Week Ender - Naruto Edition

The Naruto manga is officially done and with the Naruto: The Last movie, the story of Naruto is officially over. It's been a long 15 years since Naruto began back in 1999 in Japan, when Bill Clinton was still in the White House and The Matrix was a thing that was popular. Young teens who started reading Naruto at that time are now adults and someone who is part of that generation, I now understand that all things come to an end even if you don't want it to end. It's part of life, a beginning and an end.



So let's take a look at some Naruto endings so we can properly say goodbye (even though the anime isn't over yet).



Don't cry. There's going to be a spinoff. Where Naruto is a dad. Hahahaha. Naruto as a father? Believe it. Narudad. Naruotou-san.

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Sip Tea like a Detective in the Conan Café

Does anyone remember Tower Records? The music retail store that got shut down due to internet piracy and mis-management. I only really remember them because waaay too many customers wanted to go there in Crazy Taxi. Well, Tower Records Japan is still going strong and will be undergoing a major make over to promote the new Case Closed movie "Sunflowers of Inferno".

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Don't lose your way with KILL la KILL's 8-bit opening

Listen up, you pigs in human clothing; Studio Megaane has used the power of his Retro Kamui to transform KILL la KILL's first opening theme into a stylish chiptune. Of course, the threads in the guy's latest work are sewn nicely, which makes his special attire a force to be reckoned with. In fact, he might even be powerful enough to take on both Ryuko and Satsuki without any trouble.

Again, Megaane's take on "Sirius" featured the same notes present in Eir Aoi's song. At this rate, the guy's powers'll rival the Life Fibers. Since he has a good track record on covering every opening and ending theme of a series, I'm hoping that he does "ambiguous" and the show's closing songs soon.

Seeing that the best things in life are the ones we don't expect, I guess you could say that Studio Megaane's work is at its strongest when he surprises us. That being said, I'll follow this principle as I patiently wait for his next upload.

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Community Spotlight -- 2/27/2015

Welcome, Anime Vice Community! Tom and Sam took a look at how anime fandom has evolved since the 90's in the Vice Pit this week. Tom took yet another shot at NARUTO SHIPPUDEN only once again stumbled upon a filler episode, and to celebrate the 10th anniversary of AVATAR (10 years??), we had a user round table discussion on LEGEND OF KORRA on the from page.

I hope everyone here took the opportunity while they had it to watch the gritty POWER RANGERS short film. It would appear the IP holder is far less than pleased at this fan made production. It's been getting removed from You Tube and many other online video sites just about as quickly as they appear. They either didn't like the level of violence, weren't fond of a porn star playing Scorpina, or they're really not fans of James Van Der Beek.

Even the version Tom shared with us this week was disabled. So, you had best watch that DRAGON BALL web series, before it suffers a similar fate.

Anime Vice Task Initiative: Alphabetical: HERE

Anime Vice Task Initiative: Wiki Style Guide: HERE

Wonderful Wikis

OverLordArgeist was a late entry in reaching past the 1,000 wiki points from last week, so he gets the spotlight to himself this week.

• Judge P


• Jun Jae-San


• Mihoshi Kuramitsu


• Tenchi Muyo


• Sagat


• Night Raid

Recommended Reviews

• Be sure to check out Dream's review of Golden Time - HERE

WANTED Wikis

• Yusuke Urameshi (350 Bounty)


• Death Parade (300 Bounty)


• Noblesse (200 Bounty)

Blog-o-sphere & Formidable Forums

• Animevice RPG News Blog 20/2/15 by Kuma_From_Argentina HERE


• History of Voting Polls Across Anime Vice by takashichea HERE


• Kuroko's Basketball 3 Review: Kise vs Haizaki & Midorima vs Akashi by takashichea HERE


• BOKU NO HERO ACADEMIA CHAPTERS 29-31: CLIMAX by katmic HERE


• Tokyo Ghoul √A (By The Week) #7: Permeation by Bigheart711 HERE


• NANATSU NO TAIZAI CHAPTER 15 REVIEW: LOST VAIN-ULTIMATE TREASURE by katmic HERE

Anime AMV Showcase

I'm only part way through watching the first of the RWBY films on Netflix, but I'm enjoying what I've seen so far. I've seen it in lists for a while, but I really decided to start watching them after seeing this AMV for the series.

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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BLEACH Ch. 616 Review

I believe this qualifies as a deux ex machina.

To save the known universe from falling to pieces, Ukitake is willing to sacrifice his life to stand in for the place of the slain Reio by becoming his right hand.

The Good

The answers are finally being revealed.

For years and years, we have been teased about the ever failing health of Captain Ukitake. It never made much sense how someone so frail could be a captain rank in the 13 Court Guard Squad. Although, you could also ask how a child could rise to Vice-Captain. Needless to say, they're quite the motley crew.

Fast forward to this week's chapter, and I find many of my questions are finally answered. Not only does this explain Ukitake, but it also answers where the Reio's arms went. That had always confused me after getting that first good look at his enshrined body. I knew that Kubo wasn't going to just leave that hanging out there unanswered. It was actually sort of cool to see how it was revealed. Now, what happened to the left arm?

The Bad

Nooooooo!!!

Take a step back, and you'll realize something rather shocking regarding BLEACH . This series has essentially had two villains. Sosuke Aizen and Yhwach. Yes, I know there have also been some lower level baddies, but it's easy to make a case for only two true antagonists. Doesn't seem like much for such a long running series, does it?

