Pokémon (animation)
ポケットモンスター
(Pocket Monsters)
Genre Adventure, Fantasy, Kodomo
TV anime
Director Masamitsu Hidaka (1997-2006)
Norihiko Sudo (2006-present)
Studio OLM, Inc.
Licensor 4Kids Entertainment (1998–2006)
Pokémon USA (2006-present)
Network TV Tokyo
English network Syndication (September 1998–January 1999)
Kids' WB! (February 1999–September 2006)
Cartoon Network (September 2006–current)
Boomerang (2005-Present)
[show]Other networks:
Flag of Canada YTV
Flag of the United Kingdom Sky1, CITV Channel, Cartoon Network, Cartoon Network TOO, Jetix
Flag of Australia Channel Ten, Cartoon Network
Flag of Brazil Cartoon Network
Flag of France Fox Kids, Gulli
Flag of Italy Italia 1
Flag of Portugal SIC
Flag of the Philippines GMA 7' Cartoon Network
Flag of South Korea Tooniverse
Flag of the People's Republic of China YoYo TV
Flag of the Republic of China Yoyo TV
Flag of Poland Polsat, TV4, Jetix
Flag of India Flag of Pakistan Cartoon Network
Flag of the Arab League MBC, Spacetoon, TRT, New TV
Flag of Russia Channel One, TNT, Jetix
Flag of Ukraine Inter, 1+1, NTN
Flag of Poland Jetix
Original run April 1, 1997 – ongoing
Episodes 588
Anime and Manga Portal
Pokémon (abbreviated from Pocket Monsters (ポケットモンスター ,Poketto Monsutā?) in Japan) is an ongoing Japanese animated series, which has since been adapted for the North American and European television market. It is somewhat based on the Pokémon video game series and a part of the Pokémon franchise.
Originally a single series, Pokémon, it has since been made into three series, including Pokémon: Advanced Generation and subsequently Pokémon Diamond & Pearl, which continue the story of Pokémon, while its spin-off Pokémon Chronicles or, as it is known in Japan, Pokémon Sunday (formerly Shūkan Pokémon Hōsōkyoku) is a series of stories revolving around some of the recurring characters.
Conte
Introduction Ash Ketchum (Satoshi in the original japanese) just becomes a Pokémon trainer. He Starts of in the Kanto Region. He is stuck with Pikachu. He has rival named Gary. Ash accidentally destroys the bike of girl named Misty. Misty starts following him to get her bike back.
In the Johto League, Ash is defeated by a Pokémon trainer from the Hoenn region, thus beginning his new journey into the region. Misty leaves Ash's side to take care of the gym along with her sisters, and Brock, who also returns home to resolve some family issues. Ash changes his outfit before heading to the Hoenn region with only Pikachu.
In Hoenn, Ash gets to know May (Haruka in the original japanese) and her younger brother Max (Masato in the original japanese), who join in his journey. May is excited by the Pokémon Contests that take place in Kanto and Hoenn, while Max joins the group to gain experience so that one day he will have his own Pokémon and become gym leader like his father Norman, the gym leader of Petalburg City. Having solved his problems, Brock who also changed his attire, is back with Ash and new friends to continue his dream of becoming Pokémon Breeder. This season, Gary leaves his promising career as a Pokémon Trainer to become Pokémon researcher.
After Ash becomes the winner in the Battle Frontier, May goes to Johto. Max returns to Petalburg City and Brock returns to Pewter City. Ash finds a new region called Sinnoh, where he embarks on a new journey. Brock comes back and they both meet Dawn, a new trainer who hopes to become a great Pokémon Coordinator, like her mother. Ash meets a new rival, Paul who prefers to capture the strongest Pokémon leaving the weak who are released.
[edit] Characters
Main article: List of Pokémon anime characters
[edit] Current main characters
The main characters from Pokémon Diamond and Pearl series (from left to right) Brock, Ash and Dawn
Ash Ketchum, known in Japan as (サトシ ,Satoshi?)
The main character, or protagonist, of the series, Ash dreams of being the greatest Pokémon Master in the world.
Pikachu (ピカチュウ ,Pikachū?)
Ash’s very first Pokémon and best friend. He has always stuck to Ash through thick and thin.
Dawn, known in Japan as (ヒカリ ,Hikari?)
New heroine of the series when Ash comes to Sinnoh, dreams of being a great coordinator like her mother.
Brock, known in Japan as (タケシ ,Takeshi?)
Former Pewter Gym leader, he dreams of being the world’s best Pokémon breeder. He also falls in love with most girls he sees.
[edit] Former Main Characters
Misty, known in Japan as (カスミ ,Kasumi?)
One of Ash’s travelling friends through Kanto, the Orange Islands and Johto. Misty loves water Pokémon and is currently the Cerulean City gym leader. She was the first female protagonist on the show. Her dream is to be the world's greatest Water Pokémon Master.
Tracey Sketchit, known in Japan as (ケンジ ,Kenji?)
One of Ash’s traveling friends through the Orange Islands, Tracey is a Pokémon watcher, and is currently Professor Oak’s assistant.
May, known in Japan as (ハルカ ,Haruka?)
One of Ash’s travelling friends through Hoenn and the Kanto Battle Frontier, is currently in Johto competing in the contests there. She appears in several Pokémon: Diamond and Pearl Battle Dimension episodes as a minor character.
Max, known in Japan as (マサト ,Masato?)
May’s little brother, Max is a very smart (and often annoying) little boy, and is now back with his parents in Petalburg City, where he will begin his own journey.
[edit] Team Rocket
Team Rocket (ロケット団 ,Roketto Dan?) is an evil organization led by Giovanni. They have operations in Kanto and Johto. However, they have not set up permanent operations in Hoenn and Sinnoh, meaning Jessie, James and Meowth are the only operatives there. They have been present in nearly every episode of the Pokémon saga.
[edit] Media
[edit] Anime series
The first series tells the story of Ash Ketchum (known as Satoshi in the Japanese version, he is named after Pokémon's creator, Satoshi Tajiri), his friends, and his quest to become a Pokémon Master, as well as their quests. However, unlike in the video games, he is given a Pikachu as his first Pokémon under unusual circumstances. Much of the series focuses on the friendship between Ash, Pikachu, Misty, Brock, May, Max, Tracey, Dawn and the various Pokémon and Trainers along the way. Joining Ash on his adventures are Brock (known as Takeshi in Japan) who wants to become the world's best Pokémon breeder and Misty (Kasumi in Japan) who wants to be a water Pokémon master (Brock and Misty were gym leaders in the original Pokémon games, and were in the anime too but were able to travel with Ash due to different circumstances).
The other two series continue to follow the adventures of Ash and his friends. However, starting with the Advanced Generation series a new main character named May (Haruka in Japan) travels with Ash, Brock and also her little brother Max (Masato in Japan) through the Hoenn region replacing Misty, and competes in Pokémon Contests, which are set up in a similar manner to Pokémon Gyms (many throughout the region, and ending with a large tournament), although immensely different.
Throughout the run of the show the subject matter changes. In the original series, the show is more comical and whimsical (light and airy). It uses "goofy" humor (or "cute" humor when it comes to Pikachu, who does wacky things in between important scenes). In the Advanced Generation series as Ash becomes more of a mature and leader-type character, the main course of the show becomes more serious, as it deals with love and death, and its previous comical nature (for the most part) changes into comic relief, attributed mostly to Team Rocket and Brock's love of girls, though the Diamond and Pearl series seems to have returned to using the original comical nature (mostly Ash being the straight man to his Pokémon's antics and Dawn taking the role of the naive beginner).
[edit] Series names
Like many anime metaseries, Pokémon: The Original Series, Pokémon: Advanced Generation Series and Pokémon: Diamond And Pearl Series episodes are split up into smaller series for the English release, usually to denote the areas and adventures going on. Because of this, series are identified by the opening animation used for the episode, rather than a run of a fixed number of episodes. In certain places, the different series are considered different shows altogether, although they involve the same storylines and characters. To date there are 11 total series completed, ten of such have aired in the United States. One is currently being aired. Another series is currently in production and will finish the confirmed trilogy of Sinnoh.
Sabtu, 28 Februari 2009
ANIME 2
The 1900s were a dangerous and exciting time in Japan. It was a time when the reign of the Shogun was being challenged from many directions. This time frame in history provides the world with a look at extremes, from the bloody world that had been thrust upon the Japanese landscape to the myriad of historical figures that inspire the story creators of today to delve into a time when Japan changed forever. It's at this time that the story of a small group of freedom fighters takes place.
Corruption is running rampant through the Japanese countryside. The power of the Shogun has long been left unchecked, but the time has come for opposition. An elite group of mercenaries known as Samurai Gun have appeared to challenge the evil and corrupt members of the Shogunate government. The Samurai Gun are appropriately named due to the use of the high-tech revolvers and firearms that they employ in their missions to stop the growing plague that the Shogun have become.
The Dragon Palace Tavern is the hot gathering spot in a small village that is the center of the story. It's there that we first find our main character, Ichimatsu, a seemingly quiet man that does odd jobs at the Tavern during the day. In the evenings, he can be found in the brothels of the town to be with his friend, confidant and possible lover, the brothel girl Ohana. However, in the darkness of the night, he reluctantly takes to the shadows and becomes the feared and mysterious Samurai Gun. Ichimatsu openly despises killing anyone, but the traumatic life he's led compels him to continue his battle. When he was younger, he was forced to watch the rape of his sister and the killing of both her and his parents at the hands of the Shogun.
Joining him in his fight against the Shogun are his compatriots, Kurenai and Daimon. Kurenai is the proprietor of the Dragon Palace Tavern and when she's not helping the rest of her staff run the tavern, she can be found on stage with her guitar, serenading the crowd. Daimon is a bit harder to nail down. He can be found around town, running various errands, but nothing that you could pinpoint as an actual job. Like Ichimatsu, both Daimon and Kurenai are members of the Samurai Gun and they all end up on some rather action packed missions to help slowly free the oppressed people in the town and the surrounding area from the iron grip of the Shogun.
A good portion of the missions could be left as standalone episodes, but there's something sinister happening in the background as Ichimatsu and Co. take on the Shogun that have been abusing the people. A secret group known as the Shogun's Preservation Bureau has been formed to find ways to combat the Samurai Gun members. Newer pieces of technology for the time are beginning to be used by the Bureau to ensure the continuing reign of the Shogun. In several of the first episodes, a wide variety of things, from steam locomotives to machine guns, have been adopted for use by the Shogun in order to remove the threat of the Samurai Gun. (Though, as is pointed out by the liner notes for the first DVD, many of the high-tech gadgets that are used in the series are a bit before their time for the period that Samurai Gun takes place.)
The actions of the Shogun begin to take their toll on the poor oppressed people. Women and children that have been taken and imprisoned, samurai informants and all manner of people have been taken captive, tortured or killed by the minions of the Shogun's Preservation Bureau. Eventually things get personal and a little bit of romance gets into the mix as well when Ohana is taken advantage of by a spy from the Bureau, trying to get information on the whereabouts of the Samurai Gun. Ichimatsu arrives just in time to stop the spy, creating a way to free Ohana from her life as a girl working in the brothels in the process.
From the get go, the audience is taken into fictionalized stylings of some of the historical pieces of the end of the Shogun Era. Overlap that with the complexities of the main characters and the pieces of their pasts that make up the reason for why they do what they do, and you have the makings for a series that will keep you guessing at every turn.
