AnimaTics

One Piece Ch. 591 - You Sure That's Alright?

2010-07-07T20:55:00.000-07:00

*SPOILERS!!! READ WITH CAUTION!*

Review

So after the very casual opening page of Rayleigh and Crocus relaxing and unwinding in a hot spring, Oda dives straight into the plot and low and behold, Rayleigh's back! He left his vivre card with Shakky so that the Straw Hats could make it back safely to Saboady and he could travel freely. Then it seems that Jinbei knows Rayleigh and is quite shocked to see him.

Luffy's trademark Straw Hat is given back to him by Rayleigh so that solves the mystery of how he'd get it back. After a brief interlude of Law's crew, we are thrown back to Amazon Lily where it's revealed that Rayleigh knows Gloriosa (or Elder Nyon as we know her), as well as Hancock and her two sisters. Hancock is oblivious to Rayleigh and just focuses on Luffy yet again and it takes her a while to realise that Rayleigh is indeed on their island. Suddenly we are thrown into a small flashback of Kuma saying that he wanted to help the Straw Hats escape and that he has no more time left. Shakky also reveals that she knows exactly why Hancock helped Luffy and that her woman's intuition was completely correct. Rayleigh suggests an idea that would help Luffy but of course before we can see what it is, we see Usopp.

Now Usopp has been living on Boin Archipelago it's seen that he's grown quite fat which is a hilarious twist on his sub plot! He keeps on trying to fight monsters which are clearly more powerful than him and always getting beaten down. But it doesn't stop him and he keeps going, trying to get off the island. It is then shown that the island is actually a carnivorous plant known as the "Stomach Baron". Usopp then pulls a "Coby" face revealing that he has to get back to Luffy and help him through this terrible time or he can't be a part of his crew which is very noble of him.

We the turn to Chopper, who has smoothed things out between the giant birds and the humans in Torino Kingdom. Again Chopper is getting ready to leave as he's heard about Luffy's situation, showing how the two most cowardly members of the crew are showing initiative and trying to help Luffy. Chopper leaves on a giant bird, ready to go back when he reads something in a newspaper to do with Luffy, leaving us at a cliffhanger before we can find out.

One Piece Ch. 585 - Brothers Cups

2010-05-20T00:06:00.000-07:00

*CAUTION SPOILERS AHEAD*

Review

I'm really enjoying these random cover pages Oda is bring out for these recent chapters. They're giving us an insight to some of the characters who aren't major ones but still had major influences on the plot. Anyway... on to the actual chapter!

Still in flashback mode, we finally get some insight to Luffy's previous comment of how he never once beat Ace when they were both kids. I'm glad Oda included this short scene as it gives some depth and backs up Luffy's statement. Ace's comment saying only "100 fights per day" shows how they really went at it when they were young. I liked seeing Luffy, Sabo and Ace rounding up dinner and especially Sabo's statement about how Luffy "better not get eaten this time". I thought that was so typical of Luffy to act before he thinks and I really like how that panel was drawn as well. The detail on the 3 boys show how they finally have accepted Luffy as one of them.

I was intrigued to see that Windmill Village was just a small dot on the map of Goa Kingdom. This really shows what kind of environment Luffy was brought up in compared to the rest of his country. Sabo's backstroy brought him to life as well instead of just being some random kid. Knowing that he is actually the child of a noble was fleshed out really well considering he's not a main character in the overall plot. Knowning that he is, in a way, fighting for his freedom in becoming a pirate really shows why he wants to be one. This scene really brings to light the symbolism of Luffy calling Ace his "brother". I was wondering how Oda planned to convey them finally bonding and accepting each other and this seemed like the perfect way to do it and incorporate Sabo.

After that scene the chapter flies by pretty quickly. It shows the boys going back to Makino's bar in Windmill Village, the return of Garp and how the boys grew to be so close. Of course every fun time must come to an end and sadly Sabo gets taken away by his parents. I wonder what Luffy and Ace will do to get Sabo back and how will this increase their bond as brothers. I suppose we have to wait until next week.

AMV Review - Toradora AMV - Prove It!

2010-04-27T23:46:00.000-07:00

Summary

This AMV comes from the anime Toradora! and the song is 'Big Girl Now' sung by New Kids On The Block Feat. Lady Gaga. This AMV was created by eragon12111

Video

I'm not going to lie, this video does have a lot of flashing colours and quick cuts of scenes. But it isn't done in a bad way. Clearly those effects were used to highlight the characters in certain parts of the songs and I can appreciate that. I especially like the layering effect that the creator used towards the end of the video where the music had different people singing at the same time. It made it look like different characters were singing at the same time which was great I also liked the fact that the video was based around two pairings. Many AMV makers talk it upon themselves to use one song per pairing, but I liked how this AMV diverted from that and used two different pairings. It broke up the AMV well and the song suited both pairings.

Music

The song 'Big Girl Now' really suits the theme of this AMV. The duet sung by New Kids On The block and Lady Gaga suits the characters, Kitamura, Ryuuji, Minori and Taiga. I really enjoyed how they almost battle it out through song and that was really shown in this video through the characters singing. The energy of the song really reflects on the energy the characters show throughout the series so I feel it is a well suited song.

Theme

The theme of this video was romance. Not a fluffy romance, but more of a tasteful 'let's get it on' romance. It suited the pairings well especially RyuujixTaiga as they spend the whole series fighting, it's like they're giving up to their feelings and saying "Oh what the hell!" It was well thought out in terms of characters and pairings and overall an enjoyable AMV.

Bleach Ch. 401 - Decide 3

2010-04-22T23:44:00.000-07:00

*CAUTION SPOILERS AHEAD*

Review

Once again, everything seems to be going according to Aizen's plan. For once and for all can someone please finish this seemingly invincible man off?? Anyway as Aizen states the Hogyoku is finally beginning to understand his heart and that it's finally conscious. We learn that it was never created to separate the boundary between shinigami and hollow, rather it was created to "make real what is in the hearts of those around it". In simple English, it's designed to make dreams come true.

I found it interesting how Aizen described the hogyoku's power and how it manifested with each individual it came in contact with. Especially with Rukia. I understand now how she lost her powers and that fact that it was because she could not get over the grief of killing Shiba Kaien makes a lot of sense. I'm also happy that it cleared up how Chad and Inoue got their powers. But other than that I found Aizen went on with his explanation for way to long and the amount of pages used could have been reduced. I was also getting sick of Isshin's look of helplessness. I really want to see him fight!

Of course Ichigo bursting in doesn't help with that. But I did like the comical looks upon his face especially after such a serious scene. I was also glad that his relationship with Isshin hasn't changed as he yells "Shut up". And then, just as the Hogyokyu starts to manifest... Kubo delays it because Urahara has finally shown up to the fight. About bloody time!!! Now I know that this will probably lead to a few more explanation chapters but I hope that Urahara will save the plot, because honestly, it's all getting a bit old now.

Naruto Ch. 492 - Greetings

2010-04-22T23:04:00.000-07:00

*CAUTION SPOILERS AHEAD*

Review

Naruto and Killerbee finally come face to face. The last two surviving hosts. The meeting itself wasn't that interesting as there was no conversation between the two but I did enjoy seeing Guy get seasick like he did. It's nice to think that even Guy has a weakness.

