Thursday, December 20, 2007

Shikigami no Shiro II

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Shikigami no Shiro II is a vertically scrolling shooter released in the arcades, using the Sega NAOMI arcade system board. It was subsequently ported in Japan to the Nintendo GameCube, and then later to Sega Dreamcast, PlayStation 2, Xbox and Windows PCs. The game was also released in the U.S. on the PlayStation 2 by XS Games as Castle Shikigami 2, and in Europe as Castle Shikigami 2: War of the Worlds. XS Games released its prequel as well, under the name of Mobile Light Force 2.

A number of tie-in novels and manga volumes were produced, expanding the story of the game.




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Wednesday, December 19, 2007

Shadow Hearts

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Shadow Hearts is a console role-playing game developed by Sacnoth and published by Aruze Corp in Japan and in the United States and Europe by Midway in 2001. It is the first official game in the Shadow Hearts series and Koudelka is its prequel. Shadow Hearts follows the adventures of Yuri Hyuga, a Harmonixer guided by a mysterious voice in his head. He finds himself thrown into the conflicts prior to World War I where he must save the girl and the world from destruction.

Released in North America only one week before Square Enix's Final Fantasy X, and unhelped by Midway's nominal marketing campaign, Shadow Hearts initially struggled to gain the attention of gamers. The use of 2D pre-rendered backgrounds rather than a full 3D environment drew criticism as well. The game was praised for its original battle system. Shadow Hearts gained a cult following for its quirky use and misuse of historical facts and situations in a form of secret history.

Shadow Hearts




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Tuesday, December 18, 2007

Real Bout High School

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Real Bout High School is a six-volume manga written by Reiji Saiga with art by Sora Inoue and adapted into a 13-episode anime series. It is set in a school called Daimon High, where disagreements among the student body are settled by matches called K-Fights. (The "K" stands for kenka, meaning "street fight".)

This is a manga about a school that doesn't break up fights, but rather, they grade them. The manga introduces Ryoko Mitsurugi, Daimon High's Current reigning K-Fight Champion and self described Samurai Girl. It also introduces Shizuma Kusunagi, a traveling Street Fighter with mysterious powers. The Manga while comedic in the beginning becomes more serious as Ryoko and Shizuma find themselves caught up in the machinations of several student councils and a criminal organization with Ryoko teaming up with a band of female fighters named after the historical Shinsengumi.

The events in the anime series take place after those in the manga. (With several events moved.) Ryoko Mitsurugi is the current K-Fight champion, whose skill at Kendo and her love for samurai dramas has led her to be known as the "Samurai Girl". One day, Ryoko finds a strange pendant which transports her to another dimension called Solvania, where she is expected to fight monsters. Which is part of a bigger plot to revive Solvania.

http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/real-bout-high-school/dvd-1

http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/manga.php?id=1611

http://www.anime-planet.com/anirec/289.html






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Thursday, December 13, 2007

Serial Experiments Lain

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By sabrebIade
Serial Experiments Lain is an anime series directed by Ryutaro Nakamura, original character design by Yoshitoshi ABe, screenplay written by Chiaki J. Konaka, and produced by Yasuyuki Ueda (credited as production 2nd) for Triangle Staff. It was broadcast on TV Tokyo from July to September 1998. A PlayStation game with the same title was released in November 1998 by Pioneer LDC.

Lain is influenced by philosophical subjects such as reality, identity, and communication. The series focuses on Lain Iwakura, an adolescent girl living in suburban Japan, and her introduction to the Wired, a global communications network similar to the Internet. Lain lives with her middle class family, which consists of her inexpressive older sister Mika, her cold mother, and her computer-obsessed father. The first ripple on the pond of Lain's lonely life appears when she learns that girls from her school have received an e-mail from Chisa Yomoda, a schoolmate who committed suicide. When Lain receives the message at home, Chisa tells her (in real time) that she is not dead, but has just "abandoned the flesh", and has found God in the Wired. From then on, Lain is bound to a quest which will take her ever deeper into both the network and her own thoughts.

The anime series is licensed in North America by Geneon (previously Pioneer Entertainment) on DVD, VHS and LaserDisc. It was also released in Singapore by Odex. The video game, which shares only the themes and protagonist with the series, was never released outside Japan.

The series shows influences from topics such as philosophy, computer history, cyberpunk literature and conspiracy theory, and it was made the subject of several academic articles. English language anime reviewers found it to be "weird" and unusual, but reviews were still generally positive. Producer Ueda said he intended Japanese and American audiences to form conflicting views on the series, but was disappointed in this regard, as the impressions turned out to be similar.



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Sunday, December 9, 2007

D.Gray-man

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D.Gray-man is a manga series by Katsura Hoshino. It is a Gothic-fiction manga first serialized in 2004 in Weekly Shōnen Jump (published by Shueisha under their Jump Comics imprint). It is an ongoing series and is currently up to 139 chapters. There is also a novel series called Reverse, authored by Kaya Kizaki, that tells the characters' backgrounds. As of November 6, 2007, VIZ has released the first seven volumes in the United States. The anime began airing on October 3, 2006 in Japan and is still ongoing.

Many characters and their designs were adapted from some of Katsura Hoshino's previous works and drafts, such as Zone, Book-man, and Continue, and her assistants. Earlier titles considered for the manga were Dolls, Chronoa, and Zone.

The story of D.Gray-man takes place on a fictional Earth at the end of the 19th century. The plot centers around Allen Walker, a young British boy who is a member of The Black Order; a secretive organization whose members are known as Exorcists. The Order's primary mission is to stop The Millennium Earl, an ancient demonic sorcerer who intends to 'cleanse' the world by destroying all life on it.

Exorcists are specially chosen humans who are gifted with the ability to control and use Innocence, a divine substance created in ages past to combat the Earl. According to the Order's history, at the end of The Great Flood, 109 fragments of Innocence were scattered around the world. Once an Innocence fragment is matched to its compatible user, it can become a weapon or tool for the user to wield in the battle against the Earl.