I really didn't have a problem with Aizen for the longest time. It just began to become too much to deal with when EVERYTHING seemed to be according to his design. I honestly expected Ichigo to one day slice him in half, and his last words would be, "All according to plan.". Now, it looks as if Kubo is dragging his overpowered ass out of the darkness and back into the spotlight for something.

Verdict 3/5

I know when you review fiction that you need to come at it with a certain critical position. Not that you should be mean or biting. You just need to look a little deeper into the layers than your average reader may be doing. Perhaps Kubo has a very good reason for turning to Aizen in this situation. There is still a chance -- however slim -- that we may even like where this goes. It just becomes incredibly difficult to resists the feeling of incredible irritation at the prospect of more Aizen.

It's just a shame, because up until the last few pages I was actually enjoying this look into Ukitake's origin. It just sucked all of the air out of the room.

Follow along with the latest BLEACH 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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ONE PIECE Ch. 777 Review

Zoro has no lack of a target to slice as he fights monstrous Pica, but the strikes have little effect as Zoro's enemy hides in the earth. TheStraw Hat's pirate hunter will have to take drastic measures to end his opponent's seemingly endless rampage.

The Good

It...Could...Work!!

Look through the past half dozen or so chapters, and we've had just a string of defeats of the Don Quixote Family. One of my biggest issues has been that these victories have been from the peanut gallery, but at least they've been going by quickly and largely written very well. Now that Zoro has taken the spotlight with both hands, we get a spectacular display of sword fighting action, and a serious case of anticipation for the coming chapter.

We never really get a look into the inner workings of Zoro's mind. He really is more a man of action than words. It's something I respect about him, but this made for a great read to see how he breaks the situation and settles on a course of action. Not surprising, he picks one of the simplest methods that sounds insane and is sure to make one hell of a conclusion.

The Bad

I honestly believe that I would have enjoyed the previous chapter far more, if they had included the opening scenes of this chapter into the one from last week. There's just something that I enjoy about the idea of Scarlet's grave marker getting that last hit in on Diamante. I'm not entirely sure why that moment was extended into this week. Perhaps Oda thought it was too comedic and would have undercut the climax of last week, but when has he ever been one to shy away from adding some humor to a scene?

Verdict 4/5

This chapter is not much more than an extended set up for Pica's inevitable defeat at the hands of Zoro next week, but, oddly enough, I don't have a problem with that. Not when Zoro -- or pretty much any of the Straw Hats -- is allowed to shine so well. This end just screams that a new technique is on the horizon, and I'm almost giddy to see it.

I do get the feeling that the pacing of the chapters is a bit off. These more recent chapters keep bleeding into the following week, and it gives me the feeling that these are being specifically designed to be volume closers. Meaning that you'll have to buy the next issue when these are published in their volume editions. That happens a lot in manga publishing, but it's just started standing out more prominently to me here.

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: Shirobako episodes 16-19

Shirobako remains my favorite anime since a long while, and since I last recapped, it continues to roll forward like an unstoppable boulder of heartful comedy. I can only apologize about the late update since you, and Shirobako, deserved better. Let's see how Shirobako's momentum knocks down the pins our ace project manager Aoi Miyamori manage to overcome to produce the Third Aerial Squad.

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DRAGON BALL Z -- The Live Action Web Series?

It's just the week for J-pop culture fan films, apparently...

Only a day or two after Joseph Kahn offered an R-rated POWER / RANGERS (and courted a swift Cease & Desist notice), Robot Underdog has put LIGHT OF HOPE out through Machinima. While making a 15-minute DBZ fan film, chock full of flying fights and flashy effects, may sound like an ambitious enough endeavor, this actually takes it a few steps farther. It's labeled as a “pilot,” so the plan/hope is to do a series-length adaptation of “History of Trunks.”

== TEASER ==

It's an admirable effort, certainly but, man, there are just so many of these, now. The brass ring must be to duplicate what happened with ASSASSIN'S FIST, where the STREET FIGHTER fan series was independently financed before Capcom ultimately picked it up for official distribution. People might say it was better than THE LEGEND OF CHUN-LI (and that this is better than DRAGONBALL EVOLUTION ) , but that's pretty much the definition of faint praise.

Even if you were somehow interested in seeing Ryu and Ken train in the mountains and have super earnest dialogs about discipline, you probably weren't ready to slog through two-and-a-half hours of it. And it wasn't like the Halloween party store costumes and wigs made it any easier. So even if you like the light show on display here, you still have to watch... and listen... to read of it, and wonder if it'd have been better served within a tighter five-minute run time, instead of reaching too far with 15.

Above anything else, the fact that this is available for viewing at 2160p is what's most astounding. That's 4K resolution. I always igured the YouTube player would cough up blood trying to match the picture quality of a premium Blu-Ray.... but we live in a bold new world, obviously.

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SCANDAL up my Social Media

When social media was first coming out, it was primarily a place for my friends to connect outside school. We myspaced for a bit then moved onto Facebook to share our school boy exploits. But it wasn't until I got onto Twitter when I started to see social media becoming a platform for celebrities to stay connected to fans and vice versa.

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OP Up! Naruto Edition

Naruto: The Last just premiered last weekend in theaters across the United States and the story of Naruto Uzumaki's adventures has come to a close. It's been 16 years since the first chapter of the Naruto manga was published in Japan and an entire generation of otaku have grown up with the orange-clad ninja and I'm sure many of you readers out there are part of that generation.



So I'd like to make this week's selection of anime openings to be about Naruto. I've forgotten just how many awesome songs were in Naruto openings and I still have them on my music players for some great listening. So let's go take a ninja dash down memory lane for a quick look at some Naruto openings.