Very little back story is revealed to the audience as the series starts. We're shown small glimpses of the past as the series goes along, but very little beyond Ichimatsu's motives is explained in the first DVD. The creators and the ultimate reasons for the existence of the Samurai Guns is vague at best. The Bureau's behind-the-scenes plans are even more mysterious. But even with all this mystery and vagueness, the result is a somber yet action-filled drama that you must see unfold for yourself.
Despite the overly serious nature of Samurai Gun, there is a bit of humor to be found on the DVD. One of the best parts is found in the Extras for the disc. There you'll find the "Fun with Audio" section where some of the voice actors get to have a bit of fun taking key scenes from the first episodes and recording alternate lines for their characters. What we're treated with is some of the best dead-pan humor that I've seen in a long time. Several of the lines from the series have been cleverly rewritten and are masterfully delivered by the crew in a fast paced barrage of wit and down-right silliness. The way the voice actors were able to keep the serious tone of the series while doing the alternate lines just makes this extra that much more funny. It's something that definitely has to be experienced.
A word of caution here though. Samurai Gun is definitely not something for the younger set. It's got a TV MA rating for the liberal use of violence and blood as well as for some extreme language and sexual situations. Fans of the Japanese Shogun era as well as action aficionados that like a more adult oriented story line will love Samurai Gun. It's the right mix of action, suspense and mystery that will keep you chomping at the bit and begging for more.
Corruption is running rampant through the Japanese countryside. The power of the Shogun has long been left unchecked, but the time has come for opposition. An elite group of mercenaries known as Samurai Gun have appeared to challenge the evil and corrupt members of the Shogunate government. The Samurai Gun are appropriately named due to the use of the high-tech revolvers and firearms that they employ in their missions to stop the growing plague that the Shogun have become.
The Dragon Palace Tavern is the hot gathering spot in a small village that is the center of the story. It's there that we first find our main character, Ichimatsu, a seemingly quiet man that does odd jobs at the Tavern during the day. In the evenings, he can be found in the brothels of the town to be with his friend, confidant and possible lover, the brothel girl Ohana. However, in the darkness of the night, he reluctantly takes to the shadows and becomes the feared and mysterious Samurai Gun. Ichimatsu openly despises killing anyone, but the traumatic life he's led compels him to continue his battle. When he was younger, he was forced to watch the rape of his sister and the killing of both her and his parents at the hands of the Shogun.
Joining him in his fight against the Shogun are his compatriots, Kurenai and Daimon. Kurenai is the proprietor of the Dragon Palace Tavern and when she's not helping the rest of her staff run the tavern, she can be found on stage with her guitar, serenading the crowd. Daimon is a bit harder to nail down. He can be found around town, running various errands, but nothing that you could pinpoint as an actual job. Like Ichimatsu, both Daimon and Kurenai are members of the Samurai Gun and they all end up on some rather action packed missions to help slowly free the oppressed people in the town and the surrounding area from the iron grip of the Shogun.
A good portion of the missions could be left as standalone episodes, but there's something sinister happening in the background as Ichimatsu and Co. take on the Shogun that have been abusing the people. A secret group known as the Shogun's Preservation Bureau has been formed to find ways to combat the Samurai Gun members. Newer pieces of technology for the time are beginning to be used by the Bureau to ensure the continuing reign of the Shogun. In several of the first episodes, a wide variety of things, from steam locomotives to machine guns, have been adopted for use by the Shogun in order to remove the threat of the Samurai Gun. (Though, as is pointed out by the liner notes for the first DVD, many of the high-tech gadgets that are used in the series are a bit before their time for the period that Samurai Gun takes place.)
The actions of the Shogun begin to take their toll on the poor oppressed people. Women and children that have been taken and imprisoned, samurai informants and all manner of people have been taken captive, tortured or killed by the minions of the Shogun's Preservation Bureau. Eventually things get personal and a little bit of romance gets into the mix as well when Ohana is taken advantage of by a spy from the Bureau, trying to get information on the whereabouts of the Samurai Gun. Ichimatsu arrives just in time to stop the spy, creating a way to free Ohana from her life as a girl working in the brothels in the process.
From the get go, the audience is taken into fictionalized stylings of some of the historical pieces of the end of the Shogun Era. Overlap that with the complexities of the main characters and the pieces of their pasts that make up the reason for why they do what they do, and you have the makings for a series that will keep you guessing at every turn.
Very little back story is revealed to the audience as the series starts. We're shown small glimpses of the past as the series goes along, but very little beyond Ichimatsu's motives is explained in the first DVD. The creators and the ultimate reasons for the existence of the Samurai Guns is vague at best. The Bureau's behind-the-scenes plans are even more mysterious. But even with all this mystery and vagueness, the result is a somber yet action-filled drama that you must see unfold for yourself.
Despite the overly serious nature of Samurai Gun, there is a bit of humor to be found on the DVD. One of the best parts is found in the Extras for the disc. There you'll find the "Fun with Audio" section where some of the voice actors get to have a bit of fun taking key scenes from the first episodes and recording alternate lines for their characters. What we're treated with is some of the best dead-pan humor that I've seen in a long time. Several of the lines from the series have been cleverly rewritten and are masterfully delivered by the crew in a fast paced barrage of wit and down-right silliness. The way the voice actors were able to keep the serious tone of the series while doing the alternate lines just makes this extra that much more funny. It's something that definitely has to be experienced.
A word of caution here though. Samurai Gun is definitely not something for the younger set. It's got a TV MA rating for the liberal use of violence and blood as well as for some extreme language and sexual situations. Fans of the Japanese Shogun era as well as action aficionados that like a more adult oriented story line will love Samurai Gun. It's the right mix of action, suspense and mystery that will keep you chomping at the bit and begging for more.
inisial D
Initial D
Top row. from left to right: Jay Chou, Edison Chen, and Anthony Wong.
Bottom row, from left to right: Shawn Yue, Anne Suzuki, and Jordan Chan.
Year: 2005
Director: Andrew Lau Wai-Keung, Alan Mak Siu-Fai
Producer: Andrew Lau Wai-Keung
Writer: Felix Chong Man-Keung, Shuichi Shigeno (original comic)
Cast: Jay Chou, Edison Chen, Anne Suzuki, Anthony Wong Chau-Sang, Chapman To Man-Chat, Shawn Yue, Jordan Chan Siu-Chun, Kenny Bee
The Skinny: It meets expectations...provided yours aren't screamingly high. Initial D is a solid, entertaining, though unspectacular manga adaptation. Still, fans should go home happy, and this is certainly one impressive production. Initial D won't be 2005's Kung Fu Hustle, but for summer popcorn fluff, it's in a class of its own.
Review
by Kozo:
Is there a more anticipated Hong Kong film in 2005 than Initial D? Ages in the making, this manga-to-screen adaptation is a hype juggernaut that virtually guarantees overblown expectations from a paying audience. Not only is it based on a beloved anime/manga series with fans all over the globe, but it's also the starring film debut of superstar singer Jay Chou, and it's directed by Andrew Lau and Alan Mak, two guys who made some dinky film series called Infernal Affairs. And besides, it arrives in the midst of Hong Kong's worst year for cinema, both in number of releases and actual film quality. Given the above, Initial D is more than a movie, it's a potential savior. If you're crossing your fingers, you're not alone.
Jay Chou is Takumi Fujiwara, a high school student in Japan whose days are spent working at a gas station and mumbling in a dopey manner. He also quietly lusts after supreme jailbait classmate Natsuki (Anne Suzuki), and hangs with blowhard pal Itsuki (Chapman To, playing 15 years younger than his actual age). Takumi doesn't look like a special guy, but he does have a hidden talent: street racing, and not just any street racing. Takumi uses an old Toyota Trueno AE86 and clocks insane times on the Mt. Akina downhill, all by applying the technique of "drifting," i.e. skidding around corners without losing much speed in the process (NOTE: This is a layman's explanation. We apologize in advance to drifting masters everywhere.). However, Takumi does not own the mountain with his racing prowess; instead, he uses his insane drifting skills to get home as soon as possible after delivering tofu for his dad Bunta (Anthony Wong). If Takumi smokes anyone on the way home, it's just a coincidence.
That exact coincidence leads to the eventual outing of Mt. Akina's hidden racing god. Takeshi Nakazato (Shawn Yue), leader of the Night Kids racing team, shows up at Takumi's workplace looking to take on the "Akina Racing God," but unfortunately Itsuki claims the title, and subsequently gets embarrassed on Mt. Akina's slopes. But after Nakazato gets creamed by a returning-from-delivery Takumi, he re-ups his challenge at the gas station...except nobody seems to know who beat Nakazato. Takumi's too busy acting morose and fantasizing about a potential beach date with Natsuki to take up the challenge. But Yuuichi (Kenny Bee), Itsuki's dad and Takumi's boss at the gas station, knows that it was Takumi behind the wheel, and pressures Bunta into getting his son to race. Bunta offers to lend Takumi the car for his date, as long as Takumi beats Nakazato in his first "official" street race. Presto, an illegal racing god is born, which leads to new challengers, including Ryosuke Takahashi (Edison Chen), the leader of the Red Suns racing team, and Kyoichi Sudo (Jordan Chan), an actual racing professional who takes on Takumi to avenge a buddy. Meanwhile, Takumi ponders his future in a quiet, morose manner, and the audience waits for the next CG-assisted car race.
The appeal of the Initial D manga/anime isn't hard to figure out. The copious car detail is cool to amateur car tuners and enthusiasts, but the story itself has a killer concept. Takumi's status as an accidental racing god is an exceptionally cool hook, and creator Shuichi Shigeno's initial stories of how Takumi discovers his own racing prowess - and how he soundly beats all the serious racers in the vicinity - makes for fun and exhilarating storytelling for anyone who likes an underdog story. Takumi is an accidental genius: a racing god created by years of incidental practice, and the filmmakers of the live-action Initial D movie wisely spend plenty of time detailing Takumi's entertaining origins. Screenwriter Felix Chong (also of Infernal Affairs) gives us plenty of buildup, establishing all the hows and whys before Takumi ever begins racing. The effect is two-fold: not only does the buildup add extra oomph to Takumi's ultimate mastery of the downhill, but it also creates the semblance of actual storytelling. And as anyone who's seen a bunch of Hong Kong movies will tell you, actual storytelling is pretty damn rare.
Initial D is a very faithful adaptation of the original source material, which is great because it retains the original material's inherent strengths, while hopefully pleasing core fans. Unfortunately, the weaknesses of the original manga get ported over too. Despite the cool origins for Takumi, he's not a very compelling character, and his taciturn ways are as frustrating as they are supposedly cool. Jay Chou handles the part decently, especially since it's a thankless role that only requires an actor to act dopey, mopey, and borderline comatose for a good portion of the film. Chou can handle dopey, mopey, and comatose well, and the limitations of the part even help disguise Chou's stilted Cantonese. What Chou doesn't seem to be able to convey is the character's anger, though the filmmakers don't spend much time there either. Other than the more obvious emoting (Chapman To overacts amusingly, but it's still overacting), the characters are upstaged by the stylish direction from Andrew Lau and Alan Mak, which bleeds MTV-type sensibilities. If the filmmakers need an emotion, they rarely turn to the actors, and instead pour on the camera tricks and obvious music. It's all very cool and even edgy, but there isn't a lot of meat behind the freeze-frames, stutter-shots, and montages set to even more Jay Chou music. This is entertaining, but empty stuff.