Throughout the story, Allen is introduced to more Exorcists, including Yu Kanda, Lenalee Lee, Lavi, Miranda Lotto, and Arystar Krory. Assisting Allen and the Exorcists are a team of scientists and handlers led by Komui Lee, a Supervisor of the Black Order and Lenalee's older brother. Allen's master and mentor is the enigmatic Cross Marian, one of the five Exorcist Generals of the Black Order, who at the beginning of the story has mysteriously disappeared. In the course of completing their missions, Allen and his fellow Exorcists are introduced to the other Generals: Kevin Yeegar, Froi Tiedoll, Cloud Nine, and Winter Sokaro.

The Millennium Earl is aided in his plans by The Noah Clan, humans who are direct descendants of Noah himself. Each member of this clan is gifted with great power and each represent a different 'aspect' of Noah. They are identified by their gray skin and line of cross-shaped markings on their foreheads. As the story progresses, the members of the clan are revealed: Road Kamelot (the Dreams of Noah), Tyki Mikk (the Pleasures of Noah), Jasdero and Debitto - Jasdebi (the Bonds of Noah), Skin Boric (the Wrath of Noah), and Lulubell (the Lust of Noah).

The Earl also utilizes an army of demonic creatures called Akuma to do his bidding. Akuma are created by taking advantage of someone's grief over the death of a loved one. The Earl tricks individuals into bringing their loved one back to life through a skeletal 'doll', only to have that doll kill them and turn them into an Akuma with the soul of the dead loved one trapped inside. Akuma are able to evolve and with each new level grow more intelligent, powerful, and sadistic. Since Akuma can impersonate humans to blend in, Exorcists are routinely assigned to track down and eliminate them.

D. Gray-Man: Season One, Part One


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Saturday, December 8, 2007

Countdown

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http://www.animecritic.com/hentaireviews/countdown/hnr-countdown.html

http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=2578

http://www.animenfo.com/animetitle,604,zckcjh,countdown.html





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Friday, December 7, 2007

Ikki Tousen / Battle Vixens, part 2



Seven schools in the district of Kantō are constantly at war with each other, and the students within — both male and female — have become skilled fighters and constantly battle with rival schools. Their lives and fates are guided by strange jewels, called magatama, that contain the spirits and destinies of warriors from the Three Kingdoms period of China, and also change colour according to the ranking of its bearer. The ultimate purpose of each of these high-school fighters, known as tōshi ("fighter"), is to become stronger than all others and ascend to become the eponymous Ikki Tōsen — a relatively obscure yojijukugo. Literally translated, it means "one knight who is the match for a thousand (other knights)" (the character ki, for "knight" does not translate directly, as knights in the Western mold were unknown in Japan, but the sense is the same). The destinies of those who wear the magatama, though, have repeated time and time again for the past eighteen centuries — without fail — and the carnage is immense each time around.

One girl, Hakufu Sonsaku, recently moved to Tokyo and is apparently destined to unite the schools, just as her counterpart united seven countries long ago. It is hard to believe for the other characters just as much as the reader/viewer, as she consistently shows a lack of common sense and intelligence. However, the magatama that her mother Goei passes on (which belonged to Hakufu's late father Sonken; a play on the name of Sun Jian) is rumoured to be infused with the spirit of the legendary warrior Sun Ce.

Hakufu herself knows naught of this, and explanations of what is going on are largely meant for those watching or reading. All she cares about is fighting whomever happens to be up for a rumble. In fact, fighting even excites her—especially scraps where she is heavily outnumbered. This causes incredible embarrassment and frustration to her cousin, a Toushi by the name of Shuyu Koukin with whom she is staying; he always ends up entangled in the situations in which Hakufu finds herself (to the point of being impaled once), and is driven to distraction by the conflicting facts that (a) the two of them are related, (b) she is incredibly attractive, and (c) her clothing inevitably ends up shredded.

Just like all heroes, there are darker facets to Hakufu's ultimate destiny, and as always there is perpetual conflict in those around her to break the chains of their own seemingly predetermined fates, and to make their own lives. The other main characters include the honourable (Taishiji Shigi, Kanu Uncho, Kakoton Genjo), tragic (Ryofu Hosen, Chinkyu Koudai), manipulative and power-crazed (Toutaku Chuei), enigmatic (Saji Genpo), perverted and unhinged (Kannei Koha), and borderline schizophrenic (Ryomo Shimei—her fighting and non-fighting sides are poles apart).



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Thursday, December 6, 2007

Ikki Tousen / Battle Vixens

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Ikki Tousen ( literally "a lone rider with the strength to withstand a thousand") or "Bakunyū" Hyper-Battle Ikki Tōsen is a 13 episode anime series loosely based on the manga by Yuji Shiozaki, which is in turn based on the classic Chinese novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms. The series is known for being full of fan service, featuring a very large cast of attractive young girls, who fight in short skirts and dresses, in addition to numerous other ecchi situations.

The TV series ran on AT-X from July 30, 2003 to October 22, 2003, and its license is held by Enoki Films. The whole series has been licensed by Geneon Entertainment (USA) Inc. for the North America market, and is available on four separate DVDs. The manga is released in English by TOKYOPOP under the title Battle Vixens. The official German title is Dragon Girls, while in France it is called Ikkitousen.

As with numerous other Geneon series, the anime is distributed in United Kingdom by MVM Films. But unlike Geneon, MVM seem to have some ties with TOKYOPOP, as their releases use both "Ikki Tousen" and "Battle Vixens" as titles, using the title graphic from TOKYOPOP's manga for the latter of these. The DVD covers are reversible, for those who prefer the original title, and a limited edition of the first DVD came in a box set with the first volume of the manga.

A second season of Ikki Tousen was picked up, titled Ikki Tousen: Dragon Destiny, which began airing in February 2007. An accompanying radio series named Ikki Tousen Dragon Destiny Radio was hosted on Media Factory. A DVD for chapter 0 was released on Comic Market 71 for 1000 yen, featuring an unedited Dragon Destiny promotional video, voice actor interviews, and DVD for Ikki Tousen Dragon Destiny Radio, recently Ikki Tousen: Destiny was licensed by Media Blasters.
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Ikki Tousen: The Complete Series Box Set



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Tuesday, December 4, 2007

All Purpose Cultural Cat Girl Nuku Nuku

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All Purpose Cultural Cat Girl Nuku Nuku

All Purpose Cultural Cat Girl Nuku Nuku is a six-episode anime OVA created in 1992. It spawned a 14-episode anime TV series remake (of the same name) in 1998, as well as a 12-episode second OVA series All Purpose Cultural Cat Girl Nuku Nuku Dash in that year. They are based on an original short manga by Yuzo Takada. The series also has a manga adaptation.