[There's also a review for Naruto: The Last that is incoming so watch out for that later this week.]

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Annotated Anime: Gundam Build Fighters Try episodes 18-20

It's been a while since we last checked in with Gundam Build Fighters Try, but being able to watch the last few episodes in quick succession as I caught up to the latest developments has led me to one, inescapable conclusion:

Sekai might be the Try Fighters' ace, but Fumina is their MVP.

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POWER RANGERS -- The R-Rated Reboot Trailer?

I always chuckle whenever anybody blanches over the prospect of the inevitable POWER RANGERS remake taking a “darker” angle. Music video director Joseph Kahn visualized something just like that, late last night, and it's already gone viral. Seems like there is interest in such a take, no?

The R-rated version, with the boobs, F-bombs and blood, has already been taken down from Vimeo, though, so you'll have to settle for the PG-13 version on YouTube above.

== TEASER ==

Let's skip the discussion of “how cool this would be!” which every other blog is having. What's more interesting to me is the interview Kahn did with Hitfix, explained his intentions...

You might think this was his unsolicited audition for the currently-in-development feature film (ala Kevin Trancheon's MORTAL KOMBAT REBIRTH)? Nope. Kahn insists that if he were ever offered that director's chair, he'd turn it down.

So, maybe this is just a life-long fan paying tribute? Nope. He asserts he never liked POWER RANGERS, and actually needed to do research after DREDD producer Adi Shanker proposed this to him.

If you suspected this was meant to parody the dark superhero reboots of today, then you're.... somewhat right? He gives a confusing explanation, saying he wanted to go all in doing this, essentially taking great lengths to keep a straight face while making the most involved deadpan joke. It's a joke that's been lost on most of the audience today, obviously, and I'm not sure he totally gets it himself, either. This is not a small production. Even if you forget the effects, sets and fight choreography, etc, the script still includes loads of deep cut references to RANGERS lore. So it was made for no reason, and every reason?

It does open an interesting question, though. Is any adventure genre, or series, inherently too silly for a more adult reanalysis later on? I laugh at people getting antsy about a "darker" POWER RANGERS because the original SUPER SENTAI show was actually more violent, and creepier, than this. And anime is full of silly shows that got this treatment to great success. PLUTO, MADOKA MAGICA, CASSHERN SINS... just to name a few.

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How Has Anime Fandom REALLY Changed Since the 90's?

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THE LEGEND OF KORRA -- Anime Vice MOD Roundtable

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Lupin the Third: The Castle of Cagliostro comes to Blu-Ray

One of the finest anime every made is finally making its way to Blu-Ray! Discotek Media announced that the Hayao Miyazaki classic will finally makes its US Blu-Ray debut on April 28th! So freaking excite! News of the release was announced last year, but we finally get a date!

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Celebrate the Vita's birthday with some great Japanese games

It's been three years since the Playstation Vita came out and the little handheld has survived with a great stable of Japanese games. Those who own the Vita or want to get a Vita are now in for a treat with a great sale featuring some great Japanese games.



Not only are there great games on sale, there are also some nice freebies such as: Toro Vita theme, credit for the free-to-play title Fat Princess: Piece of Cake, and a free Spirit for Destiny of Spirits.



The sale and items will be available in today's Tuesday update and certain freebies will be available a little later.



Check out the complete list of games on sale on the Playstation Blog.

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A Daily Dose of Music: Arashi

You may not believe it when you look outside, but Spring is just around the corner. With it brings fantastic new anime, lovely new music and this year a new Arashi single! The Winter isn't that bad, if there's some Arashi waiting at the end for me.

The new song, Sakura is perfect heartthrob foil. It's a high energy jazzy bit, with enough substance to keep us going until the winds of Spring bring the first cherry blossoms!

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NARUTO SHIPPUDEN #400 -- Special Review

Didn't get a chance to watch THE LAST this past weekend, but I felt checking in on ol' Naruto anyway. And it figures he wouldn't appear anywhere in this one random episode I picked...

I'm not a regular NARUTO devote, but I have to sympathize with fans of the show. Every episode must be bittersweet, now that the manga's over and it's only a matter of time before the show catches up. And if you weren't happy with the ending there, there's got to be that hovering concern, wondering if the show will adapt it directly, or go for some something different.

I still think they'll find a way to keep things going. Rock Lee leads this episode, and he already got his own non-canonical spin-off, remember?

== TEASER ==

Of course, the rub with that the series was that a lot of hardcore fans thought it was too frivolous. The newest intro that opens this episode very graphically illustrates how Naruto's grown from a happy and mischievous scamp and become a dour, ever-afame young man, and I still can't get over how much grimmer the show is, now. The playful inkstrokes and water coloring have been replaced by firm lines and endless stony texture fills. Even when Rock antics, there's an air of melancholy hanging over him.

He finds a protege, of sorts, in this episode, and in the long view, I'd say the series has been shrewd about how it's offered a counterbalance to power creep. If Naruto and his friends can only get stronger, and acrue more Jutsus, than how do you keep the tension up? Introduce an underdog or two who can't learn all that stuff, and suddenly you have lot more sympathetic investment when he fights the bad guys. It's a struggle for him to just be adequate. Ditto for this new kid. It's like if Dan Hibiki was actually a good guy.

Watch this episode and decide for yourself.

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Anime Caption Contest! -- 2/22/15

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!

	"Holy Crap! Its a human turkey." ~ blackichigo
	"I'm going to take this Inari-zushi and... eat it!" ~ EvilMegaCookie
	"What kind of ingredient are you supposed to be... ah wrong show!" ~ HungryWorld

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!