Also problematic is the actual racing in Initial D, which is known for being incredibly cerebral, i.e. it involves more than one guy just being faster than another. In the manga/anime, actual understanding of the races is gleamed via running commentary, voice-over, and explanations by racing experts who are smoking about 30 miles from where the race is actually taking place. Such storytelling can stretch a 10 minute race out for 2-3 anime episodes, or even a whole volume of manga. The filmmakers excise much of this, which is great for the film's pacing and visuals, but it also diminishes some of the actual impact of the races. In the film, the clever tricks that Takumi sometimes uses to win are made secondary to the simple fact that he's supposed to win, which doesn't prove as compelling as what occurs in the manga/anime.
Granted, this is a media difference; manga and anime have the luxury of time to tell their stories, while a live-action movie has to come in under 2 hours. This is actually a problem shared by most racing movies, as the big things that decide races - split-second decisions, detailed strategy, and technical car stuff that Average Joe Moviegoer would never understand - largely get ignored in favor of blaring music, quick cars, and actors grinning like idiots. Initial D manages to squeeze in some of the cerebral stuff next to shots of cars whizzing by, but even then the result is only perfunctory in its excitement. The races in Initial D aren't truly exhilarating, though your mileage could vary. If shots of cars drifting around corners gets you off, than Initial D is for you. Guaranteed.
The faithful approach taken by the filmmakers eventually takes its toll, too. After a period of time, the film seems less concerned with telling a good story than clicking off some imaginary checklist of what happened in the manga. This is especially true with the character of Natsuki, whose story is truncated in a disturbingly arbitrary manner. Anne Suzuki gives Natsuki a youthful charm, but her character is ultimately hung out to dry, a fact that's only okay because it happened in the anime and manga, too. Again, that's cool for fans, but the layman unfamiliar with the complete story arcs to these characters could find Initial D to be a cold experience.
However, the film has other positives which help out. The cast largely works; Anthony Wong and Kenny Bee are charismatic old pros who bring plenty of fun to their parts, though Wong's take on Bunta Fujiwara errs a bit on the cartoony side. Third-billed Edison Chen is barely developed, which is a shame as his character is integral to the manga and anime. Still, Chen brings some charisma to his role, while Shawn Yue and Jordan Chan do more with their slight screentime than most actors probably could. Chapman To does the impossible: he makes you believe that he's playing a high school kid. And the production is exceptionally impressive. For big-budget summer fare, Initial D fits the bill quite nicely. It doesn't challenge or truly involve, but it's 110 minutes of easily digestible youth drama and slick racing fun. Undemanding audiences - and even those with some inkling of quality cinema - will likely be pleased.
Still, Initial D is so loaded with expectations that it could still disappoint a great many. Despite the big-budget flash, the film doesn't amaze and astound - and those expecting big things from Messrs. Lau and Mak are sure to be unhappy, because Initial D does nothing to approach the watershed in Hong Kong commercial cinema that was the Infernal Affairs films. If anything, Initial D is closer to The Storm Riders (a well-mounted commercial spectacle) than Infernal Affairs (a brilliantly conceived and challenging commercial film). It's not even Kung Fu Hustle, as that film managed to surprise and even charm between egregious displays of its big budget muscles. Initial D possesses neither charm nor surprise, though it does manage to be better constructed than 90% of what comes out of Hong Kong these days. And its subject matter and cast will probably not draw older viewers, meaning Initial D might not destroy the bank like some people might expect it to. So, it may not be a savior. But for an engaging, entertaining time at the movies, Initial D meets expectations...provided you didn't set yours way too high. (Kozo 2005)
Notes: • Initial D clocks in at 1 hour and 48 minutes, though a longer cut is rumored.
• Tsui Hark was originally set to direct Initial D, but there were "creative differences." After he left, Andrew Lau and Alan Mak signed on instead.
• For a long period of time, Edison Chen was slated to play Takumi Fujiwara, and Andy Lau was even rumored to be up for the role of Bunta.
• A number of Toyota Trueno AE86 cars were used during production, at least one of which was personally wrecked by Jay Chou.
• In four days, Initial D matched the total gross of 2005's top-selling Hong Kong film. That film: Himalaya Singh.
Awards: 25th Hong Kong Film Awards
• Winner - Best Supporting Actor (Anthony Wong Chau-Sang)
• Winner - Best New Artist (Jay Chou)
• Winner - Best Sound Design (Kinson Tsang King-Cheung)
• Winner - Best Visual Effects (Victor Wong, Eddy Wong, Bryan Cheung)
• Nomination - Best Picture
• Nomination - Best Director (Andrew Lau Wai-Keung, Alan Mak Siu-Fai)
• Nomination - Best Editing (Wong Hoi)
• Nomination - Best Original Score (Chan Kwong-Wing)
• Nomination - Best Original Song ("Drifting", performed by Jay Chou)
42nd Golden Horse Awards
• Winner - Best Supporting Actor (Anthony Wong Chau-Sang)
• Winner - Best New Performer (Jay Chou)
• Nomination - Best Adapted Screenplay (Felix Chong Man-Keung)
• Nomination - Best Original Song ("Drifting", performed by Jay Chou)
• Nomination - Best Visual Effects (Victor Wong, Eddy Wong, Bryan Cheung)
• Nomination - Best Sound Effects (Kinson Tsang King-Cheung)
12th Hong Kong Film Critics Society Awards
• Recommended Film
Top row. from left to right: Jay Chou, Edison Chen, and Anthony Wong.
Bottom row, from left to right: Shawn Yue, Anne Suzuki, and Jordan Chan.
Year: 2005
Director: Andrew Lau Wai-Keung, Alan Mak Siu-Fai
Producer: Andrew Lau Wai-Keung
Writer: Felix Chong Man-Keung, Shuichi Shigeno (original comic)
Cast: Jay Chou, Edison Chen, Anne Suzuki, Anthony Wong Chau-Sang, Chapman To Man-Chat, Shawn Yue, Jordan Chan Siu-Chun, Kenny Bee
The Skinny: It meets expectations...provided yours aren't screamingly high. Initial D is a solid, entertaining, though unspectacular manga adaptation. Still, fans should go home happy, and this is certainly one impressive production. Initial D won't be 2005's Kung Fu Hustle, but for summer popcorn fluff, it's in a class of its own.
Review
by Kozo:
Is there a more anticipated Hong Kong film in 2005 than Initial D? Ages in the making, this manga-to-screen adaptation is a hype juggernaut that virtually guarantees overblown expectations from a paying audience. Not only is it based on a beloved anime/manga series with fans all over the globe, but it's also the starring film debut of superstar singer Jay Chou, and it's directed by Andrew Lau and Alan Mak, two guys who made some dinky film series called Infernal Affairs. And besides, it arrives in the midst of Hong Kong's worst year for cinema, both in number of releases and actual film quality. Given the above, Initial D is more than a movie, it's a potential savior. If you're crossing your fingers, you're not alone.
Jay Chou is Takumi Fujiwara, a high school student in Japan whose days are spent working at a gas station and mumbling in a dopey manner. He also quietly lusts after supreme jailbait classmate Natsuki (Anne Suzuki), and hangs with blowhard pal Itsuki (Chapman To, playing 15 years younger than his actual age). Takumi doesn't look like a special guy, but he does have a hidden talent: street racing, and not just any street racing. Takumi uses an old Toyota Trueno AE86 and clocks insane times on the Mt. Akina downhill, all by applying the technique of "drifting," i.e. skidding around corners without losing much speed in the process (NOTE: This is a layman's explanation. We apologize in advance to drifting masters everywhere.). However, Takumi does not own the mountain with his racing prowess; instead, he uses his insane drifting skills to get home as soon as possible after delivering tofu for his dad Bunta (Anthony Wong). If Takumi smokes anyone on the way home, it's just a coincidence.
That exact coincidence leads to the eventual outing of Mt. Akina's hidden racing god. Takeshi Nakazato (Shawn Yue), leader of the Night Kids racing team, shows up at Takumi's workplace looking to take on the "Akina Racing God," but unfortunately Itsuki claims the title, and subsequently gets embarrassed on Mt. Akina's slopes. But after Nakazato gets creamed by a returning-from-delivery Takumi, he re-ups his challenge at the gas station...except nobody seems to know who beat Nakazato. Takumi's too busy acting morose and fantasizing about a potential beach date with Natsuki to take up the challenge. But Yuuichi (Kenny Bee), Itsuki's dad and Takumi's boss at the gas station, knows that it was Takumi behind the wheel, and pressures Bunta into getting his son to race. Bunta offers to lend Takumi the car for his date, as long as Takumi beats Nakazato in his first "official" street race. Presto, an illegal racing god is born, which leads to new challengers, including Ryosuke Takahashi (Edison Chen), the leader of the Red Suns racing team, and Kyoichi Sudo (Jordan Chan), an actual racing professional who takes on Takumi to avenge a buddy. Meanwhile, Takumi ponders his future in a quiet, morose manner, and the audience waits for the next CG-assisted car race.
The appeal of the Initial D manga/anime isn't hard to figure out. The copious car detail is cool to amateur car tuners and enthusiasts, but the story itself has a killer concept. Takumi's status as an accidental racing god is an exceptionally cool hook, and creator Shuichi Shigeno's initial stories of how Takumi discovers his own racing prowess - and how he soundly beats all the serious racers in the vicinity - makes for fun and exhilarating storytelling for anyone who likes an underdog story. Takumi is an accidental genius: a racing god created by years of incidental practice, and the filmmakers of the live-action Initial D movie wisely spend plenty of time detailing Takumi's entertaining origins. Screenwriter Felix Chong (also of Infernal Affairs) gives us plenty of buildup, establishing all the hows and whys before Takumi ever begins racing. The effect is two-fold: not only does the buildup add extra oomph to Takumi's ultimate mastery of the downhill, but it also creates the semblance of actual storytelling. And as anyone who's seen a bunch of Hong Kong movies will tell you, actual storytelling is pretty damn rare.
Initial D is a very faithful adaptation of the original source material, which is great because it retains the original material's inherent strengths, while hopefully pleasing core fans. Unfortunately, the weaknesses of the original manga get ported over too. Despite the cool origins for Takumi, he's not a very compelling character, and his taciturn ways are as frustrating as they are supposedly cool. Jay Chou handles the part decently, especially since it's a thankless role that only requires an actor to act dopey, mopey, and borderline comatose for a good portion of the film. Chou can handle dopey, mopey, and comatose well, and the limitations of the part even help disguise Chou's stilted Cantonese. What Chou doesn't seem to be able to convey is the character's anger, though the filmmakers don't spend much time there either. Other than the more obvious emoting (Chapman To overacts amusingly, but it's still overacting), the characters are upstaged by the stylish direction from Andrew Lau and Alan Mak, which bleeds MTV-type sensibilities. If the filmmakers need an emotion, they rarely turn to the actors, and instead pour on the camera tricks and obvious music. It's all very cool and even edgy, but there isn't a lot of meat behind the freeze-frames, stutter-shots, and montages set to even more Jay Chou music. This is entertaining, but empty stuff.
