sweat will be any good in 30 years.

Along with the can, Otsuka is planning to include metal disks etched with the "dreams of children" sent into their website. Interestingly enough, the site is available in English, so go there and drop your dreams onto their forms and make it into space!

[via IGN]

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Review: JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: All-Star Battle

[As originally posted at Destructoid.]

How do you like your fighting games? Personally, I like mine with a sizable dose of pop culture references and eye-melting color palettes infused with a healthy dose of humor that's hilariously self-aware. That's what you get with JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: All-Star Battle , the most gleefully insane anime-inspired fighter the genre has seen in some time.

Distilling a good 25 years' worth of story arcs from the wildly popular JoJo's Bizarre Adventure into an accessible fighter that anyone can enjoy is no easy feat, and yet developer CyberConnect2 has done an admirable job that should be praised. Even if your heart is as black as professional jerk Dio Brando's.

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Annotated Anime: One Week Friends episode 7

As Hase appears to fall victim once more to his possessive nature, Kaori is walking tall. This week's episode is a blush-fest, stepping away from group activities and focusing back onto our two original protagonists Hase and Kaori. It's also distinctly chopped into two stories, unlike the continuous flow of events that we've been used to from previous episodes.

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Annotated Anime: Daimidaler episode 6

Talk about a drastic turn.

Daimidaler takes the cue from last week and rebooted the protagonists. The defeated "good guys" are shuttered underground, and with the defense budgets slashed and rival pilots defeated, the Ritz and the Penguins have free reign on the surface. What that means is that Japan's sex industry has cratered and there is no one to stand up against the Penguins.

All of that is in good fun and in line with what we've come to expect of Daimidaler, but what happened in this week's episode is just brilliant and spontaneous enough to really change my opinion of the show for the better. Kiriko has saved Daimidaler, in more ways than one.

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NARUTO Ch. 675 Review

Madara has come to Obito to finally reclaim his left eye. While he's at it, he has an inconvenient truth to share with his once loyal pawn.

The Good

If I could say anything to defend this chapter, I would put the focus on Kakashi's eye. This at least stands out as a definitive change for the character. I can't seeKishimoto giving Kakashi another Sharingan after returning his original eye. Although, this does spell the end of his reign as the Copy-Ninja. I can honestly say that I didn't see that coming.

While I am surprised that the creator would do something so dramatic at this stage, it's a bit deflating how we get there. Suddenly, Naruto just has this power that can regenerate organs that have been missing for decades with a simple wave of his hand. That's just a little too convenient.

The Bad

Okay, I want to see an honest show of hands. Was there anyone who was surprised by the revelation that Madara was directly responsible for the death of Rin? Anyone? I didn't think so. Kishimoto really tries to sell this as some big twist, but I saw that coming from the first time it was shown. The only thing that surprised me is how long it's taken for the last shoe to drop.

At the same time, Kishimoto is trying to pull off a further redemption of Obito by implying that he wasn't really responsible for his actions over all these years. It all comes across as incredibly sloppy. Sure, I hated Obito's stated motives. I thought they were childish, but he at last had some conviction. It created a contrast. Now, we're expected to accept him as another victim. If that's true, then why didn't he show some change or hesitation when that seal was destroyed by Kakashi?

Verdict 1/5

This chapter felt as if it was a piece of fan-fiction that won some contest to be woven into the canon story. Only one thing happened that I was honestly shocked by, another just confirmed what I knew to be true a long time ago, then it has this long flashback to the early days of Team 7. We don't need the writer to constantly beat us over the head with how the characters have changed over the years.

You know how you start off watching a TV show that you really enjoy, then the plot just goes off the rails. You start questioning why you're still watching? That's what I'm feeling with this series. In the years after NARUTO finally ends, I really wonder where in the plot this story really started to fall apart. I started this series really enjoying it, but now this is just getting silly.

Follow along with the latest NARUTO chapters yourself, tune in for the SJ Podcast, and check out the free starter pack sampler at ShonenJump.com here. You can download the free app for both iOS and Android devices.

About the Author

Kristoffer Remmell (FoxxFireArt) is a freelance graphic artist, writer, and over all mystery geek. Follow for news updates: @AnimeVicers /@FoxxFireArt / http://ift.tt/1hmMpg1

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Anime Spring 2014 Season -- What's Bad?

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AA: Selector Infected WIXOSS episode 7

Whew, already episode 7. It's officially past the midway point, usually the time where many anime series start to step onto the fast track towards the season finale, and WIXOSS seems to have done just that. Each character is nurturing their own arc so a new story can emerge from the darkness.

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ONE PIECE Ch. 746 Review

Doflamingo has placed a price on the heads of the Straw Hats and all his enemies trapped within the country's border. It's up for the people of Dressrosa to decide on which enemy to fight.

The Good

Faith can be such a fickle thing. One day they're worshiping at your feet and would give their lives for you, and the next they're after your head for the treasure. I wouldn't call that much a relatable problem for your average person, but it's something Usopp has found himself dealing with now that Doflamingo has put a huge bounty on his head.