In the show, genius inventor Kyusaku Natsume transplants the brain of a cat found by his son Ryunosuke on Christmas Eve, into a schoolgirl android that he created and subsequently stole from his former employer, Mishima Heavy Industries (owned by his estranged wife and Ryunosuke's mother, Akiko Natsume). The result, Nuku Nuku (also known as Atsuko Natsume), is a nekomusume.

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Saturday, October 6, 2007

Samurai X: Trust / Samurai X: Betrayal


Samurai X: Trust and Samurai X: Betrayal, known in Japan as Tsuiokuhen is the first OVA series of the anime series Rurouni Kenshin and is set during the downfall of the Tokugawa shogunate.
A Director's Cut version of the OVA series was later released, editing all four episodes into one two-hour movie as well as adding new scenes.
The movie is composed of 4 acts suggestively named "The man of the slashing sword" ,"The lost cat" , "The previous night at the mountain home" and "The cross-shaped wound".

Tsuiokuhen is currently number one on Anime News Network's top ten.
http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/ratings-anime.php





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Thursday, September 27, 2007

Combustible Campus Guardress

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Combustible Campus Guardress is an anime Original Video Animation. (OVA) The English name "Combustible Campus Guardress" was originally coined by members of the Project Daicon subtitling group when they did the fansub for No-Name Anime.

The plot involves students from Tobira High School, who are guardians that must prevent the evil "Remnants" from reopening the gate that will let demons take over the world. Predominately a parody of other "save the world" anime, there are fight scenes throughout the story. It is not suitable for children.

Bakuen Campus Guardress, Combustible Campus Guardr

Thursday, August 16, 2007

Ghost in the Shell:Stand Alone Complex-Solid State Society


Ghost in the Shell:Stand Alone Complex-Solid State Society

With more than 1.5 million copies sold in Japan and 100.000 copies per volume sold in the USA, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex has consolidated his place among the classics in the world of science fiction. Now, after two years from the TV series that started all, a completely new and all-original chapter is about to emerge: Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex - Solid State Society. Directed by Kenji Kamiyama and with the participation of the same staff from the popular series, this full-length 105 minute feature has required an unprecedented budget of 360 million yen (or 3.20 million dollars), in order to provide theatrical quality. The movie will premiere in Japan on the SKYPerfecTV! satellite television network on September 1st, and successively released on DVD on November 24th. DVD release in the USA is scheduled on July 3, 2007.

full article here:
http://www.production-ig.com/contents/works_sp/47_/index.html


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Monday, August 13, 2007

Buttobi CPU

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http://www.animecubed.com/animegirls/anime/Buttobi/Buttobi1.jpg.shtml


Buttobi CPU is a Japanese anime series by Kaoru Shintani. It was produced in 1997 by Pink Pineapple studios.

A young student named Akira has saved up a large sum of money to buy the latest and best personal computer - only to find out they are sold out. He then finds what he thinks is the same model number in an alley, and buys the large boxed-up machine from a shady character nearby. When he gets home, Akira is shocked to find that his new computer is a bio-android shaped like a pretty young lady. He is even more shocked when he finds out what she constantly needs to refresh her physical memory.

Buttobi CPU: I Dream Of Mimi

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Sunday, August 12, 2007

Buso Renkin

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Buso Renkin (literally "Armored Alchemist") is a manga series written and drawn by Nobuhiro Watsuki, the creator of Rurouni Kenshin.

Buso Renkin was serialized in the weekly Japanese manga anthology Shonen Jump, with ten tankōbon volumes in total published in Japan. The series has been licensed by VIZ Media for US release and has been adapted into an anime by XEBEC, which finished its run in Japan with a total of 26 episodes. There are also two drama CDs as well as a novel based on the series.

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Friday, August 10, 2007

Bible Black


Bible Black is an Japanese video game created by ActiveSoft in 2000 , and was adapted into an anime by Milky Studio. The adaptation of the original game was called La Noche de Walpurgis (The Night of Walpurgis) in English and simply Bible Black in Japanese. It and consisted of 6 episodes. Additionally, there are 2 prequel episodes (Origin in US, Sidestory in Japan) and two special "ONLY" episodes. A sequel, titled La Lanza de Longinus (The Lance of Longinus) is currently being produced by Milky Studio as well, with 5 episodes already released. Both seasons of the anime and the game as well have been translated and released in the U.S. by Kitty Media.

The whole series revolves around a certain high school rumored to have been the base of operations of a coven several years ago (pre-2000). The school's unofficial "Witchcraft Club", as they called themselves, practiced black magic in the underground basement hidden away at the institute. Teachers, students, professors, and staff practicing the dark occult religion and sacrifices upon their innocent victims is a common and recurring theme in all things Bible Black.




Tuesday, August 7, 2007

BECK: Mongolian Chop Squad

BECK is a manga, which was later made into an anime under the name BECK: Mongolian Chop Squad. It was created by mangaka Harold Sakuishi and was originally published by Kodansha in Monthly Shonen Magazine. It tells the story of a group of Japanese teenagers who form a rock band. The manga is currently licensed in the USA by TOKYOPOP. The series has also spawned three guidebooks. BECK won the 2002 Kodansha Manga Award for shōnen.

The original 26-episode anime television series was aired on Japan's TV Tokyo from October 2004 to March 2005. It was created by Osamu Kobayashi, animated by Madhouse and produced by Takeshi Shukuri and Yoshimi Nakajima. The series has received critical acclaim and was translated into English.

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Wednesday, August 1, 2007

Tokyo Babylon



Tokyo Babylon is a shōjo manga series created by Clamp. In 1991, it was made into a two-part anime OVA series. The OVA series was directed by the then up-and-coming Kōichi Chigira, and the character designs and animation direction were handled by veteran animator Kumiko Takahashi. There was also a live action movie entitled Tokyo Babylon 1999 made in 1993, which has never been released in the United States. The English manga has been licenced by TOKYOPOP. The OVAs are now available in the United States in both DVD and VHS.

