If y’all wondering why I haven’t been posting here, or that my Heta no Yoko-Zuki blog is gone, it’se because I founded a new blog called Sekijitsu.

It’s been running for a year now and you should definitely check it out. We have a great team and we cover a lot of the currently airing anime, as well as some manga and a few recommendation and editorial pieces as well.

If you somehow stumbled upon my humble HNYZ blog (you always remember your first), be sure to check out my latest stuff over at Sekijitsu. You won’t regret it ^_^

Hi all,

If y’all are wondering why I’ve been away from the site lately, it’s because of the work that I have been putting into moving the blog into new grounds. I hope everyone would make the jump onto my new site, as it’s definitely an improvement over the current one you’re on right now.

Here’s a link for everyone: HETA NO YOKO-ZUKI V.2

Hopefully I’ll see you all on the other side and thanks for dropping by!

I’d like to introduce in this section a site that I recently discovered and now love. It’s actually been up and running for a while now but I only managed to stumble upon it recently through a friend’s recommendation. The blog I’m referring to is 1UP’s very own RPG blog, The Grind.

After finding the blog, I’ve been constantly referring to it back and forth lately, since it is updated pretty often, with many great entries that has very interesting content. The range between the type of RPGs being discussed is also sure to help readers be more informed on genres they aren’t familiar with. This has certainly been the case for me, since after reading a couple of their entries, I’ve been really tempted to have a go at strategy RPG games, possibly making a start on Valkyria Chronicles, since it seems to be a very innovative title that breaks the usual conventions of the genre. It also helped that the game received glowing reviews from damn near every gaming publication and site out there, so the critical acclaim is already present. Not to mention the beautiful cell-shaded graphics……

Anyways, with many of 1UP’s excellent editors and reviewers (at least the ones remaining after Ziff’s unfortunately layoffs earlier this year) on hand to update the site, you can be sure to expect many great analytical and deep columns on everything in the RPG world. Editors such as Jeremy Parish and John Ricciardi, whom you may have heard of if you followed the now defunct Electronic Gaming Monthly magazine, are just two of the big name editors that many will be familiar with. There are also many newer and lesser known editors, but I can assure you that their content is just as brilliant a read as any.

With the blog updated pretty much daily, many different categories of entries are available concerning each type of RPG that you prefer. Whether you like Japanese RPGS, tabletop games, US RPGS, strategies and tactical RPGS etc., there is definitely something here to cater to everyone’s taste. With weekly columns such as Table Talk (concerning tabletop RPGS like D&D),  The Coming RPG Storm (new up-and-coming games), Strategery (tactical and strategy), there is so much content for you to sift through that, like me, you will likely visit the site on a daily basis just to read new stuff. Of course, those are just three of the many different column categories, I’m just too lazy to list them all

So yea, that concludes my very first recommendation section, In The Spotlight. This is a blog that I highly recommend, and you can click on the entry banner at the start of the post to check it out. Whether you like the Mass Effects and the Fallouts, or the Pokemons and the Final Fantasys, as an RPG fan, you can’t ask for more from a blog.

「-ナルト-」

Read Online at: ONEMANGA

Summary: Picking up from last week, Inoichi has suddenly figured out where the real Pain might be hiding this whole time. He points out that during his investigation of Jiraiya’s captives, he found out that the Amagakure Ninjas had been transporting corpses to the highest tower in the village. Through his knowledge and experience of chakra channeling, he knows that in order for a ninja to transmit chakra at it’s best, it’s ideal for them to be as close to the recipient as possible. It’s also best if they were taking cover at higher grounds. There were rumors that Pain had been residing at that tall tower in Amagakure, so it is safe to assume that the real Pain would be channeling his chakra somewhere in or around Konoha, at the tallest point. With this new info, Inoichi, along with Shikamaru, Shikaku, Ino and Shiho, set off to find Pain in the surrounding area.

The focus now falls back on Naruto, as we see that both his hands are still firmly hammered into the ground. Pain takes the opportunity to talk to Naruto, revealing his ideals and goals. Pain states that his goal is something that even Jiraiya was not able to accomplish: bringing peace to the world through justice. Naruto loses his cool after hearing this, saying that everything Pain had done is not true justice, as he had lost his master, teachers, friends and village due to his actions.

Pain responds by asking Naruto what he wanted, to which Naruto answers that he wants to defeat Pain and bring justice to the Ninja world. Pain thinks that it is wonderful that they both share the same goals. However, as did Naruto, Pain had lost everything that was dear to him due to war. His friends, family and village too were destroyed. He does not find it fair that only Konoha is able to prosper while other villages suffered. He goes on to explain that Konoha and the land of fire has grown too big. The great nations need to create war in order for it’s inhabitants to survive, as they would be low on money and resources without war. Due to this, the smaller nations suffer as their villages tend to be the battlegrounds for these skirmishes. 

Hearing Pain’s reasoning, Naruto seems to have calmed down, looking somewhat saddened at the reality that he heard. Pain continues by saying that they both know true pain. They were both aiming for justice through revenge. However, if justice is driven by revenge, justice will only in return breed even more vengeance, creating a “Chain of Hatred”. Naruto recalls Jiraiya speaking of the same thing during his 3 years of training.

Pain asks Naruto how he would attempt to tackle this problem, with Naruto finding no possible way to stop the chain. Pain created Akatsuki in order to stop this path, with the help of the bijuus. He will create an ultimate weapon capable of destroying a single nation in one motion. With this, the world will know true pain and through fear, wars will stop and peace will descent onto the world. Naruto retorts by saying that it was not true peace, as it would be nothing more than a lie. Pain backs his ideas up by saying that there would be no peace if it was not done. By doing this, he would be able to create momentary peace, before people would inevitably start fighting amongst themselves once more. The weapon would then be used again by human hands, and the ensuing fear will create yet another moment of peace. Pain concludes by saying that these short periods of peace is what he is aiming for, to stop the chain of hatred long enough for a short lapse in the order. That is his wish, as he sees no other method that would be able to create such an opportunity.

The scene changes to reveal the true Pain, Nagato, resuming the talk. He seems to be in a cave, with Konan by his side. He looks to be in horrible shape, as his body is strikingly skinny, with black rods sticking out of his back, reinforced by some sort of concrete T-bracing. Only his upper body seems to be human, as his lower half seems to be encased in a spider-like mechanism, with 6 limbs acting as legs. Konan requests that Nagato doesn’t push himself too much, as he was already at his chakra limit. Spouting out blood, Nagato says that he can now envision peace.