Now I'm going to skip ahead to the official meeting of the two hosts (as nothing else really happened on the island before that). I thought Naruto asking Killerbee to train him was quite predictable but I'm glad Killerbee didn't agree right away as many characters seem to do when faced with a similar situation. I did enjoy Naruto's attempt at rapping though. I found his rap really in character as only he would comment on how his "sunglasses and tan is pretty hot". I also liked how Killerbee didn't go for the conventional handshake but took on the fist bump approach. Again very in character. And then suddenly, without warning, we get a whole double spread with Naruto's original trademark jutsu. The Harem no Jutsu. Now while I must admit I thought he had outgrown that jutsu, I'm really glad he hasn't because it just shows how after all Naruto has been through, he still can resort to the same old pranks he used to do. But with saying that I'm glad Killerbee resisted the jutsu as it shows men can be immune to it.

Now we all knew it was coming, another training arc. And Motoi doesn't help in delaying it. With Motoi's reaction to Naruto badmouthing Bee, I can't help but wonder if there is more to his backstory than meets the eye. And since Motoi agreed to train Naruto after he mentioned the fist bump, again I wonder about the significance. But I'm sure we'll get all of that information from a lengthy flashback that is due to come.

I really found these last few pages too unoriginal for my liking. First of all, sitting underneath a waterfall to train is way overused in most manga. And secondly, really?? A dark Naruto? Like there aren't enough evil characters already? I am not looking forward to this training arc if it's going to be full of cliches and so far, I'm not impressed.

One Piece Ch 582 - Luffy and Ace

2010-04-21T22:31:00.000-07:00

*CAUTION SPOILERS AHEAD!!!!*

Review

I must say, this cheerful colourspread is a nice change of pace from what we've been seeing recently. But on to the actual chapter. So we now know that two weeks have past since the war and the marines are becoming less lenient as more pirate crews attempt to cross the Grand Line. This effect mirrors the effect of Gol D. Roger's death in a way as again pirate crews have become inspired to search for One Piece once again. The next page is a quick flashback of Ivakov leaving Law's ship basically as his work is done. I must say, Ivankov has grown on me so I'm a little disappointed to see him leave but I really want to see him arrive on Momorio island and meet Sanji.

Back to the present, Luffy, Jimbei, Hancock and Law's crew have docked on Amazon Lily. And Luffy's face of anguish is ever present yet again. I felt this face was very well deserving considering what he's going through at the moment. Boa seems more relieved that anything to hear that Luffy's alive more than anything. Now I felt that these two pages or so were not really needed in the chapter and made it a little more slow paced. Elder Nyon was basically explaining what we and the characters already knew so I didn't feel those panels were that necessary. However Luffy's anguished cries were really needed here as we can finally see him grieve (even if he is risking his life at the same time). The writing was slightly hard to read here but I guess it was all used for effect so I can understand that. Now when Jimbei steps in and confirms that Ace actually is dead, that was a heart breaking scene. But Luffy's facial expression is slightly too comical to mimic the pain he really is in.

And this scene of tears leads us to our next flashback, taking place 10 years ago. It's after Shanks leaves Fuschia as Luffy is wearing his hat and has his scar, and he's walking along with Garp to meet... Dadan!! A person we've all been waiting to meet. And she's a woman! Not only that but Luffy and Ace's foster mother!!! What a twist! Finally we're able to meet her! And before I finish this review I have to comment on this last page. Ace and Luffy's first meeting. Ace is looking badass and beautifully drawn and I'm really intrigued as to their back story!!

One Piece Ch. 575 - Wordless Rage

2010-02-18T22:01:00.000-08:00

*CAUTION! SPOILERS AHEAD!*

Review

So the world is in shock. Fire Fist Ace is dead. Seeing the whole world in shock like that just reinforces what a big impact Ace's deathhas onwhole entire pirating world. Now we were all wondering what Luffy would do in this chapter and honestly, it's not all that surprising that he's mentally collapsed. Akainu moves in for the kill but Commander Marco steps in saving Luffy's life. I like what he states here, "That boy's life... is now what remains of Ace's will!" To see that everyone is doing whatever they can to save Luffy just reinforces how important Ace was to them.

Now the most awesome panel... seeing Whitebeard own Akainu. Many Ace fans waited so long for this moment and it was fantastically well drawn. Although Akainu fights back, almost melting most of Whitebeard's face we can expect Whitebeard to leave that fight unharmed. To see the marine HQ crumble so easily and to see what Whitebeard is still capable of is amazing. It crumbled like nothing and to see Whitebeard state "I'm not done yet" would make anyone freak whether they are friend or foe.

Now it's weird that the Marines never noticed that big giant behind the HQ building but I guess that's the way the chapter rolls. Suddenly the panel switches to something above the execution platform. And low and behold it's Blackbeard with his new and improved crew. I enjoyed how Oda keeps the arc moving at a good pace and to see Blackbeard back really raises some new questions. Sadly we have to wait for 2 weeks until we find out what his new crew does and if he will finally get rid of Whitebeard.

Naruto Ch. 483 - Master and Student Reunited

2010-02-17T21:49:00.000-08:00

*CAUTION!! SPOILERS AHEAD!*

Review

Kakashi is still after Sasuke and Sakura like he was last chapter, so no change there. He finds Kiba, Akamaru, Sai and Rock Lee who have been poisoned with sleeping powder. Kakashi manages to get some information out of Kiba before he falls back into a deep sleep. Now on to Sakura. I think she did the stupidest thing trying to come after Sasuke as he obviously won't listen to her and she doesn't have the guts to kill him on her own. She couldn't even kill Karin (who, by the way, is still surprisingly alive. How??) without her conscience stopping her.

I find Sasuke really shows off how evil he has become in this chapter. I mean we always knew he was fighting for revenge but this chapter really shows how he's been consumed in a psychotic way. First of all the fact that he really was going to kill Sakura. I mean we all knew he would do it but with such intent? Kakashi intervening was the only good thing that happened to Sakura this chapter.

Next would be Sasuke's expressions and reactions on pages 14-15. Kishi has really shown that Sasuke has become consumed by his hate for Konoha and basically looks like he's becoming mentally unstable. I'm glad Kakashi stepped into the fight and made it his because I am really looking forward to it. Sasuke is already weak, he can't possibly be able to fight Kakashi, or Naruto for that matter who is heading towards them. I hope Kishi draws the fight well and doesn't pull any unbelievable stunts. Otherwise next week's chapter will be pathetic.

One Piece Ch 574 - Title removed because of MAJOR SPOILAGE!!!

2010-02-10T21:55:00.000-08:00

*CAUTION SPOILERS AHEAD*

*Ok seriously MAJOR spoilers ahead - that's why I've censored the name of this chapter. So please please do not read if you hate spoilers. I know I warn people every week but I don't want to be the cause of spoiling this chapter for you. So please only read if you have read chapter 574!!!*

Review

So where we last left Ace Akainu had thrust his fist into his stomach. So it's not looking good. Seeing the shocked faces of everyone is heart wrenching. So now everyone is after Akainu and Garp's face and reaction is devastating. As Akainu tries to move in for the kill on Ace, Jimbei interferes and I must say his monologue here is fantastic. The panel itself was well drawn and the dialogue was brilliant.