The plot is told in a series of substories, 2-3 per volume. While it begins with a monster of the week approach, with somewhat independent running chapters, the plot gradually becomes continuous and backstory is introduced. The focus throughout the manga is on the development of the characters and the relationships between them.

The main characters are the onmyouji (lit. "yin-yang master", also translated as spirit medium or shaman) Subaru Sumeragi, his twin sister Hokuto Sumeragi, and the veterinarian Seishirou Sakurazuka. The plot involves Subaru and Hokuto protecting Tokyo from spirits by exorcising them, aided by Seishirou's somewhat subtle interference. It also involves Seishirou's love for Subaru and the development of Subaru's reaction to it; from rejection through acceptance to a growing romantic attachment; until the tragic twist in the final two volumes.

The OVAs are similar in content to independent stories taking place in the middle of the manga series. The second OVA gives hints toward the overall plot line.

In terms of plot timeline, the live action movie takes place after the ending of the manga and before the beginning of X.

Even though the story has an ending, it is still a rather open-ended conclusion that allowed for the possibility of more story to be told. Based on early artwork found in the Tokyo Babylon Photographs artbook, which showed older and more mature versions of Subaru and Seishirou with the text Tokyo Babylon 1999 behind them, speculation has long existed in the fan community that the plotline that would eventually become X had its routes in a direct sequel for Tokyo Babylon. Ultimately, X became a separate story which incorporated ties to several past CLAMP manga rather than being a direct sequel, and neither Subaru or Seishirou appeared for a significant length of time in the manga. However, in the fifth tankōbon of X, a direct reference to Subaru was finally made, at last establishing the link. From this point in the manga on, the story and characters "crossed-over" into X, which is set 9 years after the events of Tokyo Babylon. Thus, the unfinished business between Seishiro and Subaru continues as they cross paths again and it is suggested that even the events in Tokyo Babylon are something long foreordained by destiny.

The mystery that was left by Hokuto concerning her special "power" was also explained in X in volume 16. Considering that the last volume of Tokyo Babylon was published in 1993 and X volume 16 was published in 2001, CLAMP has managed to keep the mystery a secret for nearly 8 years before revealing the answer.



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Monday, July 16, 2007

Tokimeki Memorial


Tokimeki Memorial (ときめきメモリアル, Tokimeki Memoriaru?) is a popular dating simulation series by Konami. It consists of 6 main games, Tokimeki Memorial, Tokimeki Memorial 2, Tokimeki Memorial 3 ~ Yakusoku no Ano Basho de ~ (At the Place we Promised), Tokimeki Memorial Girl's Side, Tokimeki Memorial Girl's Side 2nd Kiss, and Tokimeki Memorial Online, in addition to a large number of spinoffs. The games are notable in the dating sim genre for being highly nonlinear. Their nickname amongst their fans is the contraction TokiMemo.

The gameplay in Tokimeki Memorial focuses on scheduling, dating and stat-building. The player must organize his or her time between asking out members of the opposite sex and developing his or her abilities at school and sport (with the long-term goal of becoming more seductive, not out of any intrinsic value). Dates are frequent but very brief, with usually only one multiple-choice question to determine whether your partner's love meter will increase or decrease. One playthrough lasts for a fixed period of 3 years of high school (on the order of 5-10 hours of play), at the end of which the character with the highest love meter confesses their love. None of the games in the series contain erotic elements.

Tokimeki Memorial has been adapted into a 26 episode anime TV series, Tokimeki Memorial Only Love, produced by Konami Digital Entertainment Co., Ltd. and Anime International Company and based on Tokimeki Memorial Online, which premiered across Japan on October 2, 2006.

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Saturday, July 14, 2007

Bleach, part 2


The Bleach manga was first released in August of 2001 in Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump magazine. New Japanese-language chapters are featured weekly in the same magazine. The chapters are regularly compiled in seven-to-nine chapter tankōbon by Shueisha every few months. The first volume of the manga sold over 1.25 million copies in Japan, and the manga series alone has sold over 40 million volumes. In 2005, Bleach was awarded the prestigious Shogakukan Manga Award in the shōnen category.

The Bleach animated TV series is broadcast on Wednesdays by TV Tokyo and affiliated stations throughout Japan. It is co-produced by TV Tokyo, Dentsu and Studio Pierrot and directed by Noriyuki Abe, with character designs by Masashi Kudō and music by Shiro Sagisu. The first episode was aired on October 5, 2004. The first 63 episodes were based on the manga, and the following 46 were original to the anime. Beginning with episode 110, the anime has returned to the manga storyline, yet incorporates elements from the previous 46 filler episodes. There are no plans to end production of the series. In addition, two OVAs have been produced and an animated film, Bleach: Memories of Nobody, was released in Japan on December 16, 2006. A second Bleach film, entitled Bleach: The DiamondDust Rebellion, was announced on June 4, 2007. The movie will be released in December 2007. In a 2006 internet poll by TV Asahi, Bleach was ranked as Japan's seventh-favorite anime program.

VIZ Media has released 19 English-language volumes of the manga in North America, and numerous scanlation groups continue to release unofficial English translations of new chapters. North American sales of the manga have been high, with Volume 16 placing in the top 10 graphic novel sales in December 2006 and Volume 17 being the best-selling manga volume for the month of February 2007. On March 15, 2006, VIZ Media obtained foreign television, home video, and merchandising rights to the Bleach anime from the TV Tokyo Corporation and Shueisha. Subsequently, VIZ Media contracted Studiopolis to create the English dub of the anime, and has given its individual Bleach merchandising rights to several different companies.

The English version of the Bleach anime premiered on Canada's YTV channel in the Bionix program block on September 8, 2006. Cartoon Network's Adult Swim began airing Bleach the following evening. The English version of Bleach was nominated for the "best manga" and "best theme" awards at the 2006 American Anime Awards, but did not win either category. It was nominated again in 2007 in the fields of "best manga", "best actor", "best DVD package design", and "best theme", but failed to win any awards


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Tuesday, July 3, 2007

Bleach


Bleach is an ongoing manga series authored by mangaka Tite Kubo. Since its debut in 2001, Bleach has been adapted into an anime series, two OVAs, two anime films, a rock musical, and numerous video games. Compilation volumes of the manga have sold over 39 million copies in Japan.