Also problematic is the actual racing in Initial D, which is known for being incredibly cerebral, i.e. it involves more than one guy just being faster than another. In the manga/anime, actual understanding of the races is gleamed via running commentary, voice-over, and explanations by racing experts who are smoking about 30 miles from where the race is actually taking place. Such storytelling can stretch a 10 minute race out for 2-3 anime episodes, or even a whole volume of manga. The filmmakers excise much of this, which is great for the film's pacing and visuals, but it also diminishes some of the actual impact of the races. In the film, the clever tricks that Takumi sometimes uses to win are made secondary to the simple fact that he's supposed to win, which doesn't prove as compelling as what occurs in the manga/anime.
Granted, this is a media difference; manga and anime have the luxury of time to tell their stories, while a live-action movie has to come in under 2 hours. This is actually a problem shared by most racing movies, as the big things that decide races - split-second decisions, detailed strategy, and technical car stuff that Average Joe Moviegoer would never understand - largely get ignored in favor of blaring music, quick cars, and actors grinning like idiots. Initial D manages to squeeze in some of the cerebral stuff next to shots of cars whizzing by, but even then the result is only perfunctory in its excitement. The races in Initial D aren't truly exhilarating, though your mileage could vary. If shots of cars drifting around corners gets you off, than Initial D is for you. Guaranteed.
The faithful approach taken by the filmmakers eventually takes its toll, too. After a period of time, the film seems less concerned with telling a good story than clicking off some imaginary checklist of what happened in the manga. This is especially true with the character of Natsuki, whose story is truncated in a disturbingly arbitrary manner. Anne Suzuki gives Natsuki a youthful charm, but her character is ultimately hung out to dry, a fact that's only okay because it happened in the anime and manga, too. Again, that's cool for fans, but the layman unfamiliar with the complete story arcs to these characters could find Initial D to be a cold experience.
However, the film has other positives which help out. The cast largely works; Anthony Wong and Kenny Bee are charismatic old pros who bring plenty of fun to their parts, though Wong's take on Bunta Fujiwara errs a bit on the cartoony side. Third-billed Edison Chen is barely developed, which is a shame as his character is integral to the manga and anime. Still, Chen brings some charisma to his role, while Shawn Yue and Jordan Chan do more with their slight screentime than most actors probably could. Chapman To does the impossible: he makes you believe that he's playing a high school kid. And the production is exceptionally impressive. For big-budget summer fare, Initial D fits the bill quite nicely. It doesn't challenge or truly involve, but it's 110 minutes of easily digestible youth drama and slick racing fun. Undemanding audiences - and even those with some inkling of quality cinema - will likely be pleased.
Still, Initial D is so loaded with expectations that it could still disappoint a great many. Despite the big-budget flash, the film doesn't amaze and astound - and those expecting big things from Messrs. Lau and Mak are sure to be unhappy, because Initial D does nothing to approach the watershed in Hong Kong commercial cinema that was the Infernal Affairs films. If anything, Initial D is closer to The Storm Riders (a well-mounted commercial spectacle) than Infernal Affairs (a brilliantly conceived and challenging commercial film). It's not even Kung Fu Hustle, as that film managed to surprise and even charm between egregious displays of its big budget muscles. Initial D possesses neither charm nor surprise, though it does manage to be better constructed than 90% of what comes out of Hong Kong these days. And its subject matter and cast will probably not draw older viewers, meaning Initial D might not destroy the bank like some people might expect it to. So, it may not be a savior. But for an engaging, entertaining time at the movies, Initial D meets expectations...provided you didn't set yours way too high. (Kozo 2005)
Notes: • Initial D clocks in at 1 hour and 48 minutes, though a longer cut is rumored.
• Tsui Hark was originally set to direct Initial D, but there were "creative differences." After he left, Andrew Lau and Alan Mak signed on instead.
• For a long period of time, Edison Chen was slated to play Takumi Fujiwara, and Andy Lau was even rumored to be up for the role of Bunta.
• A number of Toyota Trueno AE86 cars were used during production, at least one of which was personally wrecked by Jay Chou.
• In four days, Initial D matched the total gross of 2005's top-selling Hong Kong film. That film: Himalaya Singh.
Awards: 25th Hong Kong Film Awards
• Winner - Best Supporting Actor (Anthony Wong Chau-Sang)
• Winner - Best New Artist (Jay Chou)
• Winner - Best Sound Design (Kinson Tsang King-Cheung)
• Winner - Best Visual Effects (Victor Wong, Eddy Wong, Bryan Cheung)
• Nomination - Best Picture
• Nomination - Best Director (Andrew Lau Wai-Keung, Alan Mak Siu-Fai)
• Nomination - Best Editing (Wong Hoi)
• Nomination - Best Original Score (Chan Kwong-Wing)
• Nomination - Best Original Song ("Drifting", performed by Jay Chou)
42nd Golden Horse Awards
• Winner - Best Supporting Actor (Anthony Wong Chau-Sang)
• Winner - Best New Performer (Jay Chou)
• Nomination - Best Adapted Screenplay (Felix Chong Man-Keung)
• Nomination - Best Original Song ("Drifting", performed by Jay Chou)
• Nomination - Best Visual Effects (Victor Wong, Eddy Wong, Bryan Cheung)
• Nomination - Best Sound Effects (Kinson Tsang King-Cheung)
12th Hong Kong Film Critics Society Awards
• Recommended Film
samurai X
The story starts off with a bandit raid going on. A young boy named Shinta is saved from death in the bandit raid by Seijuro Hiko. Hiko tells the boy to go to the nearby village and live there. Returning to the site of the attack, he finds Shinta still there, having buried all of the dead, including the bandits. Shinta expresses his regret for not being able to protect the ones he was with, so Hiko offers to properly train him to give him the power to protect. Hiko changes the boy's name to Kenshin, a name he felt was more appropriate for a swordsman.
During his time as a Hitokiri, Kenshin kills a bodyguard named Kiyosato Akira, who is the fiancé of Tomoe. The encounter with Kiyosato leaves Kenshin with the first half of his cross shaped scar.
After a fight with an assassin, Kenshin meets Tomoe. Kenshin takes her to the inn where he is residing, where the owner mistakes her for a prostitute and nearly sends her away. The presence of her there brings a sort of relief to the stressed men of the Choshu clan, but raises the suspicion of the leader, Kogoro Katsura, who has her investigated covertly.
After the Ikedaya affair, when Kenshin's cover as the shadow Hitokiri is blown, Katsura arranges for Kenshin and Tomoe to hide in the village of Otsu as husband and wife, so the 2 would not be suspected. After a few months, Tomoe's brother Enishi comes to visit and secretly reveals to his sister that the shogunate spies assigned to track down and kill Kenshin are close by, and that her revenge will be complete. Tomoe sending Enishi off, feeling ill at ease. It is here that Tomoe realises that she has fallen in love with Kenshin. The next day, Tomoe leaves the house and tries to persuade the shogunate men to give up their pursuit of Kenshin, and attempts to kill their leader. Tomoe fails.
The morning of Tomoe's disappearance, Kenshin is visited by a [horrible and traitorous] comrade who tells him that the one who set the assassin on him was Tomoe and that she is meeting at that moment with her co-conspirators.
On his way toward the house where Tomoe is supposed to be, Kenshin faces three of the four shogunate agents and becomes badly injured. While Kenshin is fighting with the fourth agent, Tomoe steps in between the two and gets killed in order to save Kenshin's life. Before her death, she gives him the second part of his cross-shaped wound. Kenshin takes her death hard and blames himself, swearing to fight to bring about the age desired by Katsura, and after that to continue fighting to protect down-trodden people without taking another life.
During his time as a Hitokiri, Kenshin kills a bodyguard named Kiyosato Akira, who is the fiancé of Tomoe. The encounter with Kiyosato leaves Kenshin with the first half of his cross shaped scar.
After a fight with an assassin, Kenshin meets Tomoe. Kenshin takes her to the inn where he is residing, where the owner mistakes her for a prostitute and nearly sends her away. The presence of her there brings a sort of relief to the stressed men of the Choshu clan, but raises the suspicion of the leader, Kogoro Katsura, who has her investigated covertly.
After the Ikedaya affair, when Kenshin's cover as the shadow Hitokiri is blown, Katsura arranges for Kenshin and Tomoe to hide in the village of Otsu as husband and wife, so the 2 would not be suspected. After a few months, Tomoe's brother Enishi comes to visit and secretly reveals to his sister that the shogunate spies assigned to track down and kill Kenshin are close by, and that her revenge will be complete. Tomoe sending Enishi off, feeling ill at ease. It is here that Tomoe realises that she has fallen in love with Kenshin. The next day, Tomoe leaves the house and tries to persuade the shogunate men to give up their pursuit of Kenshin, and attempts to kill their leader. Tomoe fails.
The morning of Tomoe's disappearance, Kenshin is visited by a [horrible and traitorous] comrade who tells him that the one who set the assassin on him was Tomoe and that she is meeting at that moment with her co-conspirators.
On his way toward the house where Tomoe is supposed to be, Kenshin faces three of the four shogunate agents and becomes badly injured. While Kenshin is fighting with the fourth agent, Tomoe steps in between the two and gets killed in order to save Kenshin's life. Before her death, she gives him the second part of his cross-shaped wound. Kenshin takes her death hard and blames himself, swearing to fight to bring about the age desired by Katsura, and after that to continue fighting to protect down-trodden people without taking another life.
NARUTO
Naruto Uzumaki
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
Naruto Uzumaki
Naruto character
Naruto Uzumaki by Masashi Kishimoto
First appearance Naruto manga chapter 1
Naruto anime episode 1
Voiced by Japanese
Junko Takeuchi[1]
English
Maile Flanagan[2]
Profile
Age 12[3]-13[4] in Part I
15[5]-16[6] in Part II
Date of birth October 10[4]
Notable relatives Minato Namikaze (father, deceased)
Kushina Uzumaki (mother, presumed deceased)
Ninja rank Genin[4]
Ninja team Team 7
Naruto Uzumaki (うずまき ナルト ,Uzumaki Naruto?) is a fictional character in the anime and manga franchise Naruto created by Masashi Kishimoto. Naruto is the main protagonist and titular character of the series. In creating Naruto, Kishimoto wished to keep the character "simple and stupid" while giving him many attributes of Son Goku, the main character from the Dragon Ball franchise. However, Kishimoto also added his dark past to make him look unique. Naruto's initial design has been changed several times by Kishimoto giving him different clothes to make him more appealing to Western audience as well as to be easier to draw.
In the series, Naruto is a ninja affiliated with the fictional village of Konohagakure. The villagers ostracize Naruto because the nine-tailed demon fox, a malevolent creature that attacked Konohagakure, is sealed within his body. As such, Naruto has ambitions of becoming the village's leader, the Hokage in order make everybody respect him. However, Naruto maintains a cheerful and boisterous personality, allowing him to befriend several other Konoha ninja throughout the series, as well as ninja from other villages. He builds an especially close relationship with Team 7, the ninja team where he belongs, treating them as his family. Naruto appears in all of the series' films, as well as in other media related to the franchise, including all video games and OVAs.
Several anime and manga publications have expressed acclaim and criticism of Naruto's character. Some view him as a stereotypical manga and anime protagonist comparable to those in many other shōnen manga, while others have praised his personality as well as his development in the series. Nevertheless, Naruto has remained highly popular with the Naruto reader base, placing high in several popularity polls.[7] Merchandise based on Naruto has also been released, including figurines and plush dolls.