Want to recommend some images for the contest? Go to this thread and submit images, and we'll check them out. Have fun and good luck!

About the Authors

Kerry Chhay (Takashichea) is an Asian American Studies student who is a big wiki and anime nerd. He serves as a wiki mod in Anime Vice and an Admin in To Hollywood and Beyond Wikia(a 2nd home for Screened users). Follow him@Takashichea

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New Atelier Rorona 3DS trailer is tiny and cute

Item sysnthesis RPG Atelier Rorona makes its way to the Nintendo 3DS in Japan on March 3, 2015, sporting a new "tiny and cute" chibi look on the Nintendo handheld. The new look is due to the limitations of the 3DS hardware which makes it different from last year's Atelier Rorona Plus on Playstation Vita, which is an enhanced port of the original PS3 version.



From the looks of the trailer, the new "tiny and cute" look is what makes it unique from the previous versions of Rorona while a new grid battle system replaces the traditional turn-based JRPG battle system which is a series staple. Aside from the previously mentioned changes, it all looks the same from Atelier Rorona Plus.

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Week Ender - My Favorites Edition

So it was my birthday last wednesday so I chose to post some of my favorite openings over at OP Up! and now I am doing the same here on Week Ender. So here I am giving you a few of my favorites that I can remember off the top of my head. Most of these are happy because I like endings with a happy or uplifting tone.



Hope y'all enjoy this week's selection.

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Kiniro Mosaic's second season arrives in April

The second season of Kiniro Mosaic premieres on Japanese airwaves on April 5th and we finally get more blonde moe British engrish in our "cute-girls-doing-cute-things" anime once again. The second season is titled Hello!! Kiniro Mosaic and will be produced by the same staff as the first season.



What is Kiniro Mosaic? It's a slice-of-life comedy about Shinobu Omiya and her British exchange student friend Alice Cartelet along with their other friends Yoko and Aya, and even another blonde from Britain Karen Kujo (Best Girl in the show). Oh and there's a lot of engrish in the show that I disliked at first but loved once Karen showed up. It's mostly about them and their school life with plenty of cross-cultural misunderstandings as jokes, which are always great.

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Get absorbed into Boomslank's "Reflection"

Well, it looks like the guys at Boomslank are at it again, as they release another fine piece of apparel for the masses to wear. Interestingly, the guys came up with a short animation to go with their new shirt, "Reflection's" release, which is a very neat move on their behalf. Overall, the shirt's artwork does a great job at conveying the idea of becoming absorbed into one's reflection, along with the mirror images of other animals.

From the nice usage of perspective to the various tones of gray, blue, and black, "Reflection" manages to create a composition that piques at people's curiosity. In other words, it's just a great piece to that pulls the person into the design.

In case their style looks familiar to you, Boomslank were the ones who designed Ai-Fi, Japanator's mascot, and she's still chilling in the front page's background. If you're interested in purchasing their latest shirt, you can head over to their Website, which features the rest of their work.

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Community Spotlight -- 2/20/2015

Welcome, Anime Vice Community! Tom and Sam keep the ball rolling with even more Vice Pit reviews for the week. This time, the pair discuss the English release of Toriyama's JACO: THE GALACTIC PATROLMAN and MASTER KEATON . The American public at large more often get a lot of things wrong in regard to anime. Tom shared a video he found that you can show you're friends to set them straight with Ten Things People Get Wrong About Anime.

Also shared on the front page was a moderator discussion on the NARUTO series. You've read my take on the manga in my weekly reviews. Check out the article to see what these members thought.

Anime Vice Task Initiative: Alphabetical: HERE

Anime Vice Task Initiative: Wiki Style Guide: HERE

Wonderful Wikis

The love for the community doesn't stop with Valentine's Day. Several of our users have broken past the 1,000 wiki point limit this week. Some shout outs to Akronawol17, Othus12, Cloudguy, and a big round of applause to Yusuke52 for breaking into the 100K wiki club. Keep up the great work, you guys.

• Kim Oong-Nyuh


• Legend of Tyr


• Touko Aozaki


• Souren Araya


• Fujino Asagami


• Toru Acura


• Bartra Lyonesse


• Chaika -The Coffin Princess- AVENGING BATTLE Ep. 9


• Clow Cards


• Kido


• Gotei 13


• PTX-003C ALTEISEN

Recommended Reviews

• Be sure to check out Dream's review of The Pet Girl of Sakurasou - HERE

WANTED Wikis

• Yusuke Urameshi (350 Bounty)


• Death Parade (300 Bounty)


• Noblesse (200 Bounty)

Blog-o-sphere & Formidable Forums

• Winter 2014-15 Experience: Maid Rom Com and Personas by takashichea HERE


• Tokyo Ghoul √A (By The Week) #6: Thousand Paths by Bigheart711 HERE


• TOP 15 MOMENTS IN ANIME AND MANGA 2014 by katmic HERE


• CHEDCL (By the Week) #6: Love is Something You Wear on Your Back by Bigheart711 HERE


• NANATSU NO TAIZAI CHAPTER 114:WHOA-GOWTHER’S TRUE FACE by katmic HERE


• Wiki Guide: New Shonen Series in Shonen Jump by takashichea HERE

Anime AMV Showcase

This week it's a multi-anime AMV set to a club mix. It's a well edited video that keeps up with the fast pace sort of music you'd likely hear in a techno dance club.