My 2-Cents: For a chapter that was very text heavy, I quite enjoyed this week’s installment. It seemed like something very important or significant was being revealed on each page and I found myself excited to find out what else Pain had to say to Naruto. This chapter manages to add even more development to Pain’s character and I’m starting to really grow quite fond of him. He had always been a badass from the start and hearing about his goals and ideals this chapter made me feel more sympathy to his character. Of course, I don’t condone his actions because his way of doing things is ultimately the wrong method, at least not in an idealistic world. It would be viable in a world where there is no hope (much like Naruto’s world) so I suppose this is a matter of opinion. I can probably say that he is the Danzou to Naruto’s Sarutobi, in that they both are aiming for the greater good, albeit in very different ways.

The fact that Naruto too seems to realize this is very cool in a way. The way his expression is set through the whole chapter speaks volumes to me, as he realizes that he might have been a bit too naive on his outlook to life. Looking at reality face to face, he is forced to grow up and think about the world in a more mature way, much like the way his predecessors have. I’m really anxious to see how he takes the news next week, after realizing that Pain is also aiming for the same thing, with an actual means of getting there rather than blindly moving forward. Will he succumb to Pain or will he fight for his own path? Knowing the old Naruto, he would pretty much just shout out and reject Pain, with his usual “I don’t go back on my word. It’s my ninja way!” I would definitely like to see that, since it would be interesting to see how he does eventually set off to bring peace to the world, fulfilling that prophecy Jiraiya passed on.

Finally seeing the true Nagato was also awesome, as it’s been way too long before we actually see the man himself. I kinda half expected that he would be somewhat fragile and crippled looking, since he is making others do his bidding. To see him all skinny, with rods everywhere and that mechanism as legs was pretty shocking though. At first glance, you would have never thought that this pathetic looking dude is able to destroy a whole village on his own. He does somehwat resemble Orochimaru alot (especially during Oro’s time on his deathbed, as he also had that tired and pale looking face, along with the long hair). I guess it really was the only way to go, as Nagato did have some of the same features as Oro aesthetically when we saw him as a kid. Seeing him at his limits at the end also shows that he too is human, even if the suffering that he goes through isn’t actually apparent in the Pain that he controls.

Now that the gang is off to find Nagato, I can’t wait to see what their reaction is after seeing Nagato. I think that they will probably not get to him in time, as I would feel that Konan is more than able to stall them all, since she is still at full strength and the gang being injured from the Shinra Tensei blast. That would probably give Nagato just enough time to retreat, with or without Naruto depending on how much further his condition deteriorates. Even though Konan had stopped using the origami scouting/spying jutsu, she should still be able to detect them arriving early enough to stop them.

Seeing that scene where Konoha is shown after the blast, I can’t help but wonder what happened to all of Konoha’s inhabitants. That blast seemed to have taken out at least 80% of the village so the casualty toll must be very high, even with the help of Tsunade and Katsuya. It also makes me think about how Sasuke would react, since he is aiming to destroy Konoha as well. Looking at the job that Pain had done, I don’t think that Sasuke could even come close to that, unless he has the help of some bijuus. That is definitely something else to look forward to.

Thinking about everything that is left unexplained, I think that Naruto is going to be very good in 2009. The escape of the 8-tails, Taka and Madara’s Konoha plot, the rescue team from the Raikage, Kabuto’s new powers, Danzou’s attempt at the Hokage seat, Naruto’s hidden gift from Itachi as well as many other possible plot paths are definitely going to make the manga very interesting to follow. I sure hope that Kishi manages close every single gap down, I would hate for the series to end on a few loose ends. Juggling all that would be a very tough task.

RATINGS:

• Enjoyment of Chapter: 8.5/10
• Anticipation for Next Chapter: 9.5/10

Can’t believe it’s been about 2+ weeks since my last blog post, it’s been quite a while. Been extremely busy in the real world lately, the university trimester is starting on the 2nd of March so I’ve been setting things up left and right so that I can start the year in peace. Buying things to bring back to the apartment, as well as starting to pack sure is tiring, as well as sorting out things to bring and leave at home. I’ve bought a lot of things in the past 4 months so  taking things back can be quite difficult, as I now have a new fender strat guitar to bring back as well, along with it’s behemoth of a case. So yea, that’s the update on my life lately. Moving back up on Sunday so I might not post a new entry until at least Wednesday, when I will hopefully get my internet connection up and running at the apartment.

Now enough about that, there are some positive things that have happened recently. I’ve got my tablet back so I can finally get back to colouring and submitting artwork on DA!!! It’s been at least 13 months since I last touched a tablet, let alone color something so I have been quite anxious to see how far my skills have deteriorated. That’s why I picked a nice cover from my fav manga, Eyeshield 21, and went off on a piece. I chose Karin cos she has got to be one of the hottest and sweetest female characters I have seen recently. The lack of coloured pieces and fanarts for her is damn appalling so I thought I should try to contribute more to her cause.

Here’s the Work-In-Progress I have at the moment. Keep in mind that I haven’t colored in a long while so yea, there might be some oddities here and there

Hit the jump for the full WIP

So far, I’ve only coloured the skin and bits of the hair. It took me quite a while to get used to the strokes of a tablet again but after a few minutes of playing around, I got the hang of it. I’m surprised that I haven’t lost too much of the skill and as of right now, the skin came out better than I expected. The only worry right now is the hair, since it is the single thing that I really dread when doing a coloring. My style is semi-detailed, so I can’t really dish out a simple coloring of hair like some artists do. I always tend to overwork the hair, including the minute details like strands etc. That is probably my weak point, as there has only been one piece that I was truly satisfied with the hair (this piece). 

Anyways yea, if the hair goes well, the rest should be a cinch. Here’s hoping that everything else will be smooth sailing. There are a few things left to do, which I will list soon.

If you have any suggestions on improvements etc, please comment. I would love to have some feedback, especially regarding her clothes. Some suggestions on the colour scheme I should apply to her clothing would be greatly appreciated, since I’m quite stumped on what colored clothes she should wear.