Now Garp's anguish and anger here is expected and as he says "... I'm going to murder... that Sakazuki..." is again, heart wrenching. Vista and Marco using Haki on Akainu was fantastic and at least they were able to immobilise him for at least a few minutes.

And now we move to Luffy and Ace. I liked how Oda made the rest of the battle seem to fade out and just centered in on these two. Ace's monologue here is brilliant. It is a work of art. The mini flashbacks that Ace is having is not a good sign but reinforces how tortured Ace was as a child and how he overcome all of that to become a great pirate. Pages 14-15 got me. Ace's expression here was very well drawn. I know I've used the word brilliant a lot but it was brilliantly drawn. Finally Ace's life has come to an end and it came to an end like a true D. With a smile on his face. Luffy's face of anguish is devastating but I loved how Oda ended the chapter with Ace's birth. It just added even more anguish to the death.

Now I hope I've done this review justice and I hope all of you enjoyed reading it. For those of you who read the review without reading the actually chapter I'm sorry but I did warn everyone. The next 2 reviews will be coming soon so stay tuned.

AMV Review - Azumanga Daioh: Shameless Rhapsody

2010-02-09T21:58:00.000-08:00

Summary
Ok a new AMV of the week. So this week's AMV comes from the anime Azumanga Daioh and the song is 'Bohemian Rhapsody' by Queen. The AMV is named "Shameless Rhapsody" and was edited by Richard Marshal.

Video
Now there are not any major effects or transitions used in this AMV, only the occasional fade in/out. That's what I like about this AMV, it's simple. It doesn't rely on effects to make it simple, just good old comic timing. And speaking of timing it was very well done here. The creator made sure that every character had their own contribution in the video and that's what I liked, it wasn't all based on one character, rather the whole entire cast of Azumanga Daioh and their antics.

Music
Bohemian Rhapsody is an anthem, so if you're going to use such a popular song for an AMV you'd better make sure that the song suits the AMV. The opening line "Is this the real life, is this just fanatsy" suits Azumanga Daioh because the anime is all about the characters being so caught up inn their own little worlds that they sometimes forget what reality is all about, in a comical way of course. I found it created a whole new meaning to Azumanga Daioh, while keeping the whole slice of life genre in check.

Theme
The theme of this AMV is clearly comedy. If the creator aims were to make us laugh with their comic timing and then they certainly did their job. I loved how it brought out the innocence of Chiyo-chan and Osaka as well as how annoying Tomo is. Definitely well thought out and done!

One Piece Ch. 573 - The Current Age is Named Whitebeard

2010-02-05T21:39:00.000-08:00

*CAUTION SPOILERS AHEAD*

Review

Whitebeard vs. The Navy. A fight we all knew was coming but we never wanted to accept. So as all of Whitebeard's sons struggle to conceive the fact that their father is willing to sacrifice himself for them the Navy keep on trying to win the battle. Sengoku and Garp appear to be alive and I liked their comments about Whitebeard.

I always love how Oda will break a chapter up if it's getting too intense. The page with Buggy trying to broadcast his "coolness" was a fantastic diversion from the intense battle that was raging on. I loved the public reaction after Buggy announced himself. It was priceless!

Back to Ace, his bowing down to Whitebeard was a great scene. The amount of respect that Ace showed to Whitebeard shows that he really was truly loved. Though at the same time I just wanted him and Luffy to get out of there otherwise something bad would happen. And sure enough the marine "Red Dog" shows up and insults Whitebeard. Ace's love for Whitebeard as well as his love for his brother is tested here. But to see Ace get burnt for Luffy was heartbreaking. So after this whole arc the question still remains. Will Ace live?

Bleach Ch. 391 - The Blazing Glaciers

2010-02-05T20:24:00.000-08:00

*CAUTION SPOILERS AHEAD*

Review

So Komamura falls along with Love. Very much expected by Aizen who is still undefeated. To see Aizen deflect these attacks so easily gives us the annoying impression that the Shinigami and Vizard's either aren't trying that hard or are way out of their league. That would be unfortunate as I don't want everything to fall on Ichigo's shoulders again who always ends up being unbelievably strong.

I was happy to see that they didn't just hand the fight over to Ichigo. Even though Lisa ended up joining Komamura and Love at least she attempted to kill Aizen. I found Soi Fon standing up to Aizen very admirable but I had mixed feelings about the clones. The negative aspect was that it reminded me a little too much of Naruto, but the positive aspect was that it was able to distract Aizen while Hitsugaya was able to capture him using his Bankai.

Now I enjoyed seeing Aizen's face filled with shock. That is one emotion that I have waited to see for far too long upon his face. The teamwork between Kyoraku, Soi Fon and Hitsugaya was unbeliveably amazing in this chapter and I believe I enjoyed this chapter a lot more because of that. However I do feel it would be pretty pathetic if that was the end of Aizen (even though I feel this arc has gone on for way to long already). I don't think he's the type to let a sword get the better of him so I guess we'll have to wait and see next chapter.

Naruto Ch. 481 - Danzou's Death

2010-02-04T21:50:00.000-08:00

*CAUTION SPOILERS AHEAD*

Review

So, Sasuke finally got rid of Karin. I’m happy that someone finally died, especially since it was Karin. I felt that Sasuke would eventually get rid of her as she was holding him back.

Moving on to Danzou’s story, it was interesting to see the relationship between him and Sarutobi. Danzou was obviously the underdog in their relationship so I suppose this was Kishi’s last attempt to make us feel some sort of sympathy towards him. I guess it sort of worked as his death felt more significant now that we knew a little more about him.

I didn’t like how Sakura was going to handle the Sasuke situation. She still doesn’t know that she is biting way more off than she can chew. I’m glad that Sai and the rest of the boys decided to stop her because she was have gotten owned. I really do want to know which of the Sai’s is the fake because if the one with Sakura isn’t then that would make for an interesting fight.

I’m excited to see Sasuke and Madara finally enter Konoha, definitely what I am waiting for next week.

Christmas Break!

2009-12-16T17:46:00.000-08:00

So everyone has to take a Christmas break and it's time for me to take mine! Since I'm going away to Malaysia and India for the next month or so, I won't have time to review the new chapters so I apologise in advance to those who actually look forward to my reviews!!

But fear not! For I plan to buy as much anime and manga as I can while I am overseas and hopefully, I'll get the chance to review them when I get back!! So stay tuned! There's lots more to come! Keep on reading anime and manga, suggest some if you want them reviewed as well as any AMV's, games or fanart! Until then I hope you all have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!!