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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MASTER KEATON + JACO, THE GALACTIC PATROLMAN -- Manga Reviews

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BLEACH Ch. 615 Review

What more is there to fight over now that the Reio has fallen? Every corner of the known universe has begun to fall apart at the seams with no apparent hope of salvation.

The Good

But we hardly knew him.

There are times that you really just need to put aside rational or critical thought to enjoy an action-based series. It's that part of your brain that tells you that things will work out in the end for the heroes. Few authors are bold enough to intentionally leave the readers with that sort of bad taste in their mouth. That being said, I'm actually impressed that Kubo is taking the heroes this far into the realm of total failure.

Yhwach and his control over the Quincy blood has literally put the destruction of the world on Ichigo's hands. That seems to come out of nowhere, but does it really? You need to remember that Yhwach created the Quincy. This blood hatred could very well explain that sense of moral superiority and irrational bias against all things Soul Society that Uryu and the other Quincy apparently share. That originally irritated me about Uryu. I thought it was just a personality quirk, but all the Quincy seem to share it to varying degrees.

Kubo does a pretty good job this chapter anticipating the audience's reactions. I'm quite sure many though Orihime would just piece the Reio back together to buy time. That attempt utterly fails, but it's not really clear why. That's probably due to the creator never really explaining the origin of her power, as he's done in the past with other characters. However, I can forgive that issue. This isn't some lamp that was broken in two.

The Bad

The apparent death of the Reio is hard to really grasp or have any meaningful emotional connection toward. All we know is that he's a keystone that holds the universe together, but nothing is know about him as a person. He might as well just be an object at this point. It's this gap in the character's back story that makes me fear some extended flashback is on the horizon inching ever closer. I really don't know if I want that this far into the final arc.

It's a real shame that Karin Kurosaki has never branched further into the story, and her brief appearance in this chapter just reminds me of that. Even post time skip, there were rather blatant hints of more for her character, but seeing her lounging about at home as the world shatters seems to dash any hopes of that sub plot going anywhere.

Verdict 3/5

I can't deny that I'm enjoying seeing the pace increased even slightly with this chapter. It's a small improvement, but putting some action in to balance the drama is just what I needed. I can't say that it makes this issue any better than last weeks, but it certainly doesn't hurt matters. It's still a world better than Ichigo and gang just standing around as they've been doing.

Kubo has started the snowball rolling with the destruction of the Reio, but he also leaves us with a bit of a hint at the very end. I have a feeling where this is going.

Follow along with the latest BLEACH 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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WTF Fridays: Beauty is Skin Derp

Girl you look good.

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We finally get a taste of Bloodborne's story

If there's one game I've been waiting for this generation, it's definitely Bloodborne for the Sony PS4. The game is from From Software, the team that brought us the finest game ever made, Demon's Souls. They've shared a "story" trailer, which helps build the spooky, gorgeous atmosphere, but does nothing to explain what the game is about.

I don't care. It looks flawless. I absolutely can not wait for this one, and have it pre-ordered since it was announced. Is it the Maiden in Black talking to us? I still feel bad about stabbing her in the back...

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A Daily Dose of Music: Galileo Galilei

The indie rockers from Hokkaido, Galileo Galilei are back with their new song, Koi no Jumyo. It's hard not to swoon over Yuuki Ozaki's amazingly smooth vocals, and poppy guitar work. I always find their ballads so incredibly touching. They are always uplifting without getting too cheesy, keeping the songs in the rock realm.

The song can be heard as the opening to Magic Kaito 1412 right now. Perfect daydreaming music.

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I can't wait for Blood Blockade Battlefront

The upcoming Studio Bones series, Blood Blockade Battlefront is looking pretty darned good. The story is based on Yasuhiro Nightow's popular manga, which began soon after he finished Trigun Maximum. Anime character designs are provided by Cowboy Bebop's Toshiro Kawamoto, and in the director's chair is Rie Matsumoto.

The amazing looking series is set to hit Japanese airwaves in April, and I'm sure a US simulcast will be lined up shortly. Looks like just the kind of show we've been sorely missing. How about that music?

Read more...



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ONE PIECE Ch. 776 Review

Isn't it amazing how you can get away with cursing in other languages?

To finally get revenge for this fallen wife, Kyros cuts down the Don Quixote flag-man to half staff with his sword.

The Good

He must have a really strong core to fight on one leg.

You ever get the feeling that the editor is lighting a candle under Oda to get this Dressrosa Arc completed? Go through the past half dozen or so chapters, and it's just a string of defeats for the members of the Don Quixote Family. It almost makes these victories feel mundane as they go along.

It's kind of a shame, because most of this chapter is just the sort of emotional drama that ONE PIECE lives for. You have a father suffering through massive injury to bring justice for his fallen bride and protecting his child. As a reader, I want to be behind him more. Maybe if Oda had spent a little more time showingRebecca's hatred of combat, I'd find more closure in the idea of her dropping her sword forever.

The Bad

Where this whole plot falls apart is in how it both builds up and tears down Rebecca at the same time. It's astounding that Rebecca could have spent so many years as a gladiator without causing any direct harm to anyone. On the other hand, if she's that incredible of a defensive fighter, I don't understand why she's suddenly so helpless to protect herself. I admire her father's dedication, but it also feels as if everyone is just condescending to her accomplishments.

Showing her as a person who doesn't like violence is fine, but does it need to also make her feel so weak?

Verdict 4/5

Watching the lengths Kyros goes through to honor his wife really tugs at the heart strings. However, I wonder if the emotional sucker punch from the previous issue takes some of the wind out of sail for this chapter? Last week was such a shock in the weight of emotional drama that was dropped on the reader. Even with a one week break separating the two, this issue almost stands in a shadow. It's a solid read that I'm sure many will enjoy, and it is very good. I just wanted more out of this conclusion.