Bleach follows the lives of Ichigo Kurosaki, who is a high school student with the ability to see ghosts, and a shinigami (Soul Reaper or, literally, "death god") named Rukia Kuchiki, who crosses paths with Ichigo while hunting an evil spirit known as a hollow. Rukia is wounded during the ensuing confrontation with the spirit and is left with no choice but to transfer her powers into Ichigo. Thus the adventures of Ichigo and Rukia begin. Together they search for hollows and perform soul burials on wayward souls, cleansing the spirits and sending them to Soul Society. The early parts of the story focus mainly on the characters and their pasts, rather than the actual occupation of the shinigami. As events unfold, the story begins to delve deeper into the world of these gods of death on the "other side" called Soul Society.

Thursday, June 21, 2007

Naruto, part 7


Team 7 returns to Konoha to continue with their lives as regular Genin. One day, whilst playing with Konohamaru and his friends, Naruto meets two of the three Genin from Sunagakure (Hidden Sand) - Gaara, Kankuro and Temari - and learns that they are in Konoha to participate in the Chunin Selection Exams. Meanwhile Kakashi, Asuma and Kurenai all volunteer their teams for the exam also. Naruto is thrilled about the possibility of becoming a Chunin.

The first part of the exam is written, but it was not a test of knowledge as much as a test of information gathering and willpower. The first 9 questions were supposed to be cheated, where the Genin must use any techniques to find out the correct answer without being caught. Naruto, who did not realize this, went into a traumatic state in which he felt that he would cause his entire team to be eliminated, as he did not know the answer to any of the questions. Sasuke realizes that he, too, did not know the answers but immediately activates his Sharingan to copy someone else's answers. Sakura as a testament to her incredible intellect answers all of the questions quickly (a feat which the Examiner later said could not be accomplished at Genin level). The last question was do or die question: don't answer and your entire team fails the Chunin exams, answer and get it wrong and you stay a Genin forever. Naruto shows that he is not somebody who quits when he bursts out that he doesn't care if he stays a Genin forever, he will still become Hokage. The Genin who stayed behind all pass the first part of the Chunin exams (including Naruto, who didn't answer a single question on the exam but number 10.)

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Monday, June 18, 2007

Naruto, part 6


With the demon fox power that Naruto used, he proved to be too powerful for Haku. Seeing that he was unable to help Zabuza, Haku asked Naruto to kill him. Naruto protested and initially refused, but then decided to honor his request. However, Haku then noticed that Zabuza was in danger from Kakashi, so he stopped Naruto's attack and ran away to save Zabuza. Zabuza was being dominated by Kakashi, who used a Summoning Technique to immobilize him using his tracking dogs. As Kakashi was about to stab Zabuza with his Lightning Blade, Haku realized that Zabuza was in mortal danger and ran to save Zabuza by standing in front of him. Thus Kakashi stabbed Haku, Kakashi's hand going completely through Haku's heart. Everyone realizes now that Haku is dead. At first, Zabuza has no change in emotion and praises Haku as a good tool.

As the battle draws to an end, Gato arrives with his gang of hired thugs. He tells Zabuza that he never intended to pay him, even if Zabuza finished the mission. Gato then kicks Haku for breaking his arm earlier. This infuriates Naruto as he cries for Haku's death and says to Zabuza that Haku really cared about him and that he would die for him. Moved by his words, Zabuza confesses that he cared deeply about Haku and he begins to cry. With this realization, Zabuza asks Naruto if he can borrow one of his kunai. Naruto tosses one to him, and with the memories of Haku fresh in his mind, Zabuza grabs the kunai in his mouth and rushes to kill Gato. Gato runs behind his miniature army, but Zabuza rushes past all of them, killing many on the way, and eventually reaches Gato. Before he dies, Gato realizes that Zabuza really is worthy of the name "Demon of the Hidden Mist" as he sees a demonic silhouette of Zabuza. In the anime, Zabuza slashes Gato repeatedly and knocks him off the bridge and into the water below. In the manga, Zabuza decapitates him. Zabuza then stands still and gets stabbed in the back by the remaining henchmen. After a brief moment, Sasuke wakes up from the near death state Haku put him in. The shinobi gangs are then chased away, by Naruto & Kakashi producing many Shadow Clones and with the help of the villagers, who finally stand up for themselves. Zabuza's last request to Kakashi is to be buried next to Haku. After Naruto witnessed what happened to Haku and Zabuza, he decides to become a ninja in his own way, and defy the belief that ninja are merely tools of their villages.

After the team departs Tazuna decides to name the newly completed bridge the "Great Naruto Bridge"

Naruto, part 5


While genin are normally assigned D-Rank missions, Naruto insists on doing something more exciting and the Third Hokage agrees to send them on a C-Rank mission to escort Tazuna, a master bridge builder. During their mission, the team is attacked by two enemy Chunin, something that is not supposed to happen on C-Rank missions, and Naruto panics and freezes. Sasuke, however, deals with the attackers quite efficiently and rubs in his one-upping Naruto by calling him a "scaredy-cat." This name-calling, which Naruto would imitate many times later in the series, is a defining moment in the Naruto-Sasuke rivalry. After the attack, Naruto bleeds out the poison he received by stabbing his wound with a kunai and swears upon his pain to never freeze up and leave his friends to fend for themselves again. Kakashi then tells Naruto that if he looses any more blood, he'll die. Naruto starts panicking, but Kakashi tells Naruto to let him take a look at it. Kakashi is about to treat the wound when he sees that it's already healing. Kakashi then theorizes that this could be a power given to Naruto because of the Nine Tailed Fox.

Tazuna then explains the real mission: the Land of Waves has been taken over by a shipping magnate called Gato, and the only way to revitalize the economy is by building a bridge to the mainland that can bypass Gato's shipping monopoly. However, Gato does not want that to happen, and uses shinobi gangs to get what he wants. Thus Team 7's mission is to support and protect the bridge-building efforts that have been thwarted thus far.