Here’s the things that I have to tackle:

• Finishing the hair (highlights, details, individual stands, tweaking of colour)
• Clothes (folds, shadows, lighting etc.)
• Editing (fixing some flaws, fixing individual layers of Karin to sync coloring, softening lineart to fit the color item)
• Details (highlights on everything, shadows, syncing Karin’s overall color to match background)

Anyways, I hope to finish this in a week or so. I really need to get used to this once more, so I can finally get back to finishing off the commissions on my stack for the past few months. I would hate to have my commissioners wait a moment longer.

To anyone interested, here’s a link to my deviantART page. Do drop by

「 アイシールド21 」314th Down: I Love American Football

Read Online at: ONEMANGA 

「 アイシールド21 」315th Down: Pentagram

Read Online at: ONEMANGA  

#314 Summary: After Sena’s touchdown run which ended the last chapter, everything is flowing very smoothly for Japan. They are virtually unstoppable, as the Militaria soon find out. Gomery boasts that offense is the key point of Militaria’s game, and that they were going to win the game thanks to his superior build and speed. Hearing Gomery’s stats, Japan realizes that he is no match for the team, as he is still vastly inferior to their own aces. Showing them the speed of Shin and the power of Gaou in defense, Militaria soon realize that even with their Sergeant running on offense, they were still incapable of defeating Japan.

Gomery, who doesn’t believe that he can be stopped, proceeds with his plan and launches what he had dubbed the “Missile Run”. Agon, who is still fuming after having his hair shaven, schemes up a plan with Gaou, which Gaou rejected instantly as it did not fit into his mindset. Hearing this, Agon gets angry and a funny little sideplot occurs between the two, with Gomery receiving the bad end of it. Eventually the game ends in Japan’s favor, 77-0. Sena wrecked havoc thoughout the match, as pathways opened up for him everywhere whenever he goes on a run, thanks to his all-star teammates. Seeing how easy things are going, he seems to be very disappointed at the level of competition, as he is unable to find further motivation to get excited about the game.

Without wasting much time, things are then focused on Japan’s next match against Germany in the semi-finals. With the match tied at 17-17, it seems that Japan had found a formidable opponent on the way to the finals. Sena is now face-to-face with Heinrich, a NFL Europa MVP linebacker with the same 4.2 second 40-yard dash as himself. Sena has finally against an opponent worth getting excited over and regains his motivation. With his enthusiasm at an all-time high, Sena goes on to defeat Heinrich, through moves that Sena had developed instinctually throughout his playing career. Realizing that he cannot stop Sena, Heinrich concedes defeat, as does Germany with a final scoreline of 34-24.

#315 Summary: Japan are now safely through to the finals, where they will face with the reigning world champions America. The manga introduces us to Arnold Oberman, the new president-elect of the US, who has been watching the proceedings of the tournament. As the most muscular president in America’s history, he is seen as the perfect symbol to “Strong America”. The American ace players then come out to welcome Japan to the finals, with Bud (who sees himself as the symbol for “Strong America”) making a dramatic entrance on helicopter, complete with fireworks and explosions. This seems to fit his image perfectly, as it is then revealed that he is also an actor along with being an American Football player.

Intimidating the Japanese, Clifford (the QB of the USA) releases a powerful pass from the upper-regions of the stands, aiming directly to where Japan’s power players were gathering. Showing off his catching prowess, Bud jumps into the massive crowd and catches the ball with ease, showing his agility and strength in traffic in the process, surprising the Japanese. Even though his body is quite slender, Bud is actually pretty muscular and strong. Not giving into their intimidation, Monta steals the ball off Bud without him realizing, stating that he will become the number one receiver after he defeats Bud in the finals. Interested in the American aces, Gaou asks whether within this group lies a powerful linemen, which Bud answers to be true.

The US aces are called the Pentagram, as they consists of 5 players in each of the key positions:

• Patrick Spencer – Running Back
• Clifford Harris – Quarterback
• Bud Walker – Cornerback
• Tatanka – Linebacker
• Mr Don – Lineman

Determined to see how he stacks up to the Pentagram, Sena tests his progress once more long after everyone had left the stadium. With the help of Shin, Riku and Yamato, Sena goes on another 40-yard dash, with a new explosive running style emerging from his determination. The results of this new style astonishes the players, with his stats being held back for the next chapter. The very next day, during a press conference, it is revealed that Mr. Don (the ringleader of the American Pentagram), happens to be the son of the president himself. The president secretly hopes that someone is able to stop his son, as he himself isn’t able to do it as the father.

Gaou, who has found himself a new and potentially greater rival in the form of Mr. Don (real name Donald Oberman), goes on to confront him in his own limousine. Punching straight through the car’s windows, he grabs onto Mr. Don and requests that the two have a one-on-one battle before the match (much like the duel he had with Chuubou). Mr. Don (revealed by Gaou as the strongest lineman in the world) is finally shown, with his appearance being similar to Gaou in stature. He is a very big and strong fellow, with blonde hair and goatee, and similar facial features as his father. He also sports a tribal tattoo on the side of his face, and is a very intimidating figure in every manner. This sets everything up for the next chapter, as Mr. Don agrees to the duel, stating that he is sad that someone who is lacking strength is challenging him. 

My 2-Cents: I was quite surprised at how 314 was handled, in that the mangaka chose to speed through two teams all through the one chapter. I just found it odd how the mangaka had sort of given us looks at the Militaria as well as Germany and sort of hype up their ace characters as being obstacles that Sena and co. had to overcome. After 314, it was easy to see that they were mere fodder to help Sena find his enthusiasm once more. I had high hopes for the Germany ace Heinrich since other than the US team, none of the others had as much development as they did. With his analytical ability, I would have thought that he would be tough to defeat and that the match might have even spanned a chapter at the very least. Turns out he was only there for half a chapter. He was a very capable player though, boasting a 4.2 run. It was just unlucky that Japan had Sena and to be fair, it was a pretty close defeat.

The humor was still great though, the writing still is fresh and funny after all this time. That little side banter between Agon and Gaou was epic. When an immovable object meets an unstoppable force, this is what we get (that was such an epic Joker quote). The two ended up teaming up together and as an opponent, that is the last thing that you would ever want. Also that bit where Gomery shows off his stats to intimidate Japan, the reaction was classic. Those stats may be good against other teams, but against Gaou, Shin, Yamato and Sena, those stats are just mediocre.