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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CASE CLOSED #767 -- Special Review

Was that actually even a mystery...?

Last time, I joked about how there were only three suspects at that kite-running sabotage. The deduction and resolution might've felt a little quick, but hey, it had at least 45 minutes of breathing room. This one outdoes it, somehow - - not even affording 22 minutes to a murder case. It literally is like some Little Orphan Annie episode. You can figure out whodunit before you've finished drinking your ovaltine.

Out of all the aspects here that I might chuckle about, I found the total lack of set-up to be the most amusing. We open, and Conan and the kids are just at this ski lodge when the sororal drama begins. We aren't shown how they got there. We aren't told if they know anybody. They're just... there.

== TEASER ==

And that's fine. This reminds me of an old school comic strip than a modern anime, and that's an enjoyable novelty. It's just tweaking such serious sensory memories for me, doing that. I can smell the newsprint.

The living silhouette has returned to protect the girl's identity, so I'm getting a feel for how the show conducts its business over 700+ episodes. Now, I'm mainly curious if it ever goes longer than a two-parter? Some of you lunatics have mentioned that a certain criminal society pops up every season. Does Conan ever deal with full-out, saga-length, epic mystery then? These short cases are fun and all, but I can't imagine the show holding anybody's interest for this long if it's always small potatoes.

Watch this episode and decide for yourself, then read my thoughts on the previous episode.

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DRAGON BALL: The General Blue Saga -- Does It Hold Up?

Ah. So this is where the Red Ribbon Army finally lives up to its name.

The boon and the bane of watching an endless shonen serial is that you're essentially getting a first draft delivered every week. When it works, you're tapping into pure, unfiltered inspiration. There's an infectious spirit of creativity. You're following a creator (like Toriyama ) as he continually challenges himself to outdo what he did, just last week. When it doesn't work... well, you get filler. Or padding. Or B-material. Or whatever you want to call it. It's the kind of stuff that'd be cut if the material ever went through a second draft.

The nonsense in Penguin Village at the end of this arc very much feels like the latter. So much so that I'm almost wishing there was a DRAGON BALL KAI which removed it. Don't get me wrong - - I like the “General Blue” saga for the most part. Still, it's hard not to get fixate on the last bite you've tasted, so to speak.

== TEASER ==

Unlike previous arcs, there's nothing here that makes me reconsider details I always just took for face value in DBZ. It's just a fun and charming romp. When people say DRAGON BALL is more about about adventure than battle stats, this is what they're taking about: Goku, Bulma and Krillin going deep sea diving, uncovering a pirate treasure cove and battling a particularly stubborn robot while the oft-shirtless General Blue stalks them at all turns.

Again, it all drops off once Goku takes the fight to Penguin Village, though -- rolling up in the business of some norms who eat nuts and bolts like they're cookies, for whatever reason? Prior to that, though, my favorite episode had to be one where Blue ties the crew up with psychic ropes and Launch's more demure alter ego is the only one who can save them from a ticking timebomb. It's just a perfectly-comedic escalation of stakes, where Goku actually has to finish untying himself in order to get rid of the bomb and then, with very Conan-esque determination, he hops on the Nimbus to chase Blue down to the ends of the Earth.

I'm just hoping he gets the hell out of there, lickety split, at the start of the next arc.

Check this arc out, decide for yourself, and read my comments on the last batch.

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OP Up! My Favorites Edition

This week's theme is about my personal favorites, but not all of them since I really can't keep track of all of them. Why is it about a few of my favorites? Because it's my birthday today and I do what I want. Honestly, I just didn't want to think up of a theme this week and want to take it a bit easy (not that my job here is hard, it's quite easy).



So this week's selection is about my favorite anime openings that I can think off the top of my head. These openings may have been good though the anime they are featured in may not be as good (unless stated otherwise in the description) but they still are openings that I look up from time to time or even have on my iPod for working out.

Read more...



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A Daily Dose of Music: Capsule

Yasutaka Nakata and Toshiko Koshijima are back with their new album, Wave Runner. The first single Another World is ready to take EDM dance-floors by storm by its infectious grooves and thumping beats. Capsule have always been on the cusp of dance music trends, and this is no exception.

The video takes us through the streets of Shibuya as well as an exciting drone race course, giving us that lovely combination of technology and Japanese life that I love to see. The song is totally addicting! The album just hit Spotify as well, so it's been on repeat at the Japanator office all week! I hope I don't drive my dog nuts with my poor dancing.

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Ten Things People Get Wrong About Anime?

The video above shows an hour-long lecture that British author and anime expert Jonathan Clements gave a few years back at the Czech con, Anime Fest. Recently rediscovered by Kotaku, it offers a brief-ish history of this art form; with fascinating insights about how certain stereotypes have spiraled from industry traditions (which actually began for surprisingly practical reasons). Definitely worth the watch if you have an hour...

== TEASER ==

Clements reiterates that the hentai stigma which continues to hang over anime in the Western mainstream's eyes is the unfortunate byproduct of how exploitative OAVs were simply imported early. Prior to AKIRA's release, anime imports like ASTRO BOY and G-FORCE were localized until they weren't even perceived as distinctly-Japanese products in Western markets - - they were just cartoons. After AKIRA, there was greater demand for anime-as-anime but, for better or worse, short-form OAVs were simply easier to license than classier, long-form series and movies. Essentially, anime's reputation in the Western word has always been colored by OVERFIEND because it was cheaper/easier to get into tape stores then.