Contents[hide]
1 Creation and conception
2 Character outline
2.1 Personality
2.2 Abilities
3 Plot overview
4 Appearances in other media
5 Reception
6 References
[edit] Creation and conception
When Kishimoto created Naruto's character, he incorporated a number of traits he felt made an ideal hero: a straightforward way of thinking, a mischievous side, and many of the attributes possessed by Goku from the Dragon Ball franchise. He also made sure to keep Naruto "simple and stupid." Kishimoto did not model Naruto after anyone in particular, instead conceiving him as childlike with a dark side induced by his harsh past. Despite this, he is always optimistic, a trait Kishimoto says makes him unique.[8] Naruto's personality is, by and large, childish in nature. Kishimoto frequently tries to show this when illustrating Naruto, such as depicting him mimicking a turtle like a child might do on the manga cover of volume 10.[9]
Naruto's wardrobe is based on clothing Kishimoto wore when he was younger; according to Kishimoto, using a pre-existing design would not have made Naruto unique whereas something original would have made him stand out too much.[10] The orange coloring of his costume is used to make Naruto "pop," with blues often being used to complement the orange.[11] Because Naruto is associated with spirals, swirl patterns are incorporated into his costume.[12] Initial illustrations of Naruto had him wearing boots, but Kishimoto substituted these for sandals, because he enjoys drawing toes.[13] The goggles that Naruto used to wear were also replaced with a hitai-ate, or shinobi headband, because the goggles themselves were too time consuming to draw.[14]
Kishimoto said he is glad his character has blond hair and blue eyes. The editor of Shonen Jump in the United States added that he implied that the traits may have led the character to appeal to a Western audience. Kishimoto said that he most identifies with Naruto out of all of the Naruto characters. When asked why Naruto's favorite food is ramen instead of kitsune udon Kishimoto said that he personally liked eating ramen.[15][16] In the Naruto: Clash of Ninja video game series, Naruto is playable in various stages of the demon fox's manifestation characterized by a red-colored chakra. Kishimoto took inspiration from the presentation of these forms, imitating one of them for the manga cover of volume 26.[17] When designing Naruto for his Part II appearance, Kishimoto drew Naruto's forehead protector wider to make his eyebrows easier to draw, something that had bothered him in his previous design. He also noted that Naruto's pants made the character look childish. To remedy this, Kishimoto designed a portion of Naruto's pants to roll up, giving the character a more mature appearance.[18]
In the original Japanese versions of Naruto, Naruto often ends his sentences with the addendum "-ttebayo" (which achieves an effect similar to ending a sentence with "you know?"). Kishimoto wanted to give Naruto a childlike catch phrase, and "dattebayo" came to mind. Kishimoto believes the phrase complements Naruto's character, and serves as a verbal tic that portrays him as somewhat of a brat.[10] Throughout the beginning of the English version, the dub replaced "dattebayo" and "-ttebayo" with the phrase "Believe it!", both to mirror the effect and to match the character's lip movements.[19] The producers of the English anime stated that, of all of the characters, Naruto was the most difficult character to cast for, adding that Maile Flanagan "has Naruto down, from the mischievous side, that precocious twelve year old we learn to love, to the serious side."[20]
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
Naruto Uzumaki
Naruto character
Naruto Uzumaki by Masashi Kishimoto
First appearance Naruto manga chapter 1
Naruto anime episode 1
Voiced by Japanese
Junko Takeuchi[1]
English
Maile Flanagan[2]
Profile
Age 12[3]-13[4] in Part I
15[5]-16[6] in Part II
Date of birth October 10[4]
Notable relatives Minato Namikaze (father, deceased)
Kushina Uzumaki (mother, presumed deceased)
Ninja rank Genin[4]
Ninja team Team 7
Naruto Uzumaki (うずまき ナルト ,Uzumaki Naruto?) is a fictional character in the anime and manga franchise Naruto created by Masashi Kishimoto. Naruto is the main protagonist and titular character of the series. In creating Naruto, Kishimoto wished to keep the character "simple and stupid" while giving him many attributes of Son Goku, the main character from the Dragon Ball franchise. However, Kishimoto also added his dark past to make him look unique. Naruto's initial design has been changed several times by Kishimoto giving him different clothes to make him more appealing to Western audience as well as to be easier to draw.
In the series, Naruto is a ninja affiliated with the fictional village of Konohagakure. The villagers ostracize Naruto because the nine-tailed demon fox, a malevolent creature that attacked Konohagakure, is sealed within his body. As such, Naruto has ambitions of becoming the village's leader, the Hokage in order make everybody respect him. However, Naruto maintains a cheerful and boisterous personality, allowing him to befriend several other Konoha ninja throughout the series, as well as ninja from other villages. He builds an especially close relationship with Team 7, the ninja team where he belongs, treating them as his family. Naruto appears in all of the series' films, as well as in other media related to the franchise, including all video games and OVAs.
Several anime and manga publications have expressed acclaim and criticism of Naruto's character. Some view him as a stereotypical manga and anime protagonist comparable to those in many other shōnen manga, while others have praised his personality as well as his development in the series. Nevertheless, Naruto has remained highly popular with the Naruto reader base, placing high in several popularity polls.[7] Merchandise based on Naruto has also been released, including figurines and plush dolls.
Contents[hide]
1 Creation and conception
2 Character outline
2.1 Personality
2.2 Abilities
3 Plot overview
4 Appearances in other media
5 Reception
6 References
[edit] Creation and conception
When Kishimoto created Naruto's character, he incorporated a number of traits he felt made an ideal hero: a straightforward way of thinking, a mischievous side, and many of the attributes possessed by Goku from the Dragon Ball franchise. He also made sure to keep Naruto "simple and stupid." Kishimoto did not model Naruto after anyone in particular, instead conceiving him as childlike with a dark side induced by his harsh past. Despite this, he is always optimistic, a trait Kishimoto says makes him unique.[8] Naruto's personality is, by and large, childish in nature. Kishimoto frequently tries to show this when illustrating Naruto, such as depicting him mimicking a turtle like a child might do on the manga cover of volume 10.[9]
Naruto's wardrobe is based on clothing Kishimoto wore when he was younger; according to Kishimoto, using a pre-existing design would not have made Naruto unique whereas something original would have made him stand out too much.[10] The orange coloring of his costume is used to make Naruto "pop," with blues often being used to complement the orange.[11] Because Naruto is associated with spirals, swirl patterns are incorporated into his costume.[12] Initial illustrations of Naruto had him wearing boots, but Kishimoto substituted these for sandals, because he enjoys drawing toes.[13] The goggles that Naruto used to wear were also replaced with a hitai-ate, or shinobi headband, because the goggles themselves were too time consuming to draw.[14]
Kishimoto said he is glad his character has blond hair and blue eyes. The editor of Shonen Jump in the United States added that he implied that the traits may have led the character to appeal to a Western audience. Kishimoto said that he most identifies with Naruto out of all of the Naruto characters. When asked why Naruto's favorite food is ramen instead of kitsune udon Kishimoto said that he personally liked eating ramen.[15][16] In the Naruto: Clash of Ninja video game series, Naruto is playable in various stages of the demon fox's manifestation characterized by a red-colored chakra. Kishimoto took inspiration from the presentation of these forms, imitating one of them for the manga cover of volume 26.[17] When designing Naruto for his Part II appearance, Kishimoto drew Naruto's forehead protector wider to make his eyebrows easier to draw, something that had bothered him in his previous design. He also noted that Naruto's pants made the character look childish. To remedy this, Kishimoto designed a portion of Naruto's pants to roll up, giving the character a more mature appearance.[18]
In the original Japanese versions of Naruto, Naruto often ends his sentences with the addendum "-ttebayo" (which achieves an effect similar to ending a sentence with "you know?"). Kishimoto wanted to give Naruto a childlike catch phrase, and "dattebayo" came to mind. Kishimoto believes the phrase complements Naruto's character, and serves as a verbal tic that portrays him as somewhat of a brat.[10] Throughout the beginning of the English version, the dub replaced "dattebayo" and "-ttebayo" with the phrase "Believe it!", both to mirror the effect and to match the character's lip movements.[19] The producers of the English anime stated that, of all of the characters, Naruto was the most difficult character to cast for, adding that Maile Flanagan "has Naruto down, from the mischievous side, that precocious twelve year old we learn to love, to the serious side."[20]
GHOST HUNT
Ghost Hunt
Anime DVD Review
First thing first: do NOT, under any circumstances, start watching Ghost Hunt in the dark. If you are a seasoned horror fan, okay, you can skip on grabbing something to hide behind but do NOT watch this in the dark. Think Mermaid Forest updated by the people from Tsukihime with a little When They Cry thrown in.
In the world created by Fuyumi Ono, best known for the 12 Kingdoms series (manga and anime), it all starts off innocently enough. You know, young teenage girls telling scary stories back and forth after school just for fun. Mai Taniyama doesn't think anything of it. Who could resist telling stories about a creepy old school that is nearby? The best part of it is not only are her friends really scared of her stories but they have also attracted the attention of a very good-looking boy. Who cares if the school weirdo keeps warning her and her friends about inviting spirits to their world with their stories? Let everyone's imaginations run all over the place; there is nothing wrong with telling her stories.
Unfortunately, "everyone" eventually included herself. Mai started sneaking peeks at the old school as she walks by everyday, thinking maybe, just maybe something was staring back at her. Her curiosity got the best of her one day and she discovered something WAS staring back at her. Nothing too scary; it was just a very expensive video camera that she ended up breaking. The scary part was that now she owes the owner of that camera a lot of money. Oh, she also injured his assistant in the process of breaking the camera, so there is no way she is getting out of working for this guy. The good thing is the owner turns out to be that very good-looking guy that was interested in her stories. Bad thing is he turns out to be a ...uhmmm...we'll use a nicer word here that Mai uses to describe Kazuya Shibuya... narcissist. She even used that word to give him the nickname that everyone ended up using for him: Naru.
Working with Naru doesn't have any advantages. He's only 17 years old but he is the manager of SPR, Shibuya Psychic Research, a firm that specializes in paranormal activities. It's not that fun making tea for him and his assistant, Lin, all day long. Thankfully, there are always freelancers that Naru calls in to help, to make the days more fun. We have Houshou Takigawa, a part-time Buddhist monk and full-time bassist for a neighborhood rock band, and Ayako Matsuzaki, a self-professed Shinto priestess who can't seem to ever exorcise any spirits when Naru needs her to. John Brown, a Catholic priest from Australia, on the other hand can always exorcise spirits out of people. Masako Hara usually shows up with John. As a spirit medium, she can sense the spirits that SPR needs to deal with and be a translator of sorts. Last but not least, we have Osamu Yasuhara, a client turned part-time gofer/bus boy/assistant to the assistant.
If the strange assortment of people can't keep things fun enough for Mai, the fact that the paranormal does exist and usually wants to kill people definitely keeps her on her toes. Between haunted houses, creepy old schools, evil curses, people with psychic powers, dolls that hate adults, and her very own growing psychic powers, she doesn't need scary stories anymore. She doesn't need to be scared by stories when she is scared already by unseen children screaming for their mothers, windows and doors closing on her by themselves, spirits that choke her, and Naru wanting money back for his video camera.