One Piece Ch. 567 - Marine Headquaters, Marineford - Oris Grounds

2009-12-11T16:03:00.000-08:00

*CAUTION!! SPOILERS AHEAD!!*

Review

Ok, let me start off by saying awesome cover art!! It was colourful and quirky, just what you expect from Oda! Moving on to the actual chapter, it's great seeing Whitebeard in action like this. Also seeing his stand up to Aokiji was brilliant, it really emphasises that Luffy has got a lot to learn before he can advance. And seeing Diamond Jos stand up to Aokiji like that, I'm looking forward to that fight. I hope Oda focuses on it soon, it would be a shame to see a fight like that go to waste.

Now Luffy, I'm sorry to say but even though he has so much ambition, that can only get you so far. Sadly, Gear Second doesn't even seem to scratch his opponents anymore. He needs to find a way to take on Kizaru, and I'm hoping that way will involve Haki since he needs to learn how to master that if he wants to journey to New World.

I'm looking forward to seeing Jimbei fight. Since he said that he's decided that this will be the place he'll die, I have a feeling he's going to pull out all stops and I'm looking forward to seeing them. And finally Garp enters the fight. The legendary marine. I can't wait to see him fight, but I hope he doesn't lose sight and lets war come in front of family.

Bleach Ch. 385 - Vice It

2009-12-11T15:39:00.000-08:00

*CAUTION!! SPOILERS AHEAD!!!*

Review

So Komamura's Bankai is released. Tousen takes it head on as expected, but before we see anymore of that fight the chapter cuts back to Aizen and Shinji. I must say, this excited me especially the fact that Shinji finally released his Zanpakto's Shikai. I really, really want to see them fight! I must commend Kubo on this part of the chapter. Seeing Shinji stand up to Aizen like that, and saying that his Zanpakto is also able to control people's senses, it makes us wonder how far Shinji is going to go with his Zanpakto before Ichigo has to step in.

Back with the Tousen vs. Komamura fight, it's shown that whenever Komamura's Bankai is injured, Komamura is injured himself. While at this moment the fight between these two may have come to a halt, we learn some important information about Tousen. He reveals that he only became a Shinigami for revenge. Komamura now feels that he's misjudged Tousen and feels he must defeat and kill him for the sake of peace within the Soul Society. I hope that this fight will get serious after this declaration and I was quite happy with the cliff hanger that Kubo left us with this week. Hopefully Tousen's resurrection is worth it next chapter because I would like to see Tousen finally get serious.

Naruto Ch. 475 - Madara's True Strength

2009-12-10T14:29:00.000-08:00

*CAUTION SPOILERS AHEAD!!*

Review

Time for Danzou's and Madara's fight, although I was slightly disappointed that Danzou sent in his cronies to do his dirty work first. It was sort of interesting to see Fu and Torune's techniques but really, how many new techniques can we see?

I was happy to see Gaara to try and knock some sense into Naruto with the meaning of friendship. While there may not have been a lot of action in this specific part of the chapter I thought at least we got to see that Naruto was thinking things over.

Now it gets to the interesting part of the chapter. Danzou vs. Sasuke. While I still wanted to see Danzou vs. Madara, I hope that Danzou vs. Sasuke will do some justice, especially since Danzou has finally revealed his arm. I wonder what having that many Sharingan's on his arm will do. However Kishimoto goes about this in the next chapter, could make or break Naruto. I just hope he develops the fight well.

AMV Review - One Piece: Sail On

2009-12-09T19:14:00.000-08:00

Summary
Yay! My first ever AMV of the week segment!!So the first AMV that I'm going to be reviewing comes from the anime One Piece. It's called Sail On named after the song called (funnily enough) Sail On. The song was composed by a group called Masterplan and the AMV was made by Many Lemon Productions.

Video
Now this AMV is very fast paced. I found that the video clips were cropped and sped up to match the pace of the song. You can tell that ever little clip was timed to match the lyrics of the song perfectly. I enjoyed the fact that there were points in the AMV when there were different layers of clips layered on top of each other. Now normally, this effect can be overused and it just makes the clip look overcrowded but from 0:15 to 0:25 the use of titles and pictures overlayed on top of the video creates a great intro to the video.

Music
The song Sail On by Masterplan is one of the most suited songs for One Piece to date. If I didn't know better I'd say that it was made especially for the anime. The lyrics 'We always have to sail on' basically sums up one of the most important themes of One Piece; Don't give up. I also liked the use of layering to make it look like various characters are singing the song. Different lines in the song seems to apply to different characters and I'm glad that Many Lemons acted on that and didn't just base the AMV on one character.

Theme
I'd say the theme that can be seen in this AMV would be action. More than action, I'd also say that it just wants to show off One Piece in it's glory. While the AMV may not have focused on a specific fight or arc it shows the Straw-Hat pirates passion for their dreams and how none of them will let anything get in the way of that.

AMV of the Week???

2009-12-06T21:37:00.000-08:00

Announcement Time!!!!

So, I've been messing around with new ideas that I could do as 'segments' for my blog. I thought the reviewing of different AMV's may be a good place to start off with as they are not too long and they come in a variety of genres.

So if you are totally lost and don't know what an AMV is it basically stands for Anime Music Video. Simply, creators will edit different scenes from their favourite anime's and put it to music. They will usually try to match up the clips as close to the music as they can. AMV's can be intended to be humorous, or to spoof. They might want to ship a specific couple from the anime or they may want to just focus on a specific arc of the anime.

If anyone has any suggestions of what AMV I should review first, please comment and let me know because I would be glad to! If I don't get any suggestions, I'll most probably dig out one that I have seen and review that. I hope you're all looking forward to it!!

One Piece Ch. 566 - Fierce Attack

2009-12-03T16:09:00.000-08:00

*SPOILERS AHEAD!! READ WITH CAUTION!!!*

Review

Luffy going up against the 3 Admirals didn't go so well for him. They all got the better of him. I guess that shows that Luffy still has a whole lot to learn about the World Government if he wants to make it to New World. Crocodile really shone here saving Ace in the way that he did. I'm intrigued by the relationship between him and DoFlamingo (other than the fact that Crocodile was once a Shichibukai). I'm looking forward to see how that fight goes, not to mention seeing Marco stand up to the 3 Admirals was amazing!

I really thought that Whitebeard's pirates would have had no hope of getting through the wall but I loved how they made it through. I absolutely loved the fact that Oars ended up carrying the ship through and that finally penetrated through the wall. It's nice to know that Luffy has more back up.

Now that Whitebeard has finally unsheathed his sword, this war is really going to get interesting. Not to mention that he has invoked both Sengoku and Garp into joining the fight now. I would love to see Whitebeard fighting the two of them off, as well as learning what Sengoku's ability actually is. Once again, Oda hasn't failed to present something brilliant.

Bleach Ch. 384 - Can't Fear Your Own Sword

2009-12-03T15:39:00.000-08:00

*SPOILERS AHEAD!! READ WITH CAUTION!!*

Review

So Tousen ends up using Hollowfication on himself. Not very surprising. I didn't find his Hollow mask the most creative, in fact I thought it was very bland. But it doesn't really matter what it looks like as long as it can do something worthwhile. So far, all of Tousen's 'upgraded' abilities that we saw were nothing out of the ordinary. Very plain. Maybe next chapter we'll get to see more of his new found power.