I wonder if this counts as karma for all his poor behavior earlier in the arc. Oda had Usopp behaving a bit more despicable than usual, and he's certainly paying for it. That's a surprising touch of balance in story telling. I also admire showing the motives of the people to not want to face Doflamingo's army over attacking the relatively small force heroes.

Oda could have just focused on the turmoil happening in the Dressrosa and the bounties, but he manages to fit in some of that parental drama that I've been enjoying between Rebecca and Kyros. I really appreciated the touch that Luffy admits here that he wanted to give the Flame-Flame Fruit to Rebecca. That's exactly what I had been hoping to happen.

I'd hate to bring up the discussion -- because crew speculations are a dime a dozen among readers, but what if Luffy's speech here will become another nakama moment? Anyone care to expand on this point?

The Bad

Nothing really bad to speak of for this chapter. I got most of what I was looking for while reading. Maybe that's just a subjective thing, but that's what most reviews are to begin with.

Verdict 5/5

Oda comes right out of the Golden Week break with a real grand slam of a chapter. This one has a little bit of everything you come to this series for, with the exception a new enemy crushing attack from Luffy. If this isn't setting the stage for the last act of the arc, then I don't know what else it could be. It's a good read that really gets me pumped up for next week.

Follow along with the latest ONE PIECE chapters yourself, tune in for the SJ Podcast, and check out the free starter pack sampler at ShonenJump.com here. You can download the free app for both iOS and Android devices.

About the Author

Kristoffer Remmell (FoxxFireArt) is a freelance graphic artist, writer, and over all mystery geek. Follow for news updates: @AnimeVicers /@FoxxFireArt / http://ift.tt/1hmMpg1

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Ultra Street Fighter 4 gets release dates, alternate costume trailer

After months of devouring any news that escaped the clutches of Capcom, we finally know when we'll get our hands on Ultra Street Fighter 4. Come June 3, you'll be able to download the upgrade on Playstation Network, or June 4th for those on Xbox Live, for $14.99. If you're interested in a physical copy, you'll have to wait until August 5 and you'll be paying $39.99. This full retail version will include all previous costume DLC. PC players will have to wait until August 8 for both the upgrade and the new retail SKU.

If you pre-order the full retail game at participating retailers, you'll also get the alternate outfits for the new characters. Which retailers? Well, that hasn't been revealed yet. I'm guessing either Amazon or Gamestop, as those two financial monsters usually take the lion's share of pre-order bonuses. You can bet that whoever gets that bonus will be getting my money.

So who's getting the DLC on June 3? Me, I'm waiting for the full retail disc on August 5. I want to have as much content on a disc as possible. It just makes sense, as I play a lot in other people's houses and want to use my alternate outfits. Freddie Mercury Dudley forever! Well, until I get my hands on Elena. Then it'll be Jungle Elena forever!

[via Capcom Unity]

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Booya! Here's another Persona 3 movie trailer

It's almost time for the second Persona 3 movie, Midsummer Knight's Dream, to hit theaters. To hold you over until it hits theaters, and one day eventually makes it overseas, here's another trailer to hype you up. In it, we get a couple more shots of Aegis, but we mostly see Koromaru, Shinji, Ken and the Strega members opposing our favorite meddling SEES kids. I also really dug the additional shots of what I assume is the rest of the world during the Dark Hour. The red sea and landscapes look spooky.

Alright now, what's the hype level for this flick? Me, I can't wait to get my hands on this movie. Persona 3 still has my favorite story from the Shin Megami Tensei series, so seeing it with glorious animation and an extended amount of time to tell its story pleases me to no end.

[via Destructoid]

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Anime Filler vs. Padding -- THE VICE PIT

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Get yer gunpla ready, Gundam Build Fighters season two is a go!

After the surprise hit that was Gundam Build Fighters, we were left uncertain as to whether the popular show would be getting a second season. After all, everything in the story was wrapped up in a nice bow with only Sei's future left uncertain. Well, the official Build Fighters website announced that season two is in the works! No other info was given besides a tiny photograph stating "NEXT FIGHTERS STANDBY."

While I would've been OK with no second series, I'm excited to see what Sunrise can bring for its next go-around. Will they keep it in the same world? Will they make an Alternate Universe? Who knows, but at the very least if they keep the same team, it should be entertaining. Anybody else out there ready for more gunpla fighting goodness?

[via Crunchyroll]

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Eva, One Piece watches let you nerd out in style

Two separate companies are releasing watches based off two extremely popular franchises: Neon Genesis Evangelion and One Piece. On the robotic end of the spectrum, GaGa Milano's watch has a leather strap and EVA 01's black, purple and green color scheme, because what other colors would they use? If you're hankering for that one, one of the limited run of 300 will cost you ¥248,400, or $2,440 USD. Uh, definitely targeted to the higher-end fan.