After speeding through the entire first season in two days (no nights, were you paying attention?), watching behind blankets and pillows, locking all my doors, shuttering all my windows, and opening all my lights, Mai, alive in spite all the "work" she has gone through, still hasn't been able to pay Naru back but she has figured out that he's not that bad when he's not being a ...ummm... narcissist. So now like all the fans that have slowly become attached to this series, I ask, "When is the second season coming?"
Reviewed by Carolyn Whu, February 2009
Below: Scenes from Ghost Hunt.
Anime DVD Review
First thing first: do NOT, under any circumstances, start watching Ghost Hunt in the dark. If you are a seasoned horror fan, okay, you can skip on grabbing something to hide behind but do NOT watch this in the dark. Think Mermaid Forest updated by the people from Tsukihime with a little When They Cry thrown in.
In the world created by Fuyumi Ono, best known for the 12 Kingdoms series (manga and anime), it all starts off innocently enough. You know, young teenage girls telling scary stories back and forth after school just for fun. Mai Taniyama doesn't think anything of it. Who could resist telling stories about a creepy old school that is nearby? The best part of it is not only are her friends really scared of her stories but they have also attracted the attention of a very good-looking boy. Who cares if the school weirdo keeps warning her and her friends about inviting spirits to their world with their stories? Let everyone's imaginations run all over the place; there is nothing wrong with telling her stories.
Unfortunately, "everyone" eventually included herself. Mai started sneaking peeks at the old school as she walks by everyday, thinking maybe, just maybe something was staring back at her. Her curiosity got the best of her one day and she discovered something WAS staring back at her. Nothing too scary; it was just a very expensive video camera that she ended up breaking. The scary part was that now she owes the owner of that camera a lot of money. Oh, she also injured his assistant in the process of breaking the camera, so there is no way she is getting out of working for this guy. The good thing is the owner turns out to be that very good-looking guy that was interested in her stories. Bad thing is he turns out to be a ...uhmmm...we'll use a nicer word here that Mai uses to describe Kazuya Shibuya... narcissist. She even used that word to give him the nickname that everyone ended up using for him: Naru.
Working with Naru doesn't have any advantages. He's only 17 years old but he is the manager of SPR, Shibuya Psychic Research, a firm that specializes in paranormal activities. It's not that fun making tea for him and his assistant, Lin, all day long. Thankfully, there are always freelancers that Naru calls in to help, to make the days more fun. We have Houshou Takigawa, a part-time Buddhist monk and full-time bassist for a neighborhood rock band, and Ayako Matsuzaki, a self-professed Shinto priestess who can't seem to ever exorcise any spirits when Naru needs her to. John Brown, a Catholic priest from Australia, on the other hand can always exorcise spirits out of people. Masako Hara usually shows up with John. As a spirit medium, she can sense the spirits that SPR needs to deal with and be a translator of sorts. Last but not least, we have Osamu Yasuhara, a client turned part-time gofer/bus boy/assistant to the assistant.
If the strange assortment of people can't keep things fun enough for Mai, the fact that the paranormal does exist and usually wants to kill people definitely keeps her on her toes. Between haunted houses, creepy old schools, evil curses, people with psychic powers, dolls that hate adults, and her very own growing psychic powers, she doesn't need scary stories anymore. She doesn't need to be scared by stories when she is scared already by unseen children screaming for their mothers, windows and doors closing on her by themselves, spirits that choke her, and Naru wanting money back for his video camera.
After speeding through the entire first season in two days (no nights, were you paying attention?), watching behind blankets and pillows, locking all my doors, shuttering all my windows, and opening all my lights, Mai, alive in spite all the "work" she has gone through, still hasn't been able to pay Naru back but she has figured out that he's not that bad when he's not being a ...ummm... narcissist. So now like all the fans that have slowly become attached to this series, I ask, "When is the second season coming?"
Reviewed by Carolyn Whu, February 2009
Below: Scenes from Ghost Hunt.
BLEACH
Bleach (manga)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
"BLEACH" redirects here. For other uses, see Bleach (disambiguation).
Bleach
Cover of Bleach, Volume 1
ブリーチ
(Burīchi)
Genre Action, Bangsian fantasy
Manga
Author Tite Kubo
Publisher Flag of Japan Shueisha
English publisher Flag of Australia Flag of New Zealand Madman Entertainment
Flag of Canada Flag of the United States Flag of the United Kingdom Viz Media
[show]Other publishers:
Flag of Brazil Flag of Italy Panini Comics
Flag of Catalonia Flag of France Flag of Spain Glénat
Flag of Germany Tokyopop
Flag of Hong Kong CultureCom
Flag of Indonesia M&C
Flag of Sweden Bonnier Carlsen
Flag of Malaysia Komik Remaja
Flag of Mexico Grupo Editorial Vid
Flag of the Netherlands Kana (publisher)
Flag of Russia Eksmo & Comix-ART
Flag of Singapore Chuang Yi(Chinese)
Flag of the Republic of China Tong Li Comics(Chinese)
Flag of Thailand Nation comics
Demographic Shōnen
Magazine Flag of Japan Weekly Shōnen Jump
Flag of the United States Shonen Jump
Flag of Hong Kong EX-am
Flag of the Republic of China Formosa Youth
Original run August 2001 – ongoing
Volumes 37
TV anime
Director Noriyuki Abe
Studio Studio Pierrot
Licensor Flag of Australia Flag of New Zealand Madman Entertainment
Flag of Canada Flag of the United States Viz Media
Flag of the United Kingdom Manga Entertainment
Network Flag of Japan TV Tokyo
English network Flag of Canada YTV
Flag of the United States Cartoon Network (Adult Swim)
Flag of the United Kingdom AnimeCentral
[show]Other networks:
Flag of Brazil Flag of Mexico Flag of Venezuela Animax
Flag of France MCM
Flag of Hungary Animax
Flag of Israel Arutz Ha-Yeladim
Flag of Malaysia TV3
Flag of the Philippines GMA 7
Flag of Poland Hyper Media
Flag of South Korea Tooniverse
Flag of Spain Buzz Media
Flag of Thailand True Visions Ch 51
Original run October 5, 2004 – ongoing
Episodes 208
Related works
* Bleach-related video games
* Bleach: Memories of Nobody, Bleach: The DiamondDust Rebellion and Bleach: Fade to Black, I Call Your Name, animated feature films
Anime and Manga Portal
Bleach (ブリーチ ,Burīchi?, romanized as BLEACH in Japan) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Tite Kubo. Bleach follows the adventures of Ichigo Kurosaki after he accidentally obtains the power of a shinigami—a Japanese death personification similar to the Grim Reaper—from Rukia Kuchiki. Gaining these abilities forces him to take on the duties of defending humans from evil spirits and guiding departed souls to the afterlife.
Bleach has been continuously serialized in the Japanese manga anthology Weekly Shōnen Jump since August 2001 and has been collected in 36 tankōbon volumes as of December 2008. Since its publication, Bleach has spawned a substantial media franchise. The manga has been adapted into an animated television series produced by Studio Pierrot which is still ongoing in Japan as it adapts the story from the manga. The series has also spawned two original video animations (OVAs), three animated feature films, seven rock musicals, and numerous video games, as well as prompted the release of many types of Bleach-related merchandise.
Viz Media licensed the manga for English-language publication in the United States and Canada and has released 25 volumes as of December 2008. In addition, it has been publishing the chapters in Shonen Jump since November 2007. On March 15, 2006, Viz obtained foreign television and home video distribution rights to the Bleach anime. Cartoon Network began airing Bleach as part of its Adult Swim block on September 9, 2006 in the United States. The first film, Bleach: Memories of Nobody was released in North America on Region 1 DVD by Viz on October 14, 2008.
Compilation volumes of the manga have sold over 50 million copies in Japan and reached the top of manga sales charts in the United States. The anime adaptation has been similarly received, rating as the 7th most popular anime television series in Japan in 2006, and in the top ten anime for America from 2006 to 2008. The series received the Shogakukan Manga Award for the shōnen demographic in 2005, and is among the best-selling manga properties in both Japan and America.
Contents
[hide]
* 1 Plot
o 1.1 Setting
* 2 Production
* 3 Media
o 3.1 Manga
o 3.2 Anime
o 3.3 CDs
o 3.4 Films
o 3.5 Musical
o 3.6 Trading card game
o 3.7 Video games
o 3.8 Other
* 4 Reception
* 5 References
* 6 External links
[edit] Plot
See also: List of Bleach characters
The story opens with the sudden appearance of Soul Reaper Rukia Kuchiki in Ichigo Kurosaki's bedroom. She is surprised at his ability to see her, but their conversation is interrupted by the appearance of a "hollow", an evil spirit. After Rukia is severely wounded while trying to protect Ichigo, she attempts to transfer half her powers to Ichigo in order to let him face the hollow on equal footing. Ichigo instead unintentionally absorbs almost all her energy, allowing him to defeat the hollow with ease. The next day Rukia appears in Ichigo's classroom as a seemingly normal human, and informs Ichigo that his absorption of her powers has left her stranded in the human world until she recovers her strength. In the meantime Ichigo shelters Rukia in his home and takes over her job as a Soul Reaper, battling hollows and guiding lost souls to the afterlife realm known as Soul Society.
After a few months of this arrangement, in the sixth volume of the series, Rukia's Soul Reaper superiors find out about her giving her powers away (which is illegal in Soul Society) and send a detachment to arrest her, and sentence her to death. Ichigo is unable to stop Rukia's capture, but with the help of several of his classmates who also possess spiritual abilities and ex-Soul Reaper and captain Kisuke Urahara, he sets off for the Soul Reaper base, located in Soul Society. Once there, Ichigo and company battle against the elites of the Soul Reaper military, and are ultimately successful in halting Rukia's execution.
It is then revealed that Rukia's execution and Ichigo's rescue attempt were both manipulated by Sōsuke Aizen, a high ranking Soul Reaper previously believed to be murdered, as part of a far-reaching plot to take control of Soul Society. Aizen betrays his fellow Soul Reapers and allies himself with the hollows, becoming the main antagonist of the series, and Ichigo teams up with his former enemies in Soul Society after learning that the next step in Aizen's plan involves the destruction of his hometown. At this point, Bleach chronicles the war between Aizen and the Soul Society, a plotline which has not yet been resolved. According to Tite Kubo, the ending of the series is not yet planned out or written.[1]
[edit] Setting
A view of Seireitei in Soul Society, the home of the Soul Reapers.
Hueco Mundo is a sparse, white-sanded desert inhabited by hollows.
Bleach contains a massive cast of characters designed by series creator Tite Kubo, which are divided into various factions and fictional races with distinct themes, and described using large amounts of invented jargon specific to the series.[2][3][4] All significant characters in the series possess some degree of paranormal and superhuman abilities, and these are explained by their souls generating higher than usual levels of a paranormal energy called reiatsu (霊圧 ?, lit. "spirit pressure"). The three predominant character types in Bleach are humans, Soul Reapers, and hollows.