I did enjoy Hisagi's flashback. He has always been a character shrouded in mystery and it's nice that Kubo shed a little light on his character to make him seem a little more human. But I guess we've all taken a little something from this chapter. Never flashback when the enemy has a sword in his range and can stab you. Because, it will happen!

I hope the next fight isn't all "My Bankai is better so it will defeat you!!!" with no dire consequences to follow after. I would like to see tact used in the fight between Tousen and Komamura, not just charging in head first and paying for it afterwards.

Naruto Ch. 474 - Hokage's Resolution

2009-12-03T14:51:00.000-08:00

*SPOILERS AHEAD!! READ WITH CAUTION!!*

Review

So finally!! Naruto knows about Konoha's plan to eliminate Sasuke. About time I say. Sai revealing everything to Naruto brings about a breath of fresh air to the plot. Finally we all know what is going on and we can relax. Then Kakashi reveals that Sakura is most probably intending to kill Sasuke herself. I'm not sure how I feel about that bit of plot development. I understand how Sakura is tired of being the 'damsel in distress' and always having to rely on others, but to go after Sasuke?? I ask this question: What chance does she have if Naruto didn't even come close to capturing him??

I am glad that Gaara, Temari and Kankuro finally showed up to fill them in on the Kage's Summit. I hope Gaara, as well as every other character, will be able to finally persuade Naruto to let go of Sasuke. And of course there was never any doubt that Suna would protect the Kyuubi in the first place.

On the other hand, I like the sound of Kakashi for Hokage. He's strong, sensible and would do a good job in cleaning up Danzou's mess. As for Danzou, I'm intrigued by his upcoming fight with Madara. Let's just hope that it's done well and not screwed around with like the Hachibi vs. Kisame.

One Piece Strong World Ch. 0

2009-11-27T18:29:00.000-08:00

*SPOILERS!!! READ WITH CAUTION!!!!!*

Review

So this was the special that everyone was waiting for. If you didn't know what the hype of this chapter was all about, well basically it was said to be a prequel to the 10th One Piece Movie known as: One Piece Strong World. As well as being the 10th One Piece movie, Strong World also has the honour to be overseen by the creator of One Piece itself, Eiichiro Oda.

So chapter 0 starts off about 3 years before Gold Roger's execution and introduces us to a new character, Shiki also known as 'Golden Leo'. Now Shiki may be the main focus of some but just for a while I'm going to talk about all of the other characters. I absolutely loved the fact that Oda focused on just about everyone who was alive during that time. He went from the marines (Garp, Aokiji, Sengoku), to pirates (Shanks, Buggy, Rayleigh), to future shichibukai (Moria, Boa Hancock, Do Flamiongo, Hawkeye Mihawk, Crocodile) to many others.

The way Oda set up this chapter was amazing. Nothing was there to 'fill in the space'. All of the panels meant something, whether it was watching how Shiki formed his master plan or how the many other characters reacted to Roger's death. This chapter really set up the entire movie plot an I myself cannot wait for the movie!

Bleach Ch. 382 - The United Front - Discordeque Mix

2009-11-12T15:29:00.000-08:00

*SPOILER ALERT!! CAUTION!!*

Review:

This chapter wasn't the worst. Unohana realising that Ichigo's reiatsu is at Captain level when he is only at half strength wasn't the biggest surprise. We knew that he was the strongest of them all from the very beginning. I like that fact that humour is being brought back in the chapters. For example, Unohana's reiatsu compared to Ichigo's when they were travelling back to Karakura town. These small hints of humour make a chapter.

The highlight of this chapter for me was Byakuya and Kenpachi taking down Yammy. I love the fact that they are both so full of themselves that they don't think they are suited to give the final blow to Yammy. Of course Yammy getting up again didn't make things easier. I like how they finished off Yammy in the end. A very good finish and very satisfying.

Naruto Ch. 471 - Tailed Beast, Version 2

2009-11-12T15:02:00.000-08:00

Review

So after two weeks of waiting we finally get to see Killerbee's and Kisame's fight. To tell you the truth, I'm a little disappointed. I was looking forward to see some cool Suiton (Water Techniques) in action from the both of them. But no. Didn't see any of that happening. Samehada's evolution was alright, but I think a little over dramatic. What happened to using good old fashioned jutsu to kicking each other's butt?? Nope instead they rely on their swords to grow and protect them from incoming chakra (Well in Kisame's case anyway).

Kisame's transformation wasn't half bad, but am I the only one who is getting sick of seeing everyone transform into something?? I mean Kishi, it's time to pull a new rabbit out of the hat. If you keep going on like this Naruto will dissolve before the end of the year!

Naruto Ch. 469 - Sakura's Confession

2009-10-31T00:31:00.000-07:00

*SPOILER ALERT!! READ WITH CAUTION!!!*

Review

Well I must say I was happy with how the chapter started off, directly into the Kisame vs. Hachibi fight. But with the title that the chapter got, i was slightly concerned on how this chapter would develop. The little taste of Danzo's fleeing that we got didn't really interest me at all. I just get the feeling that Kishi is trying to fill in the gaps with these small little shorts before the true intent of the chapter is revealed. I was happy that there was some movement on the Kage's front, but again the movement is only a small step forward.

Now on to the true intent of the chapter, so Sakura reveals that she's in love with Naruto. Who else was suspicious. I think this was a brave move on Sakura's part but as brave as it was, it was at least 10 times selfish. I didn't think it was right to toy with Naruto's emotions like that, even if it was to save him from the effort of finding Sasuke. But without that, there would be no plot now would there?

On the topic of confessions, where has Hinata been all this time? And does Naruto even remember that she confessed?? Honestly, Naruto's plot has been all over the place lately, I wonder if it's really going to go anywhere.

Tokyo International Manga Library

2009-10-29T02:38:00.000-07:00

A small little update here from myself before the weekend manga chapters come rolling around. So I heard a couple of days ago that the International Tokyo Manga Library had officially been given the green light to start work on. juts another reason for me to visit Japan now!

Meiji University in Tokyo, Japan plans to house 2 million items of manga, anime, games, and other media which are all going to be archived in it's Surugadai campus. Doujinshi as well as game software, artwork, game consoles and more can also be found there.

So when will this fantastic library open?? Well we'll have to wait until at least 2014 when it's schedualed to open, that is if production goes smoothly. Let's all hope it does!

One Piece Ch. 561 - Luffy vs. Mihawk

2009-10-22T22:34:00.000-07:00

*SPOILERS AHEAD!!! READ WITH CAUTION!!!*

Review

Well Oda never fails to disappoint does he? We never thought that we'd be seeing Luffy vs. Mihawk, he was always Zoro's opponent. But now? Even though it wasn't a huge fight it was enough to take our breath away. I like the fact that we also got updates on the other fights as well. Such as Crocodile vs. DoFlamingo, even though it was only a page and a half, we still get the feeling as if this war is going somewhere. And I'm glad that there's still humour involved like Buggy getting trapped in Crocodile's "Sables". Ha, he doesn't have much luck does he? I must admit I was scared for Luffy for a little bit there, but Whitebeard knew exactly the right time to send one of his men in.