In terms of pirates, Imperial Enterprises designed their watch around Trafalgar Law, the hunky anti-hero currently teaming up with Luffy in the show. Called "Time Shambles," the watch has several symbols connected to Law on the watch and his sword looks to be the second hand. You also have a choice between a black and orange leather strap or metal chain. This watch, limited to a run of 9,999 pieces, will only cost ¥2,980, or about $293 USD. Still pricey, but way more reasonable and close to normal prices for mid-range watches.

As fandom reaches out to older audiences with higher incomes, more and more high-end items will pop up that'll be out of the reach (or interest) of your typical fan. In the case with these watches, they're probably within the realm of interest for many, but will probably be out of their budgets. Granted, one of those watches is definitely easier to get than the other, but they're still kinda pricey. Anybody out there remotely interested in either of these time pieces?

[via Capsule Computers]

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Review: Princess Nine

At the beginning, I loved Princess Nine. It may be a cliche to say "I laughed, I cried!", but the fact is, I really did laugh and cry. The show seemed to be capable of doing something nigh-impossible: present a story unabashedly about girl power, without demonizing the male characters and rehashing the war between the sexes. Instead of getting bogged down in just dealing with sexism, the show transcends the gender gap and becomes about universal human struggles that apply to everyone: wisdom versus ignorance, passion versus apathy, and fear of the unknown versus the courage to try something new and dangerous. There's an awful lot going on in Princess Nine, and for a little while there, I was in anime heaven.

Then I saw the final third of the series -- and suddenly, I wanted to break all the discs over my knee and throw the pieces into an industrial wood chipper. However, a cooler head prevailed, as I eventually realized that despite my disappointment with the final arc, this is a quality release that deserves a place on many fans' shelves.

Besides, I have no idea where to find a wood chipper.

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Who is JOJO'S BIZARRE ADVENTURE Afraid Of

I can understand why the translators would’ve been anxious about a lawsuit from Santana’s people, but they were honestly concerned about Donovan making a stink…? Dude’s been more-or-less retired for thirty years!

It’s endlessly amusing - - listening closely to names in the Japanese dialog track, and then compaing them to similar-but-legally-distinct alternatives in the sub-titles. The thought of Carlos Santana being this evil, statuesque antichrist figure with bizarre shape-shifting and absorption powers is just gleefully absurd. And… that… goes for pretty much everything about this.

And the more you know about rock from the late 60’s through the mid 80’s, the more amusing it all gets. I can only imagine what sort of licensing deal Yes got when the American distribution was finally worked out for this show but - - having just seen those seasoned older gentlemen at a music festival last year - - I’m sure the guys must have felt pretty cool to be included in a hip new anime like this. The riff from “Owner of Lonely Heart” is the sound cue for a shonen supermove? Kick ass!

Once again, the show has little moments that I’ve never seen any other heroic serial do. Things like JoJo legitimately thinking his Bugs Bunny cross-dressing ruse would work - - and getting violently angry when it didn’t - - or von Stroheim cracking up over how stupid his own doomsday device is. The villain even seems to be break character in the best way with that latter gag. I’ve seen countless mad scientists unearth ancient evil gods. I haven’t seen one of them lose his shit over that god fumbling around like a newborn idiot.

While we’re on the subject, I’ll add another notch onto the tally card of “Video Games that Probably Ripped Off Jojo’s here” and speculate that Gill [final boss of STREET FIGHER III] probably took a lot of inspiration from Santanna here. Do you lunatics figure I’m right in suspecting that?

Watch "the Pillar Man" and decide for yourself, then ready my comments on the previous epiosode.

About the Author

Tom Pinchuk’s a writer and personality with a large number of comics, videos and features like this to his credit. Visit his website - - tompinchuk.com - - and follow his Twitter: @tompinchuk

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Gundam/Zaku kicks are definitely one way to show your passion

We've seen some pretty interesting examples of Mobile Suit Gundam-branded clothing in the past, but this one collaboration that piqued my interest on several different levels. Reebok is releasing two special versions of their Instapump Fury sneakers in China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan branded with the colors and markings of either the RX-78-2 or Char's Zaku. It's not just the shoe either. The box is also designed to look like a gunpla box, adding to the whole toy robot aesthetic.

Detailed photos of the shoes show some nice attention to detail. The way the RX-78-2's colors are applied across the shoe's design makes it look bright and attractive, like the suit that it's based off of. On the other hand, Char's shoe looks dark and moody, with all blacks and reds. The space print used on main part of the shoe looks pretty great against those dark colors.

If you just so happen to live in the few areas that will have these available, they'll set you back 1499 Hong Kong Dollars, which is about $200 USD. Ouch. I'm not a sneakerhead, so I'm not used to dropping a lot of cash on a pair of kicks. I suppose if your passion for shoes and robots align in some way, these might be up your alley. Personally, I'll just look at the pics and smile.

[via Crunchyroll]

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