The humans of Bleach are much like the residents of modern Japan. A normal human cannot see or sense spirits in any way unless that spirit possesses an artificial human body called a gigai, so humanity remains unaware of the existence of the spirit world. Very rarely a human like Ichigo Kurosaki is born who is able to see, interact, or fight with spirits, and others can gain these abilities by exposure to large amounts of spiritual energy, which happens to a number of Ichigo's friends during the course of the series.[5][6]
The Soul Reapers (死神 ,shinigami?, lit. "death god") are a military order of psychopomps based in Soul Society (尸魂界（ソウル・ソサエティ） ,Sōru Sosaeti?), a sort of heaven. Soul Reapers escort the souls of the dead to Soul Society through the ritual of soul burial (魂葬 ,konsō?). Their other major duties are protecting humans from hollows, and maintaining order in Soul Society. Soul Reapers all possess supernatural powers, which manifest through their zanpakutō swords, and kidō magic spells. Several factions of ex-Soul Reapers are featured in Bleach's story, most prominent among them the members of Sōsuke Aizen's rebellion and the Visoreds, former Soul Society elites who were exiled after obtaining hollow powers. Soul Society resembles feudal Japan, and consists of two major portions: eighty residential districts called the Rukongai (流魂街 ,Town of Wandering Spirits?),[7] which are inhabited by the souls of the dead, and the walled city Seireitei (瀞霊廷 ,Court of Pure Souls?), the home and military base of the Soul Reapers. The Rukongai districts are ordinally ranked, with the lower-numbered districts being more peaceful.[8] Soul Society is nominally ruled by a king, who resides in another realm within Soul Society, but in practice is controlled by the Soul Reapers.[9]
The hollows are a race of evil spirits who feed on the souls of humans, both living and dead. Hollows are created when the soul of a dead human is neglected by the Soul Reapers until it is overcome by loneliness and/or rage, at which point it changes form into a monster with a white mask. By going through a procedure provided by Aizen, they become an arrancar, a hollow which regains the ability to reason, obtains a more humanoid form, and can gain access to Soul Reaper abilities such as the zanpakutō. As a group, the arrancar are the primary antagonists of the Bleach series. When not hunting humans or souls in the human world hollows reside in Hueco Mundo (虚圏（ウェコムンド） ,Weko Mundo?), a dimension between the human world and Soul Society. Hollows are undetectable as long as they remain in Hueco Mundo.
[edit] Production
Bleach was first conceived from a desire on Tite Kubo's part to draw shinigami in kimono, which formed the basis for the design of the Soul Reapers in the series, and the conception of character Rukia Kuchiki.[10][11] The original story concept was submitted to Weekly Shōnen Jump shortly after the cancellation of Tite Kubo's previous manga Zombie Powder, but was rejected. Akira Toriyama, the creator of Dragon Ball, saw the story and wrote a letter of encouragement to Kubo.[11] Bleach was accepted for publication a short time later, in 2001, and was initially intended to be a shorter series, with a maximum serialization length of five years.[11] Early plans for the story did not include the hierarchical structure of Soul Society, but did include some characters and elements which did not come into the plot until the Arrancar arc, such as Ichigo's Soul Reaper heritage.[10]
Tite Kubo has cited influences for elements of Bleach ranging from other manga series to music, foreign language, architecture, and film. He attributes his interest in drawing the supernatural and monsters to Shigeru Mizuki's GeGeGe no Kitaro and Bleach's focus on interesting weaponry and battle scenes to Masami Kurumada's Saint Seiya, both manga Kubo enjoyed as a boy.[10] The action style and storytelling found in Bleach is inspired by cinema, though Kubo has not revealed any specific movie as being an influence for fight scenes. When pressed, he told interviewers that he liked Snatch but did not use it as a model.[12] Kubo has also stated that he wishes to make Bleach an experience that can only be found by reading manga, and dismissed ideas of creating any live-action film adaptations of the series.[11]
Bleach's creative process is focused around character design. When writing plotlines or having difficulties generating new material, Kubo begins by thinking of new characters, often en masse, and rereading previous volumes of Bleach.[10][13] Kubo has said that he likes creating characters that have outward appearances that do not match their true nature, an element that can be found in many Bleach characters, as he is "attracted to people with that seeming contradiction" and finds an "urge to draw people like that when I work."[2] The terminology used in Bleach has a variety of inspirations, with each category of character bearing a different linguistic theme. Many of the names for swords and spells used by Soul Reapers were inspired by ancient Japanese literature. Hollows and arrancar use Spanish terms. Kubo became interested in Spanish because, to him, the language sounded "bewitching" and "mellow".[2]
[edit] Media
[edit] Manga
Main article: List of Bleach chapters
The series was published in the Japanese-language magazine Weekly Shōnen Jump. The individual chapters are collected by Shueisha in series of tankōbon volumes, which also include a poem by the character of the cover.[14] Chapter names in English have katakana above them to indicate how they are read in Japanese, similarly to furigana for kanji. The first volume was released on January 5, 2002; as of February 2009, thirty-seven volumes have been released.[15][16]
The series is licensed for English language release in North America by Viz Media. Viz released the first volume on June 1, 2004, with 25 volumes released as of December 2008.[17][18] Viz began serializing the individual chapters in its manga anthology Shonen Jump in the November 2007 issue where the series continues to run.[19] Viz released a Bleach box set on September 2, 2008 contains the first twenty-one volumes of the series, as well as poster and a booklet of the series.[20]
[edit] Anime
Main article: List of Bleach episodes
The anime version of Bleach is produced by Studio Pierrot and directed by Noriyuki Abe. It began broadcasting in Japan on October 5, 2004, on TV Tokyo. Episodes 1-167 were made and broadcast in 4:3, with episodes 168+ made and broadcast in 16:9 wide screen.
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.[21] Subsequently, Viz Media contracted Studiopolis to create the English dub of the anime,[22] and has licensed its individual Bleach merchandising rights to several different companies.[23] The English version of the Bleach anime premiered on Canada's YTV channel in the Bionix program block on September 8, 2006. Cartoon Network began airing Bleach the following evening as part of its Adult Swim block. The show went on hiatus on October 20, 2007 after airing the first 52 episodes of the series. It was replaced with another Viz series, Death Note, while additional episodes of Bleach were being dubbed. YTV began showing reruns of the anime after episode 26. On March 2, 2008 at 1:00 a.m. EST, the series returned from hiatus and began the next 52 episodes.[24] In the UK, Bleach premiered on AnimeCentral on September 13, 2007, with new episodes airing daily, but is currently on hiatus after airing the first 52 episodes.
[edit] CDs
Eleven CD soundtracks, produced by Shirō Sagisu, have been released for the Bleach anime series and movies. Bleach Original Soundtrack 1 was released on May 18, 2005 and contains twenty-five tracks, including the first opening and ending themes in their original television lengths. Bleach Original Soundtrack 2 followed on August 2, 2006 with an additional twenty-three instrumental tracks. "Bleach Original Soundtrack 3" followed later on November 5, 2008 with 27 instrumental tracks, Bleach: Memories of Nobody Original Soundtrack was released with twenty-five tracks from the Bleach: Memories of Nobody anime film. A soundtrack was also released for the Bleach: The DiamondDust Rebellion film, with nearly thirty tracks from the movie and finally a 3rd one for the "Bleach: Fade To Black, I Call Your Name" movie, with twenty-nine tracks. Bleach: The Best contains twelve of the opening and ending themes from the series in their full length versions later followed by "Bleach: Best Tunes" with contains the next twelve of opening and ending themes.
The Bleach Beat Collections, is an on-going set of CDs published by Sony Music featuring recordings by the original Japanese voice actors that provide a look at the personalities of the characters they play, as well as the voice actors themselves. The first CD was released on June 22, 2005; as of December 17, 2008, nineteen volumes have been released across four named sets called "Sessions".[25][26]
Two "Radio DJCD Bleach 'B' Station" CD season sets, each containing six volumes, have been released in Japan. Five drama CDs have been produced for the series as well, featuring the original voice actors from the series. These drama CDs have only been included as part of the DVD releases.
[edit] Films
There are three feature films based on the Bleach series, all directed by Noriyuki Abe, director of the Bleach anime series. The films have been released in December of each year starting in 2006. Each movie features an original plotline, rather than being an adaptation of the manga's story. They also feature original characters designed by Tite Kubo, which is contrary to the normal practice for anime-based films, as the original author usually has little creative involvement.[27]
The first film, Bleach: Memories of Nobody, was released in Japan on December 16, 2006 and had a limited release in American theaters in June 2008. The movie is centered around the activities of a group called the "Dark Ones," who were banished from the Soul Society and trying to destroy both Soul Society and the World of the Living. Memories of Nobody was released in North America on Region 1 DVD by Viz Media on October 14, 2008.[28]
The second film, Bleach: The DiamondDust Rebellion, was released to Japanese theaters on December 22, 2007. Its plot focuses on an artifact belonging to Soul Society's King, and 10th Division captain Tōshirō Hitsugaya's efforts to clear his name after it is stolen while under his care.[29]
The third film, Bleach: Fade to Black, I Call Your Name (BLEACH Fade to Black 君の名を呼ぶ ,Burichi: Fade to Black - Kimi no Na o Yobu?), was released in Japan on December 13, 2008. This film's screenplay was written by Natsuko Takahashi, who is a screenwriter for the anime series. The official film website gives the tagline of "Sayonara, Rukia". In the film, members of Soul Society are struck with amnesia causing them to forget Ichigo and Rukia. When he goes to Soul Society to investigate, Ichigo discovers that Rukia has forgotten not only him, but her own identity as well.[28] For the film, the band Porno Graffiti performed the song "Koyoi, Tsuki wa Miezu Tomo".[28]
[edit] Musical
Bleach has been adapted into a series of rock musicals, jointly produced by Studio Pierrot and Nelke Planning. There have been five musicals produced which covered portions of the Substitute and Soul Society arcs, as well as two additional performances known as "Live Bankai Shows" which did not follow the Bleach plotline. The initial performance run of the Bleach musical was from August 17 to August 28, 2005 at the Space Zero Tokyo center in Shinjuku.[30][31][32]
The musicals are directed by Takuya Hiramitsu, with a script adaptation by Naoshi Okumura and music composed by playwright Shoichi Tama. The songs are completely original and not taken from the anime soundtrack. Key actors in the series include Tatsuya Isaka, who plays Ichigo Kurosaki, Miki Satō, who plays Rukia Kuchiki, and Eiji Moriyama, who plays Renji Abarai.
[edit] Trading card game
Two collectible card games (CCG) based on the Bleach series have been produced. "Bleach Soul Card Battle", produced by Bandai, was introduced in Japan in 2004.[33] As of October 2008, seventeen named sets have been released for the series.[34]
"Bleach TCG" was introduced in the United States by Score Entertainment in May 2007.[35] Designed by Aik Tongtharadol, it is a two-player game in which each player starts with at least 61 cards: a "Guardian" card, a 60-card "main deck" and an optional 20-card "side deck". A player loses if their power, as dictated by their Guardian card, is reduced to zero, or if they are unable to draw or discard a card from their deck.[36] The cards for the game have been released in named sets with each set released in three formats: a 72-card preconstructed box set containing a starter deck and two booster packs, a 10-card booster pack, and a 12-pack booster box. As of December 2008, six named sets have been released.
[edit] Video games
Main article: List of Bleach video games
Currently, the majority of the games have only been released in Japan, though Sega has directly ported the first, and second Nintendo DS game and the Wii version for North America. So far, all dedicated Bleach games released for Sony's consoles have been developed and published by SCEI, whereas the Nintendo GameCube ones are developed and published by Sega, and the Nintendo DS versions are developed by Treasure Co. Ltd.