Of course after all that fighting, nothing could have prepared us for the ending of that chapter. And it's not that fact that Ace could get beheaded any minute. No, now a whole bunch of Kuma's (Pacifista's) have turned up, ready to execute anyone or anything in their way! For a while I was hoping that the Mugiwara crew mystically reunited and found a way to reach Luffy but when I saw that panel of Kuma's... well I just hope next week comes soon...

Bleach Ch. 379 - No True Answer

2009-10-22T22:07:00.000-07:00

*SPOILER ALERT! READ WITH CAUTION!*

Review

Firstly I must compliment the colour spread that was included in this chapter. I loved the Halloween theme as I'm sure many other readers did. This chapter basically continues on with the Yami vs. Ichigo fight. Although now Ichigo is finding it harder and harder to control his hollow mask as it's getting heavier and heavier. Honestly, we all saw it coming that something was going to happen so that Ichigo wouldn't be able to battle Yammy at 100%. I am glad that we get to see Ichigo fight again, god knows it's been too long but am I the only one who wants this arc to be over and done with?? I mean it's been going on for ages! Times up already, time to move on to the next arc.

I must say that at least this fight isn't developing as slowly as the others did. I'm glad there's a little more plot to this fight. I'm glad that Kenpachi and Byakuya finally turned up. Hopefully with those two there Yami can finally be finished off and we can all move on with our lives.

***FYI to all my readers, I decided to stop writing summaries for these chapters because it doubles the amount of work I have to do and lately I need to cut down on my leisure time as exams are coming up. So if enough readers really want them then I may bring back the summaries for each chapter but for now I'll just be writing summaries for anime's.

Armageddon Expo

2009-10-19T00:08:00.000-07:00

Ok so I thought I'd take little detour from reviewing the latest Naruto and Bleach chapters (cause let's face it, they're not going anywhere notable anytime soon) and talk about a recent experience I had during the Armageddon Expo.

So first of all, everyone will be dying to know... What is the Armageddon Expo?? It's an exhibition that visits Melbourne, Australia once a year. Not to mention Sydney and various cities in New Zealand. It's a fantasy and gaming exhibition and a fantastic one at that.

Now what makes Armageddon so special you ask. Clearly it has its competitors. Supanova, the massive pop culture expo and Manifest, the biggest anime festival in Melbourne. Well even though Armageddon is the novice of the three, it brought quite a bit to its expo this year.

The guests that they managed to round up were fantastic. Seth Green of 'Robot Chicken' fame was there to sign autographs and tell a little more about 'Robot Chicken'. Not to mention Dante Basco more commonly known as 'Prince Zuko' from the famous animation 'Avatar: The Last Airbender' was there signing autographs as well. Other notable actors and voice actors include Olivia Hack (Avatar: the Last Airbender), Greg Cipes (Teen Titans), Sean Schememmel (Dragonball Z) and Noah Grey-Cabey (Heroes).

The day itself was very enjoyable. Wasn't hard getting in and many brilliant traders were there selling all their goods at discount prices. Of course I had to take advantage of this and bought 3 manga volumes, 2 anime movies, Animaverics (a Melbourne anime magazine), quite a few fan arts and last but not least a replica of Ichigo's sword from Bleach. The convention was a huge success and the planners planned it out very well indeed. I cannot wait until next year!

For now I shall leave you with a picture of myself and an awesome cosplayer dressed up as Trucy from the brilliant point-and-click game "Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney". Enjoy!

Gake no ue no Ponyo

2009-09-30T23:32:00.000-07:00

Summary

The son of a sailor, 5-year old Sosuke lives a quiet life on an oceanside cliff with his mother Lisa. One fateful day, he finds a beautiful goldfish trapped in a bottle on the beach and upon rescuing her, names her Ponyo. But she is no ordinary goldfish. The daughter of a masterful wizard and a sea goddess, Ponyo uses her father's magic to transform herself into a young girl and quickly falls in love with Sosuke, but the use of such powerful sorcery causes a dangerous imbalance in the world. As the moon steadily draws nearer to the earth and Ponyo's father sends the ocean's mighty waves to find his daughter, the two children embark on an adventure of a lifetime to save the world and fulfill Ponyo's dreams of becoming human. (Taken from IMDB)

Story

The story was written beautifully. Miyazaki once again was able to make a very unbelievable tale entirely believable. He was able to keep the innocence of both of the children throughout the entire film. Love was a major theme in the film and Miyazaki was able to keep this theme in check without letting the storyline becoming too sappy. The film was just like a fairy tail, but at the same time it had so many human elements to it. Miyazaki makes it very hard for us to dislike any of the characters as they all have their own likable quirks which was what made this film so lovable.

Animation

The animation was nothing fancy though that was part of what made the film work. It was simple and needed no special effects. It ran smoothly throughout the film. I found that the waves and underwater scenes were animated very well. There was an air of fantasy to them but at the same time it was very believable.

Seiyuu and Music

Ponyo and Sosuke stole the show. Yuria Nara and Hiroki Doi who play these two lovable characters respectively deserve great praise for their voicing. They were able to make these two little children portray their innocence yet show that they could act grown up at the same time. The music fit the innocence of the movie when needed and also was able to fit the fantasy element of living under the sea. I thought that Ponyo's theme song was the cutest song that I have ever heard and summed up what Ponyo was about in that one song. I must commend Fujioka Fujimaki and 8 year old Nozomi Ohashi on their brilliant performance.

Overall

Hayao Miyazaki was once again able to deliver a film for all ages. This film is truly a classic and has a little bit of everything for everyone. Action, fantasy, comedy and of course love. Once seeing the movie you are able to feel a great sense of satisfaction over the fact that was a very happy ending without too much drama.

Rating

9/10

Sorry!

2009-09-30T16:40:00.000-07:00

Yeah I realise that I've been away from this blog for a while now, so for those who actually are awesome and follow me I'm sorry for being such an ass and leaving this blog without any notification.
School got in the way but I should be up and running soon and my next review will be of Ponyo so stay tuned!

Bleach Ch. 373 - Wolves ain't howl alone

2009-09-11T01:11:00.000-07:00

*SPOILERS AHEAD*

Summary

Stark's wolves attack Love and Rose and although they defend themselves from the wolves the wolves just regenerate and keep on coming. Love explains that the wolves must be made out of ceros from Stark's gun as they keep on regenerating and says that they shouldn't come too close. A wolf then gets close to Love and explodes next to him. Stark then states that the wolves are not ordinary ceros but are made out of him and Lilynette, Just as Stark was about to finish off Love, a blade pierces through him.

Review

This chapter was a lot more quicker than the previous chapters have been and I am glad because I didn't think that Bleach was going to move for a while! I thought that Love and Rose defended themselves well but not well enough. The fact that Stark's wolves were just made out of ceros were a bit iffy for me as I didn't think they'd do that much damage so when Stark clarified that the wolves were made out of himself and Lilynette, that made a lot more sense. Still I loved the biggest twist which was Stark having a blade go through him. About time I say as I hope that this fight wraps up soon.