In the face of Japan, no other team in world can stand a chance judging by this chapter. There are too many great individual players in the team and now that Agon is committed to the cause, no obstacle outside of the US can stand in their way. And that is where the fun begins, starting with chapter 315. In this chapter, we finally see the aces of America and they look pretty damn strong indeed. With all of their players being the best in the world in their respective positions, this is gonna be an uphill battle. Outside of the pentagram, I am willing to bet that the rest of the squad lies some very talented role players, some of whom might be playing a big role in the battle.

Bud is an interesting fellow, a stereotypical hollywood actor with a resemblance to Brad Pitt somewhat. I was quite surprised to see him categorized as the CB, as I thought that he would at least be the WR or something. Maybe he plays both positions? Unlikely since I’m sure they would want to keep their players fresh for each down. We saw a bit of Clifford’s abilities as well, and he seems to be a player who has a powerful and accurate throw. I’m guessing that he is a very able gambler and strategist as well (much like Hiruma), perhaps with some good skills on his feet to avoid to sack. Of course, we all know about Panther. Now equipped with a 4.1 run, he will be quite a handful for Shin. That is a matchup I’m dying to see, since Panther now has had more experience since the last time they faced off.

We didn’t get much info on Tatanka but we probably will within the next two chapters, as he will be the one that Sena will face most often. Donald Oberman is possibly the most intimidating person next to Gaou. With the spiky blonde hair, goatee and tattoo on the side of his face, I can see how even his dad and the rest of the team fear and respect him as their leader. Looking at that face, you would never have guessed that the dude is 18. I mean come on, he looks like he’s pushing 40. And what’s with the black fingernails? He doesn’t look like the type to be rocking that, so it was pretty funny to see it on him.

I hope we get more character development in the coming weeks, especially before the match. I’d like to see more of the characters and get a feel for who they are before they set foot on the field. I feel that this arc has been a bit rush, which may or may not be due to the editor (maybe). Now that we’re at the real battle, I hope all that fast-forwarding is well worth it. Hopefully the match can span a significant amount of chapters, maybe a whole volume seeing as this might be the finale of this great series (unless we actually see Sena’s exploits in the NFL, which would just be going too far).

The latest chapter ended on a great cliffhanger, and anticipation on my part is very high for the coming week. Hopefully Gaou doesn’t get into too much deep trouble otherwise Japan will be in a massive disadvantage for the match.

RATINGS:

• Enjoyment of Chapter #314: 7.5/10
• Enjoyment of Chapter #315: 8.5/10
• Anticipation for Next Chapter: 9/10

「-ナルト-」

Read Online at: ONEMANGA

Summary: Naruto’s sage mode has now run out due to his usage of the fuuton rasen shuriken and while he gets a breather, Shima suggests that she and Fukasaku go on and fuse with Naruto’s body, in order to prolong the sage mode. Fukasaku says that it is impossible, due to the Kyuubi’s chakra conflicting with their own, rejecting them out of his body. He does say that Naruto has figured out a way to overcome this disadvantage and told her that they will be doing that instead. God Realm Pain sees this opening and takes the opportunity to attack Naruto while he recuperates. Before Pain reaches Naruto however, Gamabunta stalls him by attacking him with his sword. Naruto takes the opportunity to take the giant scroll off his back, getting himself ready for the battle.

He proceeds to create space from himself, away from Pain and towards the direction of Fukasaku and Shima. Gamabunta however fails to stall Pain so he instantly catches up to Naruto. Thinking quickly, Naruto lobs the scroll towards Fukasaku and Shima and goes on to take Pain on by himself. Gamabunta is against Naruto fighting Pain in his state but Naruto insists that the giant frogs should leave the area immediately, as they might get caught in the Fuuton Rasen Shuriken.

At the same time, Fukasaku releases the scroll and reverse summons a Naruto bunshin from Myobokuzan, where two bunshins are seen meditating under the toad oil waterfall. After the summon arrives, Naruto releases the bunshin and gains the stored Sage chakra that he placed in it before the battle. Naruto is now back in sage mode and is overwhelming God Realm Pain once more with his Frog Katas. Fukasaku explains to Shima that before they left for Konoha, Naruto had created two kagebunshins and infused them with his sage chakra. They can just summon them at any time and Naruto is able to absorb the chakra stored within them.

Naruto generates another Rasen Shuriken and releases it towards God Realm. A twist occurs however as the rasen shuriken is intercepted and absorbed by Hungry Ghost Realm, who Naruto had taken out previously. Naruto soon realizes that the fallen Pains are being revived back to life by Hell Realm. He also noticed that God Realm hasn’t actually been using his abilities, which he finds to be really odd. Forming a plan, he creates a diversion using smoke bombs and proceeds to attack Hungry Ghost Realm with a rasen shuriken. He tries to absorb it but the rasen shuriken turns out to be Naruto’s henge. He tackles Hungry Ghost Realm down and another rasen shuriken appears directly behind him heading towards God Realm. Just in the nick of time however, Pain’s powers return and he is able to repel the attack with his Shinra Tensei. Amidst the commotion created by the previous attacks, Hell Realm is taken down by the last Naruto bunshin, setting up an epic 1-on-1 with a full powered God Realm Pain next week.

Next Week’s Chapter: 434 [Sage VS God]

My 2-Cents: Another week of Naruto is kicking ass and killing Pains. Last week I was kind of expecting for the worse when Naruto’s sage mode ran out, as I thought that like the Naruto of the past, the good things always never seem to last long. It was good to see that he was able to come up with a plan beforehand, reducing the chances of battle fatigue etc. I thought that after the mode was gone, he would then get royally whooped and have his ass shipped back to Akatsuki. Thankfully that’s not the case and with this chapter, everything is finally set up for an epic Sage Naruto VS God Realm Pain fight.

Personally it’s been a pretty long battle so far, spanning a month already within the 4 chapters. It’s been a while since we had a proper battle for Naruto so some screen shine for him is definitely a welcome change for me. It did take quite a while for the one on one to happen though, I would have preferred for them to square off in this chapter rather than having to wait another week (that might just me being impatient and fussy). 