Next, the team is challenged by Zabuza Momochi, who is one of the 7 Swordsmen of the Mist. Early in the battle, Kakashi is trapped in Zabuza's Water Prison Technique and unable to continue fighting. Left to fend for himself, Naruto attempts to run, but feels the pain in his left hand and remembers his earlier vow. In another defining point in Naruto and Team 7's development, Naruto conceives a plan to release Kakashi and Sasuke, with little apparent communication between the two, executes it perfectly. Kakashi, free again, demonstrates the abilities of the Sharingan, defeating Zabuza with both physical and psychological attacks. Though Zabuza should have met his end, he was saved by Haku, who was so skilled with needles that he made it seem as though Zabuza had died, and pretended to be a tracker ninja trying to kill Zabuza.

Team 7 undergoes chakra training, and this becomes another point of rivalry between Naruto and Sasuke, as they constantly challenge themselves to try to outdo each other, but instead end up helping and motivating each other to succeed. They also meet Inari, Tazuna's grandson, who is still brooding over the loss of Kaiza, whom he respected as his father and a local hero, but was killed by Gato.

Eventually, Zabuza and Haku return to make a do or die battle, with some experience as to how they should handle the Konoha ninjas. Haku reveals his Demonic Ice Mirrors jutsu, and completely overpowers Sasuke. Naruto joins the fight and through his own ignorance and impulsiveness gets himself trapped in Haku's jutsu, and is immediateley placed at Haku's mercy. During the course of the fight Sasuke awakens his Sharingan and saves Naruto by sacrificing himself. Naruto asks him why he did that and Sasuke just replied 'How should I know, my body just moved by itself' and then appears to die with 3 needles in his neck. Meanwhile, Zabuza is focused on finding a way to weaken Kakashi's Sharingan.

Naruto's "hidden power" is revealed after he believed Haku killed Sasuke. Naruto loses control and is consumed by the demon fox's chakra. Its power is so immense that the chakra is visible. All of Naruto's wounds heal near-instantaneously, and Naruto's appearance changes; his eyes become red and slitted like a cat, his "whiskers" deepen, his fingernails grow long like claws and his canine teeth become sharper. He completely overwhelms his enemy with this power and speed.

Naruto, part 4


In order to officially obtain the rank of Genin, Academy students must undergo a field evaluation administered by a Jonin, who will be their squad leader should they pass. Students are organized into groups of three Genin, with a Jonin-sensei assigned to each team. Teams are chosen to balance skills and abilities. As such, Naruto, being the worst student, was paired with Sakura Haruno and Sasuke Uchiha, with Sasuke being the brightest one and Sakura being the best at quizes and tests but not stong in subjects like stamina and taijutsu. The other teams (that would pass) were Shino Aburame, Hinata Hyuga, and Kiba Inuzuka in Team 8 and Choji Akimichi, Shikamaru Nara, and Ino Yamanaka in Team 10.

Team 7's initial group chemistry was terrible: Naruto was infatuated with Sakura and detested Sasuke, Sakura was infatuated with Sasuke and detested Naruto, and Sasuke was a lone wolf who detested the both of them. Unfortunately for them, their Jonin instructor was Kakashi Hatake, who emphasized teamwork above all else.

Kakashi's field evaluation, considered the strictest of its type, is simple but difficult; in fact, he hadn't passed anyone during his time as a Jonin. All the Genin have to do to pass is take a bell from him using any means necessary before noon. Aside from the fact that three Genin are taking on a Jonin, Kakashi only has two bells on his belt, ensuring that one of them will fail. On top of that, the students are tricked into skipping breakfast. Those who get the bells get to eat, while the one who doesn't is tied to a post. The main purpose is not to test the Genin's skill, but rather their teamwork. Team 7's performance during the exam was terrible: Naruto fell into every trap Kakashi set, not bothering to be at all stealthy about his attacks, Sakura did nothing to help, even getting tricked by Kakashi's Demonic Illusion: Hell Viewing Technique genjutsu, and Sasuke didn't bother to help either of them, instead attacking on his own because he believed they would slow him down. All three failed to get a bell.

After their failure, Kakashi berates all three for their lack of teamwork. He eventually explained to them the purpose of the exam, and allowed them to eat in preparation for a second try. Naruto, who had stumbled upon the lunches Kakashi prepared and attempted to eat them, is tied to the post. After he left, Sakura and Sasuke realized that they'll need Naruto in top-shape if they're to retrieve the bells, and decided to feed him against Kakashi's wishes. Kakashi, of course, was watching the whole time and appeared in a giant blast of smoke, appearing quite furious. The three Genin claim that they're a team, and as such one person. Quickly changing his attitude, Kakashi lets them pass for figuring out the purpose of the exam. He also recites the exact message he was trying to get across - "In the ninja world, those who don't follow the rules are trash. That is true, but those who abandon their friends are worse than trash."

Saturday, June 9, 2007

Naruto, part 3


Twelve years before the start of the story, the Nine-Tailed demon fox attacked Konohagakure. The Fourth Hokage, the leader of Konohagakure at the time, sacrificed his life to seal the spirit of the demon fox inside a newborn baby: Naruto Uzumaki, whose parents and origin are unknown.

Though the Fourth Hokage wanted Naruto to be viewed as a hero for such a burden, the villagers could not see him beyond the monster that destroyed their homes. The Third Hokage, who had taken over once more the Fourth died, made a decree preventing anyone from telling Naruto about the demon within him. Though Naruto found some friendship in children his age, even they came to ostracize him, following in their parents' example without even knowing anything about the fox-demon themselves.

Once Naruto was admitted into the Ninja Academy, he was befriended by his Chunin instructor, Iruka Umino. Iruka was the first person to believe in Naruto, and became a father-figure for him to look up to.

At the ninja academy, Naruto's reputation as a troublemaker earned him infamy among the teachers and students. Iruka, and the Third Hokage, were the only two positive influences on him. Unbeknownst to him at the time, Hinata Hyuga also thought very highly of him. Naruto failed the graduation exam twice, because he failed to properly perform the Replication Technique.