Naruto Ch. 463 - Sasuke vs. Raikage

2009-09-11T00:50:00.000-07:00

*SPOILERS AHEAD!*

Summary

The battle continues between Sasuke and the Raikage. Just when the Raikage thinks that he has delivered the final blow to Sasuke, Sasuke comes out alive and uses the Mangekyo Sharingan on the Raikage. Meanwhile, with Madara and Naruto, Madara reveals that Naruto will have to go up against Sasuke. He also reveals that his true goal is to become complete. Back with Sasuke, he uses Amaterasu against the Raikage but the Raikage gives up his left arm to try and penetrate Sasuke Amaterasu wall to defeat him.

Review

A pretty full on chapter. There was actually some action here. I found the battle between the Raikage and Sasuke are moving a little too quickly for my liking. The twists that Kishimoto made in this chapter were interesting. It actually shows that while Sasuke may be powerful, his defences are not impenetrable. Madara may have only spoken a few lines but he basically confirmed what we all knew the series was going to end up heading. Another Sasuke vs Naruto fight. Hopefully this time, complete with bigger moves so it'll be more kick ass. But it did raise another question, what does Madara want or need to become complete?? Hopefull Kishi won't let us sit on this for too long and it'll become apparent soon.

Bleach Ch. 372 - The Metal Cudgel Flinger

2009-09-04T16:07:00.000-07:00

*SPOILERS AHEAD*

Summary

Love and Rose prepare to fight Stark as Love states after someone dies, it becomes a battle for revenge. Love unleashes his sword and attacks Stark head on but Stark narrowly escapes. Love notices and beats him down with his sword. Stark falls and reveals that he doesn't want to fight anymore. He now knows that Aizen won't come and save them and has lost the will to fight. Lilynette urges him to fight and finally Stark agrees. As he starts to fight back, Love pulls on his mask and attacks Stark again. Rose calls out to Love saying something is above him and it's Stark who has assembled a small army of hollow dogs.

Review

This chapter wasn't too bad. Stark battling his laziness yet again. For a moment I thought that he would be down for the count but he got up again and fought back. I liked Love's zanpakuto release and thought it would be a great match for Stark. While I did enjoy the twists that this chapter too, nothing was like the last one where Stark revealed his hollow dog army. Even though the twists were bearable this chapter, a part of me is just saying 'Get on with it' so the fights are finally over.

Naruto Ch. 462 - Sasuke's Dogma

2009-09-04T04:01:00.000-07:00

*SPOILERS AHEAD*

Summary

The Raikage goes head to head against Jugo while Suigetsu attacks the Kumogakure Jounin. The Raikage manages to get in a decisive blow but Jugo counter attacks. Sasuke uses the Sharingan to create a huge genjutsu that imobilises the Jounin. Back with Madara and Naruto, Madara reveals the true story between Itachi, Sasuke and Konoha. He also states that Sasuke is a true avenger and will always choose revenge. Madara says that Sasuke turned to revenge because of the Rikudo Sage curse. He then reveals the past of both him and the first Hokage and how they were brothers. He states that Naruto and Sauke were chosen by fate and it was their destiny to follow in the footsteps of the first hokage and Madara, respectivly.

Review

Well this chapter was better than I expected. I thought it would be filled with alot more pointless fighting between Jugo and the Kumogakure. But it wasn't. What really interested me was the talk between Naruto and Madara, and the past between Madara and the first Hokage. I have to say that was a good twist. But really, how many people can Naruto and Sasuke be compared too?? First they were compared to Jiraiya and Orochimaru and now the First Hokage and Madara?? I do want Naruto and Sasuke to meet even more now that Naruto knows the truth about Itachi. Let's just hope it happens soon.

One Piece Ch. 556 - Justice Will Prevail

2009-09-03T23:17:00.000-07:00

*SPOILERS AHEAD!!*

Summary

Cover Story - Nami's adventure in Weatheria ends.

Oars is down and out thanks to the Shichibukai. As Whitebeard mourns the loss of his comrade, Vice Admiral Ronse tries to catch him off guard but Whitebeard is too quick and manages to attack Ronse before any damage affects him. As Whitebeard urges his men to push past Oars and keep fighting, DoFlamingo uses his Devil Fruit to do some damage to the 13th Division Captain. Meanwhile, Coby and Helmeppo are trying not to get too involved in the battle. DoFlamingo then states that whichever side wins this battle will gain justice. Whitebeard's crew keeps on fighting while Garp goes up to see Ace and asks why didn't he live. Luffy and co. ship finally goes flying past and they fall out of the ship, leaving them all free falling down to earth.

Review

The cover story: Nami seems intrigued as she's watching Weatheria's weather science in action. Could it be possible that she may gain some sort of new power here? I hope so!

Now the Main Story: Well the battle is still in full action. Oars is down for the count as many predicted so that wasn't much of a twist. I do wish that we see more of Whitebeard's power as we are still only getting snippets of it. I enjoyed seeing Coby and Helmeppo again but I think that they should have a slightly larger part. Hopefully that opportunity comes along once Luffy enters the fight. DoFlamingo's speech really intriugued me. He is right and because of that speech, the stakes seem alot more higher for the winners of this battle. I'm really glad Garp showed up and showed some emotion. Ace why didn't you live??? A very tear jerking part I thought. But I do love how Oda always uses comedy when you least expect it and Luffy and the rest of the gang falling out of the ship was priceless!! Ahh but finally, Luffy's returned!!!!!! About time!!! Now when's the next chapter coming out??

One Piece Ch. 555 - Oars and the Conical Hat

2009-08-28T15:50:00.000-07:00

Summary

Cover story - Nami's adventure in 'Weatheria' begins.

Oars attacks all of the marines ships, swearing that he will save Ace. Ace cries to Oars to stop as he'll only become a target. Oars manages to open a path into the bay for Whitebeard's crew so they charge in. Boa Hancock fights back against both Pirates and Marine stating she agreed to be a part of the battle against Whitebeard, but never said she would ally herself with the Marines. Kuma shocks Oars with his attack: Ursus Shock. A flashback of the relationship between Ace and Oars then occurs and shows that Ace created the hats that Oars wears to protect him from the weather. DonFlamingo then cuts off one of Oars' legs and Moria strikes him in the back just as Oars was about to reach Ace.

Review

On to the cover story first: So it's finally Nami's turn. I wonder what 'Weatheria' will hold in store for her? The wizard seems to be pointing to a sheet and asking for them. Maybe he's looking for parts?? I really hope Nami comes out of this with a new and improved Clima Tact because that would be really cool.

Now to the main story: What a jam packed chapter. I enjoyed seeing Oars fight for Ace that much. I enjoyed seeing that element of 'Never giving up' put in action again after all the negativity that Ace has given off. I must say, I really am missing Luffy throughout these chapters. But I do understand that we should have the opportunity to Ace's relationship with his crew without Luffy.

Boa Hancock really kicked ass in this chapter. Her attacks are amazing. I'm glad that she stated that she isn't an ally of the Marines. Shows us just what kind of power a Shichibukai has.