Naruto has again showed some maturity I reckon, as he was able to square off with God Realm on equal footing while we was waiting for the Sage Mode to replenish. His taijutsu must have improved due to the Frog Katas, although things might have been different if the Sage mode came a second too late. Pain was getting his sword ready so Naruto might have been impaled if he was too slow. I do feel though that he is still lacking in ninjutsu variety. He still seems spam the rasengans every other panel, as he even used the dual rasengans as a smoke bomb (ingenious but you have to wonder about chakra wastage, although he does have a massive tank to pull from anyways). With his ability to create the ultimate technique Rasen Shuriken, which is said to be the best in terms of chakra recomposition etc., I expected that he would be able to freely use his wind chakra and create openings using it (maybe a gust of wind that acts like God Realm’s Shinra Tensei?). Maybe I’m asking too much of him right now, given how much he has improved currently anyways. I should just leave that sort of development for a bit later.

In classic Naruto fashion however, his flexible and creative way of thinking is still a joy to behold. He literally formulated a great plan right on the spot in order to take out Hell Realm. Pain certainly did not see that coming and Naruto’s use of the bunshins is still as good as ever. If he spams a jutsu, he’s better off doing it in ways such as that. The plan was perfect.

Overall it was a good and solid chapter. Nothing really overwhelming and certainly not as exciting as 431. Either way, seeing more of Naruto’s growth was pleasing and the cliffy at the end points to the next chapter being pretty good. Here’s hoping that they don’t end up just chatting throughout the chapter -_-;

RATINGS:

• Enjoyment of Chapter: 6.5/10
• Anticipation for Next Chapter: 7.5/10

「 とらドラ! 」Episode 16: One Step Forward

Summary: Kitamura is not budging and still insists that he has no interest in running for student council president, even though everyone is trying to get him to change his mind. Taiga and Ryuuji’s plan of terrorizing the school into submission has no effect on him, much to the dismay of the school. With the deadline for candidacy drawing closer, the duo rack their brains trying to figure out a plan B. That same night, Ryuuji receives a call from Murase, who happens to be on the student council. Murase seems to think that Kitamura is indifferent due to the fact that the current president Kano will be moving to America in the next few days. Realizing this, Ryuuji immediately runs out to find Kitamura, planning to beat some sense into him.

Finding him sitting alone by the river, Ryuuji is surprised to see Kitamura’s face bruised up (his dad got to him before he did). Kitamura goes on to reveal that Kano was leaving for America to pursue her dream of becoming an astronaut. He was against the idea as he had fallen in love with her, and plans to confess his feelings once he gets elected as the next student council president. He wanted to earn the respect and recognition before revealing his feelings to her, or at least that was the plan. Everything was dashed the moment he finds out that Kano was leaving, as he now has no reason to run for president. Kitamura is aware that everything that Taiga and Ryuuji had done was all for his sake, and he thanks Ryuuji for caring so much. Hearing Taiga call out for Ryuuji, he gets up and leaves for home, but not before reassuring Ryuuji that he plans to make amends and go back to normal tomorrow. When Taiga catches up with Ryuuji, Kitamura was long gone. Ryuuji chose to not reveal his conversation to her, and also does not tell her what the phone call was about, believing that it was for the best.

The next day during Taiga’s routine scarefest/speech, Kitamura arrives (complete with his normal hair colour) and gets on stage reassuring everyone that he will not let anything phase him anymore. Everyone assumes that he is back in the running for president and cheers for him. However, Ryuuji learns that he hasn’t officially filled in his candidacy form, with the deadline drawing near. Finding him, Kitamura reveals that he has indeed made his mind and decides against runninb. He goes on to tell Ryuuji the story of how he entered the council, about how after being rejected by Taiga in his freshmen year, he meets with Kano who convinces him that his future lies within the council. He eventually falls in love with Kano but is unable to make that final step. Kano interrupts his story and tells him that he is a coward for running away. She literally pushes him down that final step, stating that she wants to see what type of president he turns out to be. Inspired by this, Kitamura successfully hands in the form right at the deadline.

Fast forward to the day of the speech, Kitamura is the only candidate left as everyone else had dropped out from the running. Instead of giving his acceptance speech, Kitamura surprises everyone in attendance by confessing to Kano. With everyone insisting for Kano to answer, Kano takes up the mic and swiftly side-steps the confession, twisting it to show what an interesting guy Kitamura is. Without a proper answer given to him, Kitamura breaks down. Ryuuji chases down Kano and demands that she give him a proper answer. Kano says that Kitamura should learn to live more wisely and before Ryuuji can press her more, Taiga stops him, telling him that he should instead go and comfort Kitamura, which was something that she herself cannot do. After Ryuuji leaves, Taiga confronts Kano in her classroom with her wooden Kendo sword at hand.

With Kano accepting Taiga’s request for a fight, the two come to epic blows in the middle of the classroom. Taiga refuses to forgive Kano for what she had done and called her a coward for not accepting her own feelings. Ryuuji manages to stop the fight before things get worse, pulling Taiga into submission while Kano’s classmates restrained her. Taiga is still unsatisfied and demanded that if Kano was unable to answer Kitamura’s feelings, she should declare that she hates him instead. Kano responds by saying that she would love to be able to be as carefree and idiotic as Taiga. If she were to do that however and return Kitamura’s feelings, he would do everything in his power to follow her over to America. She can’t accept that so she chooses to not become an idiot. Kitamura hears all this and apologises to Kano, saying that he does not regret falling in love with her.

A few moments later, the teachers arrive to stop the ruckus and after cleaning the room, Ami’s friends finds Taiga’s student handbook in the classroom. They (including Minori) realize that Taiga was in love with Kitamura after discovering pictures of him in the handbook. Before they saw the rest of the pictures, Ami takes the book and says that she will hand it back to Taiga later. As Ami walks past Minori, she asks her quietly whether her feelings of guilt had passed.

Kano spends her last day at school all bruised up and 2 days later, she leaves for America. Kitamura ends up as the president of the student council and Taiga is suspended from school for 2 weeks following the events of that day. During her time off, she ponders about what to add in her letter of apology to Kano. Sometime later, Kano receives the letter and laughs out loud after reading the contents on the back of the letter, with is dominated by the words “baka” (Idiot).

My 2-Cents: Hehe in my previous Toradora post, I said that I was really looking forward to watching Taiga’s election run due to all the potential fun bits it might have. Sadly that whole extortion saga only lasted for a few minutes, since everything was compressed into a little montage of the things they did to strike fear into the school. I guess they really wanted to move the plot along faster and finish off this arc quicker, which is fine by me. The little bits that they did show was still fun and enjoyable enough, especially seeing all the posters and handouts they were giving out (that fainting girl was a nice touch).