Clements also asserts that anime's dependence on outside business concerns like figurine sales and video game company's sponsorship (among other things) has always been part of the genre. This is the long-term result of Osamu Tezuka using less-than-honest business tactics to give his animation studio a competitive edge by vastly under-reporting the actual costs of TV production. From day one, anime has been impractically expensive, and it's either had to cater to sponsors, or to niche fanbases who're willing to pay far extra than the average consumer.

So there you go. MOE actually has its roots in KIMBA THE WHITE LION. Go figure.

Let us know in the talkback if you find anything else in this lecture surprising. And, of course, we'd always like to hear which misconceptions about anime you'd love to see go away.

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Anime Vice MOD's NARUTO Manga Roundtable

Welcome everyone to the Anime Vice's Naruto Manga Roundtable! Whoo, are you ready to hear some of our folks' thoughts on the manga series and its ending? These are our guest speakers.

• Dream - Battle Mod, Ani Crap Reviewer, and a fan who has seen over a hundred different anime series


• Taichokage - Toriko Wiki Expert, Shonen Connoisseur of all sorts, and Hall of Famer


• Katmic - Claymore, Magi, and Seven Deadly Sin Reviewer


• UsaChanMan - Lover of Romance, Shonen, and Shoujo genre and a closet nerd writer/artist

Where did the manga series perform well?

	Dream: It's high point came during the middle of its run when Akatsuki became more active. Unlike Orochimaru who was the apparent villain before the title's timeskip, the Akatsuki were a more convincing threat since their plans affected many of the major characters and involved the many ninja countries. Their presence led to some major characters in the series to be killed off that offered a more serious edge to the story compared to its earlier chapters.
	Taichokage: Part one. I even liked the majority of part 2. Where it fell starkly for me was the early stage of the 4th Great Ninja War. I remember the last good arc and great fight to me was the Kisame Arc (if you can call it that). Love the villain and the final fight between he and Guy was amazing.
	Katmic: The first part was of Naruto was one of the best, which is why i am looking forward to the new series. Kishimoto clearly shines when it comes to working with kids. It's with the adult elements that he seems to falter. The first part of shippuden was pretty well paced in reintroducing the characters and all the changes they had gone through over the years even while giving a spotlight to lesser known characters like InoChikaCho, the Sand Siblings, Itachi and the rest of the Akatsuki and even Tsunade. This trend culminated in the Pain Arc, the best and most coherent arc to date.

What are its flaws?

	Dream: The series started going downhill following Pein's defeat and never really recovered with the really lazy means employed to undo much of the drama that affected Konohagakure when Pein appeared in the village. It dragged really badly in the Great Shinobi War arc with Madara being a pretty overpowered character, power upgrades galore being milked and a poor attempt at introducing a "true" final villain in the form of Kaguya. But I think the biggest criticism I have towards the series is that it got too focused on Naruto and Sasuke for later chapters. The other Konoha ninja we were introduced to at the start of the series got little focus as the plot progressed further after the timeskip and the series did a poor and unconvincing job at trying to make it seem like Sakura was as important to things in the series as Naruto and Sasuke when her character development grinded to a halt long before the Great Shinobi War arc started.
	Taichokage: Kishimoto forgot or neglected far too many cornerstone characters for far too long. You could tell he was trying to force their relevance towards the end but it was too late. In some cases like Rock Lee I don't feel that Kishimoto even tried very much. Everyone was waiting for the 8th Gate to happen. I think Lee is one of the few prominent characters that did not scratch the surface of surpassing his master. It could have been Lee's chance to shine since part one had it been he that entered the 8th Gate not Might Guy. Lee is just a prominent example though. This applies to many formerly notable characters. Even more than that however is Kishimoto's unreal failure to follow the logic that he established within his own story. The last year of Naruto had more plot holes than probably the prior 10 combined. I could make a whole blog on this but I don't wan't to hate on a series that I won't deny has some sentimental value for me. The main issue with Naruto for me is that I think Kishimoto really was trying to cater to a younger audience from the get-go got a bit darker when he realized there was an older demographic that appreciated his work, then went full circle at the very end. An everyone lived happily ever after minus Neji Hyuga, all the dead aside from him forgotten, all the villains still alive are either forgiven (Sasuke) or not elaborated on (Orochimaru and Taka), and the romance is skipped completely and just cuts too the end results. Very childish in my opinion. However, it was not without it's pros. I would not have stuck with it for years had it been all faults. I have dropped series' before and Naruto is not among them. I caught up over 6 years ago and first saw it over 9 years ago. It was not for nothing that I saw it through to the end. I also think that a marathon of Naruto would be more enjoyable. The dragged out parts will not seem very dragged and the plot holes are easier to miss.
	Katmic: Manga readers are always quick to complain about the so called Talk no Jutsu as the series' primary failing; and i have always defended the series in this arena. This is mostly because even the most surprising villain transformations are never as 'out of the blue' as people make them out to be. There is no so called BS on the part of the plot because previous revelations and character developments always provide a rational explanation for the change. Pain was never more than an Obito puppet, merely twisted by his own grief but never truly evil. Obito was, well, crazy; listen to him speak long enough and you will realize that his monologues display some disturbing levels of denial. None the less, even explaining away some of these elements doesn't change the fact that Naruto has waaaay too much talking. I personally find the Jubito elements of Naruto's Talk no Jutsu to be the series' lowest point, a waste of a villain and an anti-climatic end to a very messy battle. Sometimes, even if it makes sense, a story works better when fists do the talking, like Naruto vs Sasuke part 1. The unnecessary focus upon Naruto and Sasuke, basically the failure to capitalize on its large cast, is the only arena in which One Piece, at least in my eyes, supersedes Naruto. An interesting issue to note to @taichokage though is the fact that, had Kishimoto made this war about all the rookies and peripheral shinobi, rather than just Naruto and Sasuke, it might have run longer than four years, albeit a more entertaining four years. Then again maybe not. I would however dispute with other Naruto fans about the abundance of logical flaws; Kishimoto does ignore his own rules in some case, but these instances are very rare if one takes the entire Naruto series into consideration and what Kishimito stated or showed can and can't happen. Again, the insight of an anime viewer.