Mizuki, another Academy examiner tricked Naruto into stealing the Scroll of Seals, a collection of forbidden techniques, claiming that Naruto would be automatically passed by simply learning a jutsu from the scroll. The Third soon realized the scroll was missing and gathered many ninja. As search parties were sent to find Naruto, Iruka goes out on his own and gets to him first.

Naruto had been training in the forest the entire time, ignorant of what he had done, and simply repeated to Iruka what Mizuki had told him earlier. Iruka realized what Mizuki wanted just as Mizuki himself showed up to attack them both. Mizuki then tried to kill Naruto with an oversized shuriken, but Iruka pushed him out of the way, saving his life. Mizuki tried to get Naruto to give him the scroll while Iruka tried to convince Naruto to do otherwise. Their argument led Mizuki to tell Naruto that he was the container of the demon fox that killed Iruka's parents.

Startled, Naruto runs off, leaving Iruka and Mizuki to fight amongst themselves. Naruto watched from a distance, eventually learning what Mizuki was after, as well as the true level of Iruka's devotion to him. Just before Mizuki could kill Iruka, Naruto attacked and defeated him using his newly learned Multiple Shadow Clone Technique. Impressed that Naruto could master such a difficult technique, Iruka lets Naruto graduate, ironically fulfilling Mizuki's original promise.


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Naruto, part 2


Even though it debuted some time after the manga, the anime quickly caught up, since one anime episode usually covers one or two manga chapters. To prevent overlapping, the anime's producers tend to organize content from the manga chapters into long, uneventful sections followed by short bursts of action, sometimes adding filler content in between. By the time the Sasuke Retrieval arc ended in the anime (episode 135), the series was at a point where it was quickly gaining on the manga. At the conclusion of this arc, the anime immediately switched to anime-only filler episodes to allow the manga to broaden the gap once more. Most of the filler episodes are stand-alone stories, with a few being part of arcs that are several episodes long. The filler episodes lasted for 85 episodes, the duration of the first series. After the series moved back into manga-adapted episodes, it was renamed Naruto: Shippūden . The new series premiered on February 15, 2007.

The anime generally remains true to the manga, usually changing only minor details (causes of death, loss of limbs, and other injuries have been lessened in the anime) or expanding on parts skipped by the manga, such as the fight between Tenten and Temari. The filler arcs, though unreferenced in the manga (save for a few scant scenes), deal with the breaks between manga volumes, which covers a short period before the Sasuke Retrieval arc and several months before the time skip. The filler arcs tend to cover the supporting characters, occasionally giving insight into an otherwise rarely seen character.

New episodes, animated by Studio Pierrot, air weekly on TV Tokyo in Japan during the Golden Time slot (Japan's equivalent of prime time in the US). As of October 5, 2006, it shows on Thursday nights. The series has also spawned four movies, Naruto the Movie, Naruto the Movie 2, Naruto the Movie 3, and Naruto: Shippūden the Movie scheduled to premiere on August 4, 2007. The first three are available on DVD.

On September 10, 2005, Naruto had its hour-long premiere in the U.S. on Cartoon Network's Toonami. The first episode of Naruto premiered in Canada on YTV on September 16, 2005. In the United Kingdom, Naruto premiered on Jetix on July 22, 2006. In Australia and New Zealand it premiered on Cartoon Network on September 27, 2006. It also began showing on Toasted TV on January 12, 2007, in Australia.

In its English anime release, Naruto was aired with a TV-PG rating in the US and a PG rating in Canada. More explicit episodes, such as Jiraiya's debut and the battle with Zabuza, have been given a TV-PG-DS or a TV-PG-V rating. References to alcohol, Japanese cultural differences, mild language, mild sexual situations, and even blood and death remain in the English version, though reduced in some instances. Other networks make additional content edits apart from the edits done by Cartoon Network, such as Jetix's more strict censoring of blood, language, smoking and the like.


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Tuesday, June 5, 2007

Naruto, part 1


Naruto is a manga by Masashi Kishimoto with an anime TV series adaptation. Its main character, Naruto Uzumaki, is a loud, hyperactive, adolescent ninja who constantly searches for approval and recognition, as well as to become Hokage, acknowledged as the leader and strongest of all ninja in the village.

The manga was first published by Shueisha in 1999 in the 43rd issue of Japan's Shonen Jump magazine. As of volume 36, the manga has sold over 71 million copies in Japan. VIZ Media publishes a translated version in the American Shonen Jump magazine. Naruto has become VIZ's best-selling manga series. To date, the first fourteen volumes are available. In order to catch up to the translated anime, VIZ plans to release volumes 16 to 27 three at a time over the months of September to December 2007.

The anime series, produced by Studio Pierrot and Aniplex, premiered across Japan on the terrestrial TV Tokyo network and the anime satellite television network Animax on October 3, 2002, and is still being aired. Viz also licensed the anime for North American production. Naruto debuted in the United States on Cartoon Network's Toonami programming block on September 10, 2005, and in Canada on YTV's Bionix on September 16, 2005. Naruto began showing in the UK on Jetix on July 22, 2006. It began showing on Toasted TV on January 12, 2007 in Australia, although it could be watched on Cartoon Network in 2006. The first series lasted nine seasons, while the second began its first on February 15, 2007.

The series' length and popularity is comparable to that of Akira Toriyama's Dragon Ball, another popular action-oriented shōnen manga. Since its creation, Naruto has spawned a large number of fansites that contain detailed information, guides, and active forums. Some of the first and most popular sites targeted at English speaking audiences were established shortly after the first English manga volume was released in August 2003. Like many other manga and anime titles, Naruto has also spawned its own collectible card game.

Prior to the anime's North American debut in 2005, several scanlation and fansub groups translated the series and made it available for free download on the internet. Despite North American companies' perceived tendency to prosecute fansubbing groups more frequently than Japanese companies, there are some that have continued to translate new Naruto episodes due to the extremely large gap between the English and Japanese versions.

Volume 7 of the manga has recently won a Quill Award for best graphic novel in North America. In TV Asahi's latest top 100 Anime Ranking, Naruto ranked 17th on the list

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Friday, June 1, 2007

Beat Angel Escalayer


Beat Angel Escalayer is a hentai anime OVA and eroge series from 2002 created by Alice Soft and animated by Pink Pineapple.