There were a lot of events that happened in this one episode and we finally get an answer on why Kitamura has been on angst lately. Personally I found that his tactics for confessing to Kano were a bit odd. I don’t see why he needed to be in a position of power in order for him to gain her respect. I’m pretty sure that over the time that they had worked together, she would be able to see the kind of person he really was. He should have just gone and confessed to her outright, rather than wait for the elections. That way, if she had said yes, she might have some time to enjoy the relationship. Then again, Kano is not the type to let relationships get in the way of her dreams so even if they were dating, she might have still broken his heart by moving away.  Anyways, I guess it worked out for the better, as we got a kickass fight and some ballsy antics from Kitamura.

I have to give credit to Kitamura though, he does have some guts to go after two of the school’s scariest girls. First Taiga and now Kano, he does know how to pick his women. Confessing to Taiga on the rooftop not long after getting into highschool as well as confessing to Kano in front of everyone, during a freaking election speech, shows that he’s got balls. He’s 0 for 2 at the moment but he shouldn’t give up because of that. After all, Taiga is now chasing after him instead and his feelings for Kano would have gone in another direction if not for her offer to study abroad. (ASTRONAUT!!?? REALLY?? Can’t the writers give her a normal dream or something? Seeing it brought up like that made me chuckle a bit)

Oh yea, we can’t overlook the fight scene. That little skirmish was epic, something that I would never expect in a series like this. The animation, choreography and intensity was amazing especially for a comedy/slice-of-life show like Toradora. I can’t get over the fact that a cat fight broke lose like this and it ended up being a fist fight with wooden swords. Taiga is epic, and props to Kano for holding her on in that fight.

Also, that little bit in the end when Ami confronts Minori about her guilt was pretty cool too. Now Minori knows that there is nothing going on between Taiga and Ryuuji and I’m guessing the guilt that Ami refers to is the guilt that Minori feels to Taiga as she slowly develops feelings for Ryuuji. Judging by the previous eps, that seems to be the case. Ami sure is mature though, she instantly saw through Minori’s worry and understands what she’s going through. It must have been especially hard for her seeing as she clearly has developed feelings for him too. That might explain her teeth crunching at the end of that scene, she now has a rival for Ryuuji’s affection (sure is tough being him =P). The future development of this little plot will be interesting, and I wonder what’s the future for Kitamura now that he has to let Kano go. Maybe he’s better off going for Taiga after all.

It finally looks like we’re gonna have a new arc in the next episode. Judging by the preview, it’s gonna be back to the light-hearted and fast paced humor we all know and love (at least I do). After the last arcs slow pace and deep character development, it’s nice to enjoy a fun little side step from the story. The girls seem to be the center focus of the next ep and they all look adorable (oh god look at Ami. Hawt) Also, we might be getting a new OP and ED sequence so fingers crossed, they are every bit as good as the current one (I love the current OP and ED a lot =3)

Can’t wait.

「バクマン」Page

Read Online at: ONEMANGA

Summary: The chapter picks off exactly where the last ended, with Saiko calling Shujin to inform him that he accepted the offer to work as Eiji Niizuma’s assistant for the summer. Shujin seemed somewhat surprised after hearing that it was for Niizuma, but then apologizes and promises that he will be back with a good name by the end of summer. Miyoshi found it a bit odd that Shujin was allowing Saiko to work for someone else, seeing as they were partners. Shujin agrees with Saiko however, stating that rather than have him do nothing while he comes up with a good name, he would be better off gaining experience somewhere else. Miyoshi worries that she might be a nuisance to the duo’s dreams but Shujin reassures her that she was not in their way.

Fast forwarding to July the 27th, Saiko heads off to Niizuma’s apartment for his first day on the job. Greeted by Nakai (Niizuma’s assistant), he enters the apartment to find Niizuma hard at work on his manga (in his unique and slightly crazy way). Niizuma greets him in his usual odd way, twisting everything he says to include improvements he could find for his manga. Nakai says that “Mr. Niizuma” always acts this way, only stopping when he sleeps (which is usually for 20 hours at a time). A new character, Fukuda Shinta, is then introduced, stating that Nakai shouldn’t call him “Mr. Niizuma” seeing as he is 17 years his senior. Fukuda is a new assistant who had just started work the day before and seems to be a little bit older than Niizuma (possibly 17-19). He seems to be another good up-and-coming mangaka, previously winning two Tezuka awards, with the possibility of being serialized very soon according to Niizuma’s editor.

Saiko notices that Fukuda is busy drawing up a name rather than help Niizuma. Nakai says that it’s normal, seeing as they get a lot of free time since there are three assistants on board as well as Niizuma doing backgrounds on his own. Fukuda adds that it was also great since they’re getting paid for this, as well as getting free meals, transportation and air-conditioning in the apartment. He goes on by asking what awards Saiko has won recently, with Saiko saying that he has only gotten into Akamaru so far. Fukuda was shocked to find out that he made “Money and Intelligence” as well as the genius 15-year-old “Ashirogi Muto” being a pen name for Saiko and Shujin. Fukuda’s manga was also in the same Akamaru that Money and Intelligence ran in, although he only placed 5th in the reader votings. He sees Ashirogi Muto as a fellow rival, along with Niizuma, and claims that he will soon surpass Niizuma and become the poster boy for Jump.

He adds that Nakai is the lowest rung among the mangakas, as the only accomplishment he has was winning the monthly prize 10 years ago. He goes on about how Nakai should address himself and Saiko as “misters” since they were superior to him (a view which he then discards seeing as he would have to call Niizuma “mister” too). Surprised to hear that Nakai was still trying for serialization, he adds by saying that at his age he would probably be better off being a professional assistant, seeing as Yujiro rates him as a good one. 