Which character is the most memorable?

	UsaChanMan: Of all the Naruto characters, Jiraiya was the most memorable character for me. I feel that he played such a big role in Naruto's life, and quite arguably, one can say that he was one of the key characters that made him into the ninja he is. From training Naruto to harness the Kyuubi's chakra, to teaching him the Rasengan and finally, inspiring him to become a sage - he truly was both Naruto's greatest teacher and the closest thing to a father figure he had.
	Dream: Nagato/ Pain in my case. Unlike many of the major Naruto villains who only got their back story told just as they were about to die, the series devoted time to focus on how his character came to be and what led him to be part of Akatsuki and desire to gather the Jinchuriki.
	Taichokage: Hard to say really. I guess for me it would be Orochimaru. He was the longest lasting villain in the series and the earliest major one.
	Katmic: Gaara - He has one of the most complete stories in the entire series alongside Neji; Neji's death was timed perfectly because his story had ended back in the first part of the series. Even after his impressive storyline in Part 1, Gaara remained rather prominent in the series and his battles against the former kages were among the more impressive.

How do you feel about the ending?

	Katmic: Rushed. Was there some Editor at Shonen Jump demanding that Kishimoto end his manga at 700. Because their was a clear obsession to end at 700. The final Naruto/Sasuke fight was alright, provided equal amounts of large scale battle and hand to hand combat (which is preferred). But it could have been so much more. The series needed an entire arc to close all its loose threads. However with a third series we just might get all the answers we need.
	Taichokage: Not bad but tremendously rushed. Many of the relationships is not most of them had no basis within the context of the story. Even the main character did not have any on-panel romance or bonding with his "to be".
	Dream: A big waste of time. The Great Shinobi War arc was already dragged out enough and they did a poor job incorporating Kaguya into the title's storyline. While Naruto and Sasuke's final battle was an expected development by many for Naruto's finale, the buildup to it was horrible and the whole "what are they doing now" style final chapter is something that has been done to death in long-running shounen titles like this.

Are you a shipper? Did your dreams come true in the ending?

	UsaChanMan: I’ll admit I can be a shipper at times; however, my dreams did not come true in the end. I found it a little unrealistic that most of the girls ended up with the guys they wanted… and I did not like how the match-ups seemed to be based off of very shallow romances. I definitely did not like the Sasuke and Sakura pairing whatsoever, and the fact that Sakura still has feelings for Sasuke still baffles me to this day. As stated by a lot of Naruto fans in various forums, the Naruto couples looked like they came right out of fanfiction stories. Despite my disappointment, I won’t pass judgement just yet, seeing that the last Naruto movie still hasn’t been released and I have a feeling a lot of loose-ends will be tied up then.
	Katmic: Not a shipper. But Naruto and Hinata worked for me. It made the most sense. One is right to question Sakura's character and her obsession with Sasuke despite all that he did to her. Sasuke didn't actually do anything to Naruto. But, for lack of a better term, he was pretty mean to Sakura.
	Dream: Was never big on shipping with this series. Romance was never Naruto's major focus and this was reflected in the lack of proper relationship developments between couples.
	Taichokage: Unfortunately no. I was glad that a certain young man achieved his dream but otherwise no. I have never been a fan of major time skip endings or little ones running around at the end. That's why I dislike the manga ending of Full Metal Alchemist more than the 2003 anime version.

Closing Remarks

	UsaChanMan: The Naruto franchise is very close to my heart. It’s safe to say that Naruto was what reintroduced me to anime during my teenage years. The first manga I’ve ever read in my life was the first volume of Naruto, which I came across at my high school library. I remember being hooked instantly and marathoning Naruto episodes the night prior to my grade 10 math exam. I definitely recommend the anime and manga, not only because of its popularity, but because of its underlying theme of never giving up on your dreams or your friends.
	Taichokage: I should close by saying..... Thank you Kishimoto Sensei for 15 years of Naruto. I was there for most of the ride. At the end of the day, I'm glad Naruto was in my younger years up to the current time.
	Katmic: I agree with @taichokage about Naruto struggling to find its identity. It is, in fact, similar to Doctor Who. Doctor who has what it takes to create some really dark and enjoyable arcs and seasons; except it always seems to catch itself halfway, remembers its young audience and chooses to gear its efforts towards pleasing the kids, which is where it fails. Naruto could have been so much more if it had kept its trajectory of growth and transformed with its audience into something much more serious, with lasting consequences; instead Kishimoto chose to settle for something in between. None the less it has been quite a few years of fun and excitement. There will never be anything quite like it. Even if better anime and manga emerge, they cannot replace the spirit of Kishimoto's story. We can only hope that the mangaka can learn from his mistakes and provide us a true masterpiece in his third manga series. Because that is what it is, a manga series set within the Naruto Universe. It won't be Naruto.

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