Sayuka Kouenji is the guardian of the Earth and has the ability to transform into her alter ego Escalayer to protect the world from the evil forces of the Dielast. However, in order to transform into Escalayer she must recharge her power source, the Doki Doki Dynamo which can only be recharged through sexual excitement. This was previously achieved through lesbian sex with her android friend Madoka, however, this has become less effective and Madoka recruits the school playboy Kyohei Yanase who's vast sexual experience will help Sayuka transform.

This series is currently available in North America through Media Blasters under the Kitty Media label. The original hentai game has not been officially released in English.

http://www.animecubed.com/animegirls/anime/Escalayer/



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Wednesday, May 30, 2007

Battle Arena Toshinden

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Battle Arena Toshinden (Batoru Arīna Tōshinden) is a fighting game for the PlayStation. It was one of the first fighting games to boast polygonal characters in a 3D battle arena, rather than the traditional side-to-side fighting space that had been popular since Street Fighter II. The player could use the L/R trigger buttons to step "toward" or "away from" the camera to dodge attacks or get a better angle for an offensive strike. It was an early killer game for the PlayStation, and Sony promoted it eagerly. However, they soon left the series, which was published by Playmates Interactive. By that time, fighting games like Tekken started emerging and Battle Arena Toshinden quickly lost popularity and was completely forgotten by the public after spawning Battle Arena Toshinden 2, 3, and 4.

Battle Arena Toshinden was the first 3D weapons fighter, and was succeeded in spirit by Soul Edge and other games of the genre.

Battle Arena Toshinden also had an anime based on the game.

For one year, Master Swordman Eiji Shinjo has been haunted by the memory of his battle with the renegade champion, Gaia - a battle that was cut short by the forces of the malevolent syndicate known as "The Organization." Denied victory, Eiji left the tournament followed by his opponent's mocking laughter. Worse still, Eiji walked away no closer to finding his long-lost brother, Sho.

But now, a mysterious warrior is hunting down the champions of the previous tournament and using their own moves against them.

Who is this powerful, new foe and who will be his next target? Eiji and Kayin - his closest friend and greatest rival - attempt to unravel the mystery before they, too, join the ranks of the defeated. The answer lies at the heart of the Organization and its plans. At last, the ultimate battle between the greatest fighters in the world may be decided.

http://www.animecubed.com/animegirls/anime/Toshinden/Toshinden2.jpg.shtml








Tuesday, May 29, 2007

Basilisk

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Basilisk is a Japanese manga and anime series. The manga was authored by Masaki Segawa and published in Japan in 2003 and 2004, based on novel The Kouga Ninja Scrolls by Futaro Yamada published in 1958. The anime, produced in 2005 by GONZO Studios closely follows the manga aside from a handful of distinctions. The manga won the 2004 Kodansha Manga Award.

The story takes place in the year 1614. Two ninja clans, Tsubagakure of the Iga and Manjidani of Kouga, battle each other to determine which grandson of Tokugawa Ieyasu will become the next shogun. The deadly competition between 10 elite ninja from each clan unleashes a centuries-old hatred that threatens to destroy all hope for peace between them.

Although the anime follows the original manga almost exactly in storyline, there are a few slight differences. The most notable being flashbacks (such as the one in episode 1 as to how Ogen and Danjou's love came to an end) as well as addional scenes which occur only in the anime; both of which serve to expand on the characters and the backstory.

Other differences include fight scenes happening in a different order (i.e. in the manga, Oboro uncovers Jingoro's attempt to assassinate Gennosuke before stopping Akeginu and Jousuke's duel whereas in the anime the situation is reversed), and exposed breasts being obscured in the anime by some form of covering whereas the manga tends to be less censored. Although, toward the end of the anime, bare breasts can be seen on a number of occasions.

The Kouga Ninja Scrolls (Kouga Ninpōchō) is the first book in author Futaro Yamada's "Ninpōchō series of novels. His work also served as the inspiration for the 1993 hit anime movie Ninja Scroll (Jūbei Ninpūchō) and Basilisk feature similar and occasionally matching characters. For instance; both feature a character named Kagerou, a female ninja from the Kouga Clan whose ability is to poison those in sexual contact with her, and who is in love with the main character. Basilisk's antagonist Yakushiji Tenzen is similar to the villain of Ninja Scroll Himura Genma in that both possess powers of regeneration and pursue their own objectives outside of their superior's knowledge. And Rousai's ability to stretch and contort his arms is replicated by Ninja Scroll's Dakuan. However, Ninja Scroll didn't credit Yamada.
The anime/manga's title is a reference to the basilisk; a mythological dragon whose gaze was said to cause death. Likewise, both Gennosuke and Oboro possess the deadliest techniques in the series which are exercised through their eyes.
Some characters are designed around concepts of animals. Rousai's large, gourd-like head and lengthy limbs are meant to evoke an octopus. Similarly, Shogen has six red dots on his forehead, meant to evoke the multiple eyes of a spider. Most obviously, Jubei's prehensile tongue and limbless body are meant to evoke a snake. A less obvious example is Hotarubi who controls clouds of glowing butterflys; a possible reference to how her name is the Japanese word for firefly.
In addition to the Basilisk anime and manga, Futaro Yamada's book has been adapted for the live action film, Shinobi: Heart Under Blade which was released on DVD for American audiences in February 2007 by Funimation, the same company that distributed the dubbed version of Basilisk.
Del Rey Books, the company that publishes the Basilisk Manga in English, released an English language version of the original Kouga Ninpocho novel in late December 2006, shortly after releasing English volume 3 of the manga.
The Funimation English dub of the anime keeps many of the original Japanese honorifics.
The Funimation English sub of the anime uses the original credits written in Japanese honorifics when played.
The Basilisk manga is printed using a method unique among other titles in that very little of the background is actually drawn. Instead, a good deal of the manga is comprised of the various characters superimposed over black and white photographs of real world landscapes.
In the Nintendo DS videogame Pokémon Diamond and Pearl. One of the enemy Ninja Boys near Snowhead City will ask if your character is Kouga or Iga.



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