Nakai explains to Saiko what the assistants have to do, with all the pages on the floor being things that they need to help edit. Seeing as there wasn’t anything new from Niizuma yet, Saiko says that he will observe Niizuma draw his manga. Fukuda says it’s useless however, since Niizuma wouldn’t be able to teach him anything given his lack of experience. Saiko retorts by saying he just wants to watch rather than learn from him, since he was still the best artist in the room. Niizuma however just goes on with his crazy drawing techniques. Soon after, he realizes that Saiko was in the room and in shock, yells out “Mr. Ashirogi!”. Fukuda and Nakai found it weird that Niizuma was referring to Saiko as “mister”, since he doesn’t really show interest in the other two. Asking why Saiko was in the room, Saiko then goes on to tell him that he was going to be his assistant for the summer. Surprised, Niizuma says that he should be working on his own manga instead, rather than help him. Saiko says that it couldn’t helped, as Shujin has yet to come up with a good enough name. Niizuma is again shocked after hearing this, since the two were able to come up with something as good as Money and Intelligence. He offers Saiko a seat, after Saiko says that he wants to learn from him by watching him draw.

The two go on to discuss about how hard it is to actually get to number one in Jump week in, week out. Saiko explains many things regarding how hard it is after the first chapter, which makes Nakai wonder who is actually teaching who. With all the reassurance that Saiko gives Niizuma about his manga being able to improve in ranking after it’s 2nd chapter, Fukuda explodes saying that the manga will instead just slip lower and lower. Scared at the possibility, Niizuma goes into denial. After reading chapter 4 and 5 of Crow, Saiko concludes that even though it is currently amazing and easy to read, it lacks something. It needs to be easy for the reader to understand, with Fukuda adding that it currently just looks cool, without having anything that connects with the readers. After further discussion, Niizuma decides to redo chapter 5 and asks the two for assistance. Saiko ponders about how instead of accepting the job in order to learn more from Niizuma, he finds himself wanting to make Niizuma’s manga better. He agrees and offers to help. Fukuda, who does not want to lose the two, accepts the challenge as well and together, the three attempt to make chapter 5 of Crow the number 1 ranked manga in Jump.

My 2-Cents:  Haha, this chapter was quite a blast. I enjoyed it from the start, especially seeing the coloured cover page (that was damn awesome). Niizuma never ceases to amaze me and his personality has been growing on me every time we see him. He’s such a carefree character and it is refreshing to see a genius that actually works hard and enjoys the thing that he does. It must be nice to have talent like that, seeing as he doesn’t exactly break a sweat when he draws (not to mention the 20 hours naps).

I also like the new character Fukuda. He adds a new dimension to Bakuman, as he is completely different from Shujin, Saiko and Niizuma. He may seem like a bit of a dick at first but I think he is very well designed (he looks a lot like Kazu from Air Gear, if Kazu had Ikki’s personality ) and has great knowledge on the industry. The fact that he has already won two Tezuka awards shows that he means business. He is also the character that many of us thought Niizuma was going to be when he was introduced (he does have that crazy look after all), the rival that will always pursue Ashirogi and make them better. Seeing as Niizuma is too laid back to be a “proper” rival to Ashirogi, Fukuda fits the bill perfectly. I do worry however that he might end up being a bit like Kawachi from Yakitate!!, but I don’t see that happening with Fukuda given his personality, drive and desire to surpass his rivals. I also can’t help but wonder whether he might potentially develop a love interest for either Miyoshi or Azuki, which would make for another interesting twist (since Niizuma will probably never fulfill that role. Then again, weirder things have happened, he is a bit wacko after all)

Yet another very informative chapter, we get to learn more and more about creating manga. Learning about what assistants do and how they get things done through cross on pages etc is very interesting. The little debate about a manga’s weekly rankings and how the first chapters always gets first place was also welcomed, as we see how tough it is for a mangaka to keep things fresh and easy for a reader to get into. I wonder if that same rule applied for Death Note and Bakuman, the first chapters of those probably gained first place with a little drop in the next chapters.

This little arc is definitely gonna get better and better, as Fukuda’s introduction and the direction of the manga at the moment is a welcome change from the linear path the manga was going on before. Although it was fun to see Shujin and Saiko make names and manuscripts week after week and enter competitions, that stuff would have definitely gotten old. This little deviation from that path is just what the manga needed, as we get to see Fukuda, Saiko and Niizuma get together and attempt to improve Crow’s rankings, seeing their trials and tribulations as well as development to Niizuma and Fukuda’s character (lets not forget about what Nakai can potentially bring to this either). With a little bit of Shujin’s self-discovery and a sprinkle of Miyoshi and Azuki’s side quests, this manga is finally rolling into high gear with all the potential story paths.

Also, here’s what I can see happening in the future: we will eventually see a female mangaka character, who will probably be around Fukuda’s age (if not older). I definitely want to see that happen, since there are plenty of female mangakas in real life (D.Gray-man, Reborn!). Imagine all the plot possibilities with that.

Series Details - 「 RIDEBACK -ライドバック- (The Official Japanese Website) 」   

Studio: Madhouse   |   Genre: Mecha/Science Fiction   |   Episodes: 12 (scheduled)

「 ライドバック 」Episode 01: Scarlet Rideback

Summary: Set in 2020, Rideback takes place during a future where a resistance movement, called the GGP, has taken control over the world. By using a new advanced weapon they developed, they were able to overpower the previous government with ease, as the difference in strength between the group and the government were comparable to an elephant fighting an ant.  Due to this incident, several problems arose from the incident, as restlessness and conflict can be seen in the world. None of this matters however to a certain Ogata Rin, the protagonist of this story. She is in the middle of her biggest ballet performance of her life. It also potentially proves to be her last as she suffers a severe ligament injury to her left ankle, stopping her short of her dream to surpass her deceased mother and become the best dancer in the world. After a childhood in which she idolizes and trains under close tutelage of her mother, everything changes for her due to this.

Sometime later, Rin and her friend Shoko enroll into college, returning to ordinary student life after the incident. After getting themselves familiarized with their new surroundings, Rin receives a call from her grandmother. In the conversation, it is revealed that after the injury, Rin has given up on ballet dancing. She stays firm on her decision as she talks with her grandmother and in the process, other facts regarding her life slowly surface. Along with her younger brother, she has been living with her grandmother since a very young age, as both her mother and father died in an earthquake around six years ago. Rin seems to be very uncomfortable regarding her injury as well as her mother’s death, as she tries to stray away from the subject. Even though her injury was something that can heal perfectly with proper surgery, she decided that she would still give up on ballet as she was unsatisfied with her current state, realizing that she will never be as good as her mother due to it.