The bond between Ace and Oars was really portrayed very well throughout the chapter thanks to the flashback. I must say, I really hope Oars is not dead, he came so close!

Bleach Ch. 371 - Kingdom of Hollows

2009-08-28T01:17:00.000-07:00

Summary

Barragan calls Omeda and Soi Fon insects whom he'll never forget. A flashback comes after that explaining that Barragan was once known as King that his own fracción worshipped. Aizen, Gin and Tousen then approach Barragan, offering him more power, but he promptly declines causing Aizen, Gin and Tousen to demonstrate their power by attacking the fracción. Finally, back in the present, Barragan is killed by Omeda's ageing arm. Stark finally states that Arranacar are not the type to avenge each other.

Review

At the start of this chapter I thought 'Finally, the old geezer is dead so we can get back to the rest of the story.' Unfortunately, that wasn't really the case. Instead we got another flashback of an Arrancar we just want to see dead. I must say though, it was interesting to find out that Barragan was once the King of Hueco Mundo. I did enjoy that this chapter showed how Aizen overthrew the previous king.

I am glad that another Arrancar is down for the count. Moving on to another fight is just what we all need. Personally, I'm looking forward to seeing Stark fight again in the next chapter.

Naruto Ch. 461 - Kumogakure vs. Hawk

2009-08-27T21:48:00.000-07:00

Summary

Sasuke attacks the Raikage and his team head on. While Kumogakure fights back with some sweet water and ice moves, Sasuke is able to repel them by using lighting based jutsu. As Kumogakure launches an illusion in hopes of immobilising Sasuke, he sees through it using the Sharingan. Though he saw through it, the Raikage attacks Sasuke but Jugo and Suigetsu save him just in time. Meanwhile, back with the four other kages, Danzo has lost all trust and reveals his plan on gathering all villages to make the ninja world as one. Gaara stands up for himself and his village in front of the rest of the kages, surprising the others. Back with the Kumogakure vs. Hawk fight, Jugo has gone into killer mode and the fight continues.

Review

This chapter seemed to be a small fill in to set up the next chapter. I enjoyed watching Sasuke take them all head on without any plan at all, but that technique will only get him so far. I think he's going to have to think his moves through if he really wants to survive. I was happy to see that Suigetsu and Jugo still have his back, but couldn't he at least say thank you??

I'm glad that Danzo has lost all of the other Kages trust. I'm not really following his plan, but I'm sure he has more tricks up his sleeve and is not ready to give up just yet. What I really enjoyed in this chapter was seeing Gaara stand up for himself and his village. He's been taking a lot of crap from the rest of the Kages and it was nice to finally see him show them that he is still a leader, and a great one at that.

I'm looking forward to the next chapter. Seeing Jugo in his killer mode at the end of the chapter was a great cliffhanger. I just hope the fight doesn't drag on forever. I was a little disappointed that Naruto and Madara's (Tobi's) talk didn't happen so hopefully they appear in the next chapter.

The Art of One Piece

2009-08-26T00:10:00.000-07:00

As this is my first post and review, I thought I should start out with something a little more closer to home.

One Piece

Synopsis

Before he was executed, the legendary Pirate King Gold Roger revealed that he had hidden the treasure One Piece somewhere in the Grand Line. Now, many pirates are off looking for this legendary treasure to claim the title Pirate King. One pirate, Monkey D. Luffy, is a boy who had eaten the Devil's Fruit and gained rubber powers. Now he and his crew are off to find One Piece, while battling enemies and making new friends along the way. (Taken from AnimeNewsNetwork)

Story

What may first repel you from watching One Piece could be the art style. It may seem to be an art style that is very simple, but that is made up as the fantastic storyline will ultimately win you over. Eiichiro Oda is able to captivate the hearts of anyone with his brilliant wit, which is shown in the anime. The detail of all the characters are amazing and he weaves in the most unpredictable twists into the story which will leave you hanging on for more.

Animation

The animation in One Piece is fairly simple yet smooth at the same time. Movement is timed very well in terms of action sequences as well as speaking sequences too. Since the anime of One Piece began in 1999, the animation may seem a little outdated and simple at first, but as animation technology grew, One Piece grew with it.

Seiyuu and Music

The Japanese voice cast for One Piece have done an excellent job in portraying each and every one of the characters. They have made sure that each of the characters have their own distinct voice. Mayumi Tanaka, who portrays Monkey D. Luffy, has done an outstanding job in showing all the emotions one bubble-headed captain can have. In terms of music, the Openings and Endings are cute and catchy and will have you singing along. The background music suits almost every emotion the show throws at us.

Overall

One Piece may seem like a show that is aimed for kids. A young boy pursuing his dreams along with his friends, etc, etc. But thanks to 4kids we now know that is not the case. One Piece is an engaging anime that will have you hooked. The comedy will keep you laughing even in the most dire of situations. Due to the detail of the characters, it is a show that you simply can't stop once you start.

Rating

9.5/10

AnimaTics

One Piece Ch. 591 - You Sure That's Alright?

One Piece Ch. 585 - Brothers Cups

AMV Review - Toradora AMV - Prove It!

Bleach Ch. 401 - Decide 3

Naruto Ch. 492 - Greetings

One Piece Ch 582 - Luffy and Ace

One Piece Ch. 575 - Wordless Rage

Naruto Ch. 483 - Master and Student Reunited

One Piece Ch 574 - *Title removed because of MAJOR SPOILAGE!!!*

AMV Review - Azumanga Daioh: Shameless Rhapsody

One Piece Ch. 573 - The Current Age is Named Whitebeard

Bleach Ch. 391 - The Blazing Glaciers

Naruto Ch. 481 - Danzou's Death

Christmas Break!

One Piece Ch. 567 - Marine Headquaters, Marineford - Oris Grounds

Bleach Ch. 385 - Vice It

Naruto Ch. 475 - Madara's True Strength

AMV Review - One Piece: Sail On

AMV of the Week???

One Piece Ch. 566 - Fierce Attack

Bleach Ch. 384 - Can't Fear Your Own Sword

Naruto Ch. 474 - Hokage's Resolution

One Piece Strong World Ch. 0

Bleach Ch. 382 - The United Front - Discordeque Mix

Naruto Ch. 471 - Tailed Beast, Version 2

Naruto Ch. 469 - Sakura's Confession

Tokyo International Manga Library

One Piece Ch. 561 - Luffy vs. Mihawk

Bleach Ch. 379 - No True Answer

Armageddon Expo

Gake no ue no Ponyo

Sorry!

Bleach Ch. 373 - Wolves ain't howl alone

Naruto Ch. 463 - Sasuke vs. Raikage

Bleach Ch. 372 - The Metal Cudgel Flinger

Naruto Ch. 462 - Sasuke's Dogma

One Piece Ch. 556 - Justice Will Prevail

One Piece Ch. 555 - Oars and the Conical Hat

Bleach Ch. 371 - Kingdom of Hollows

Naruto Ch. 461 - Kumogakure vs. Hawk

The Art of One Piece

One Piece Ch 574 - Title removed because of MAJOR SPOILAGE!!!