The next day, the pair meets with Uchida Suzuri, a fan of Rin’s during lunch. She expresses her admiration for Rin’s performances, revealing that she has been following her recitals for some time before the injury. She views Rin as the next great dancer, comparing her to her mother. Realizing how uneasy Rin became due to the mention of the her mother, Shoko quickly changes the subject, producing a chance for her to escape as more of Rin’s friends slowly crowd around the table. After Rin’s departure, Shoko goes on to explain to Suzuri about Rin’s retirement from ballet after her ligament tear, which saddens Suzuri. 

A few moments later, Rin stumbles upon a small warehouse, where she takes shelter under to escape the rain. After witnessing a man on what seemed to be a robotic motorcycle with arms leaving the warehouse, she gets curious and takes a peek inside. As the rain gets heavier, she enters the building and takes an interest in a particular red motorcycle hidden in a corner of the building. Mistaking her as a possible recruit to his Rideback club, Hishida Haruki introduces himself to Rin and offers to teach her how to ride the machine. Haruki informs her of the machine’s details, stating that the particular model’s name was “Fuego” (meaning fire in spanish), while the machine type itself was called a Rideback.

After familiarizing herself with the controls, Rin takes the machine out for a spin after the rain stopped. After a short run, she realizes that the controls on Fuego were not registering properly and without the ability to brake, Fuego takes her on a speed run through the school campus. In the process, she discovers that Fuego responds to her body’s subtle movements, allowing her to do some amazing ballet dance techniques. Rather than panicking in the situation, she finds herself enjoying the moment after realizing the machine’s capabilities.

A couple pirouettes later however, the machine malfunctions further and stops responding to Rin’s commands. Haruki, who at this point is attempting to chase after Rin to fix the machine on his scooter, runs into another member of the club, a blonde girl named Tamayo. The two then go on to chase after Rin. At the same time, Rin is spotted by the man who was previously seen leaving the warehouse, Okakura Tenshirou. Noting that Rin was heading towards an unfinished road, he sprints off after her, barely managing to fix the machine’s controls. It was of no help however, as Rin continues to fly off the cliff, soaring into the sky above everyone and everything. Rather than being scared, Rin seems really happy, as she smiles widely flying into the sky.

Previews: [ EPISODE 02 ] A Race with Tamayo

My 2-Cents: After a few nags and even more drags, I finally knuckled under and gave in to the pressure and hype surrounding this series. Granted, I was eventually going to watch this anyways but I thought that I should just start the ride off right from the get go. Honestly, I must say I definitely did not regret watching this episode. In fact, I really can’t wait for the second ep coming out this week. Looking through countless winter anime summaries, Rideback was something that instantly caught my eye among the sea of decent-if-not-great series coming out this season. The premise was really interesting, and seeing the Fuego mecha definitely made me even more intrigued as the days go by. 

Reading through review after review of the first episode, I found that everyone rates Rideback very highly. Judging from the first episode, I definitely see a lot of potential in this so I can see where everyone is coming from. The first thing that catches your eye as you watch this is the incredible production values. Madhouse has done a tremendous job animating this episode, everything just look damn beautiful. From the starting ballet recital, to the sakura trees all the way to the ending scene, everything looks great in terms of art and color. The color truly pops out at you as the episode is adequately saturated throughout (although not as much as the screens here, I did some minor editing to the colors). The attention to detail is also top-notch, as I notice all the little things in the episode being done right. A good example of this is the reflection off Suzuri’s glasses. You can definitely see Rin’s face reflected off the glass’ surface as they interacted. Another good example would be the ground’s surface during the rain, as the reflections themselves are also animated along with the pitter-patter as the rain hits the water pools. I hope madhouse keeps this up, cos first episode looks perfect. Hopefully this is not a case where animation is at a premium just for the opening. I have seen many a series degrade in quality as the season goes by (some of which never again reaching the bar set by it’s first episode). Here’s hoping.

Another aspect I liked were the character designs. Even though at first glance they may seem a bit bland and boring, there are certain elements that make them likeable. Take Rin for example. As a whole, she is a very generic looking heroine. The little touches make her who she is however, as I really like how cute her scruffy hair is. Definitely a nice touch. Her personality and demeanor is also very relatable, as she is polite and quite shy in nature. I can’t wait to see her develop more, especially after her discovery of these ridebacks. The art style is pretty similar to Initial-D, as the characters have pretty long noses and faces. I actually dislike the art in Initial-D with a passion but somehow it works here. It definitely does look nice in this series.

The ridebacks themselves are very nice as well. The animations of the mechas are pretty good and they don’t really stand out too much from the normal animation, which is good. I’m not really a fan of super-CGed mecha, where they just shine like hell and look like they’re not even on the same plane as it’s surroundings so the way they are rendered here is subtle yet good. Fuego in particular is really sweet, with all it’s moving machinery and mechanical parts. The red really pops out at you so it is definitely very appealing to me aesthetically.

As in all technological anime, I always find myself wanting a piece of it’s tech more and more. A Rideback is something that I can definitely see myself riding, since it pretty much is like a motorcycle in nature. I find it similar to Air Gear, in the sense that it’s a mechanical object that lets you soar in the sky. Maybe in 10 years time, we really will see tech like this out and about (the story is set in 2020 after all). The small cell-phones are neat too, quite niche little things =P  I totally want one.

There are some inconsistencies that I found though, mostly in the character faces. In some scenes (like when Rin was calling her grandmother), the face perspectives look a bit off, making her look really weird. There are also some evidence of this during the chase scenes (however since it was pretty fast, you can’t really notice it too much anyways). This is probably just a case of me being OCD-nitpicky as I usually am so you can disregard it. After all, every anime has inconsistent art at times so I’m not gonna hold this against it. It’s still top-notch throughout.

All in all, a pleasant surprise and quite an enjoyable experience. The story started off slow but after the Ridebacks were introduced, my excitement rose higher and higher. I expect great things for this series, even though it might be a short one (12 scheduled episodes). If they can keep the production values up, I can see it ranking quite high on my personal list for this season (I’m probably a bigger art nut than I am a story/plot nut). As someone who doesn’t follow the manga, I can’t wait to see the story develop further (there’s a lot of potential with the Rideback teams and the GGPs). I will definitely be following/blogging this series in the foreseeable future. 

OP SEQUENCE: 「RIDEBACK」by MELL    

 ED SEQUENCE: 「記憶」(Kioku) by ユンナ (Younha) ft. GOKU