[edit] Other
A single Bleach artbook, All Colour But The Black, has been released in Japan.[37]
Three databooks have also been released about the series. The first two, Bleach: Official Character Book Souls and Bleach: Official Animation Book Vibes were released on February 3, 2006.[38][39] The third, Bleach Official Bootleg: KaraBuri+ (BLEACH OFFICIAL BOOTLEG カラブリ プラス ?), was released on August 3, 2007. In addition to character guides and articles on other fictional aspects of the series, it compiles the various short comics, Tedious Everyday Tales Colorful Bleach (徒然日常絵詞 カラフル ブリーチ ,Tsuredure Nichijou Ekotoba Karafuru Buriichi?), that were published in V Jump. The omake-style panels are similar to those included in the main series, but unrelated to the actual plot of the manga.[40]
Tite Kubo and Makoto Matsubara have co-authored two novelizations of the Bleach series, which were published by Shueisha under their Jump Books label. The first volume, BLEACH-letters from the other side: The Death and The Strawberry was published on December 15, 2004, and the second, BLEACH: The Honey Dish Rhapsody, was published in October 30, 2006.[41][42]
[edit] Reception
The first volume of the manga has sold over 1.25 million copies in Japan, and the original Japanese version of the manga series as a whole has sold over 50 million copies.[43][not in citation given] In 2005, Bleach was awarded the Shogakukan Manga Award in the shōnen category.[44][45] During 2008, volume 34 of the manga sold 874,153 copies in Japan, becoming the 12th best-seller comics from the year. Volumes 33 and 35 have also ranked 17 and 18, respectively.[46] In total the manga has sold 3,161,825 copies in Japan during 2008, becoming 5th best seller series.[47] North American sales of the manga have been high, with Volume 16 placing in the top 10 graphic novel sales in December 2006[48] and Volume 17 being the best-selling manga volume for the month of February 2007.[49][50] 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.[51][dead link] In a 2006 Internet poll by TV Asahi, Bleach was ranked as Japan's seventh-favorite anime program.[52] The previous year, it was ranked as the twenty-seventh favorite program.[53]
Deb Aoki from About.com considered the series as the Best Continuing Shonen Manga of 2007, along with Eyeshield 21, praising the "compelling stories, dazzling action sequences and great character development".[54] She also placed the title on her list of "Top 10 Shonen Manga Must-Reads".[55] Mania.com reviewer Jarred Pine criticized the series as being plagued with stereotypes from the genre. He felt it was a rough start for the series with unimpressive battles, overused gags, and a bad introduction for central character Ichigo that causes him to come across "as a frowning punk" whose one good trait is his desire to protect. Despite this, Pine notes that he loves the series, particularly its quirky, lovable characters.[56]
With the acclaimed Studio Pierrot handling animation duties, a storyline that dishes out cliffhanger after cliffhanger, and a rapidly growing fanbase, Bleach is clearly the Next Big Anime License. It doesn't aspire to be high art, but it doesn't need to—this is high entertainment, swords out and spirit energy blazing, ready to bring a modern sensibility to the classic shōnen themes of friendship, challenge, and victory.
—Carlos Santos, Anime News Network[57]
Anime News Network's Carlos Santos praised the anime adaptation, describing it as "...one incredibly entertaining anime that will grab you and refuse to let go."[57] Animefringe's Maria Lin liked the varied and distinct characters, and how well they handle the responsibilities increasing powers give them. She also complimented the series for its attention to details, well paced script, and balance of seriousness and comedy. In summary, she notes "Bleach the anime deserves its popularity. It has something for everyone: the supernatural, comedy, action and a little bit of romance, all tied together with excellent animation and a very enthusiastic sounding bunch of voice actors."[58] Adam Arseneau of DVD Verdict, felt Bleach was a "show that only gets better with age" and was "surprisingly well-rounded and appealing" with well developed characters and pacing.[59] Active Anime's Holly Ellingwood praising the anime for perfectly capturing "the excitement, the caustic humour and supernatural intrigue" of the original manga.[60] She felt that the series "does a wonderful job of building on its continuity to provide increasingly tense and layered episodes involving not only Ichigo and Rukia, but the secondary characters as well".[61] She also praised the series for its striking visual effects, intriguing plot and its "brilliant blend of action, off the wall comedy."[62][63][63] In reviewing the series for DVD Talk, Don Houston felt the characters surpassed the usual shōnen anime stereotypes and liked "the mixture of darker material with the comedic".[64] Another Fellow reviewer John Sinnott felt series starts out as a boring "monster-of-the-week program" that becomes more engaging as the stories build and the characters are fleshed out.[65] Otaku USA''s Joseph Luster wrote that "the storylines are consistently dramatic without hammering it home too heavily, the characters manage comic relief that's not as eye rolling as one would expect, and the action (in classic fighting series form) has only gotten more ridiculous over the years; in a good way, of course".[66] Mania.com's Bryce Coulter praised the series for its plot twists and "the quirky and amusing characters".[67][68] In comparing the series with Naruto, Mania.com's Chris Beveridge felt Bleach was less childish and "simply comes together surprisingly well in its style and execution of what is fairly standard material".[69]
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
"BLEACH" redirects here. For other uses, see Bleach (disambiguation).
Bleach
Cover of Bleach, Volume 1
ブリーチ
(Burīchi)
Genre Action, Bangsian fantasy
Manga
Author Tite Kubo
Publisher Flag of Japan Shueisha
English publisher Flag of Australia Flag of New Zealand Madman Entertainment
Flag of Canada Flag of the United States Flag of the United Kingdom Viz Media
[show]Other publishers:
Flag of Brazil Flag of Italy Panini Comics
Flag of Catalonia Flag of France Flag of Spain Glénat
Flag of Germany Tokyopop
Flag of Hong Kong CultureCom
Flag of Indonesia M&C
Flag of Sweden Bonnier Carlsen
Flag of Malaysia Komik Remaja
Flag of Mexico Grupo Editorial Vid
Flag of the Netherlands Kana (publisher)
Flag of Russia Eksmo & Comix-ART
Flag of Singapore Chuang Yi(Chinese)
Flag of the Republic of China Tong Li Comics(Chinese)
Flag of Thailand Nation comics
Demographic Shōnen
Magazine Flag of Japan Weekly Shōnen Jump
Flag of the United States Shonen Jump
Flag of Hong Kong EX-am
Flag of the Republic of China Formosa Youth
Original run August 2001 – ongoing
Volumes 37
TV anime
Director Noriyuki Abe
Studio Studio Pierrot
Licensor Flag of Australia Flag of New Zealand Madman Entertainment
Flag of Canada Flag of the United States Viz Media
Flag of the United Kingdom Manga Entertainment
Network Flag of Japan TV Tokyo
English network Flag of Canada YTV
Flag of the United States Cartoon Network (Adult Swim)
Flag of the United Kingdom AnimeCentral
[show]Other networks:
Flag of Brazil Flag of Mexico Flag of Venezuela Animax
Flag of France MCM
Flag of Hungary Animax
Flag of Israel Arutz Ha-Yeladim
Flag of Malaysia TV3
Flag of the Philippines GMA 7
Flag of Poland Hyper Media
Flag of South Korea Tooniverse
Flag of Spain Buzz Media
Flag of Thailand True Visions Ch 51
Original run October 5, 2004 – ongoing
Episodes 208
Related works
* Bleach-related video games
* Bleach: Memories of Nobody, Bleach: The DiamondDust Rebellion and Bleach: Fade to Black, I Call Your Name, animated feature films
Anime and Manga Portal
Bleach (ブリーチ ,Burīchi?, romanized as BLEACH in Japan) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Tite Kubo. Bleach follows the adventures of Ichigo Kurosaki after he accidentally obtains the power of a shinigami—a Japanese death personification similar to the Grim Reaper—from Rukia Kuchiki. Gaining these abilities forces him to take on the duties of defending humans from evil spirits and guiding departed souls to the afterlife.
Bleach has been continuously serialized in the Japanese manga anthology Weekly Shōnen Jump since August 2001 and has been collected in 36 tankōbon volumes as of December 2008. Since its publication, Bleach has spawned a substantial media franchise. The manga has been adapted into an animated television series produced by Studio Pierrot which is still ongoing in Japan as it adapts the story from the manga. The series has also spawned two original video animations (OVAs), three animated feature films, seven rock musicals, and numerous video games, as well as prompted the release of many types of Bleach-related merchandise.
Viz Media licensed the manga for English-language publication in the United States and Canada and has released 25 volumes as of December 2008. In addition, it has been publishing the chapters in Shonen Jump since November 2007. On March 15, 2006, Viz obtained foreign television and home video distribution rights to the Bleach anime. Cartoon Network began airing Bleach as part of its Adult Swim block on September 9, 2006 in the United States. The first film, Bleach: Memories of Nobody was released in North America on Region 1 DVD by Viz on October 14, 2008.
Compilation volumes of the manga have sold over 50 million copies in Japan and reached the top of manga sales charts in the United States. The anime adaptation has been similarly received, rating as the 7th most popular anime television series in Japan in 2006, and in the top ten anime for America from 2006 to 2008. The series received the Shogakukan Manga Award for the shōnen demographic in 2005, and is among the best-selling manga properties in both Japan and America.
Contents
[hide]
* 1 Plot
o 1.1 Setting
* 2 Production
* 3 Media
o 3.1 Manga
o 3.2 Anime
o 3.3 CDs
o 3.4 Films
o 3.5 Musical
o 3.6 Trading card game
o 3.7 Video games
o 3.8 Other
* 4 Reception
* 5 References
* 6 External links
[edit] Plot
See also: List of Bleach characters
The story opens with the sudden appearance of Soul Reaper Rukia Kuchiki in Ichigo Kurosaki's bedroom. She is surprised at his ability to see her, but their conversation is interrupted by the appearance of a "hollow", an evil spirit. After Rukia is severely wounded while trying to protect Ichigo, she attempts to transfer half her powers to Ichigo in order to let him face the hollow on equal footing. Ichigo instead unintentionally absorbs almost all her energy, allowing him to defeat the hollow with ease. The next day Rukia appears in Ichigo's classroom as a seemingly normal human, and informs Ichigo that his absorption of her powers has left her stranded in the human world until she recovers her strength. In the meantime Ichigo shelters Rukia in his home and takes over her job as a Soul Reaper, battling hollows and guiding lost souls to the afterlife realm known as Soul Society.
After a few months of this arrangement, in the sixth volume of the series, Rukia's Soul Reaper superiors find out about her giving her powers away (which is illegal in Soul Society) and send a detachment to arrest her, and sentence her to death. Ichigo is unable to stop Rukia's capture, but with the help of several of his classmates who also possess spiritual abilities and ex-Soul Reaper and captain Kisuke Urahara, he sets off for the Soul Reaper base, located in Soul Society. Once there, Ichigo and company battle against the elites of the Soul Reaper military, and are ultimately successful in halting Rukia's execution.
It is then revealed that Rukia's execution and Ichigo's rescue attempt were both manipulated by Sōsuke Aizen, a high ranking Soul Reaper previously believed to be murdered, as part of a far-reaching plot to take control of Soul Society. Aizen betrays his fellow Soul Reapers and allies himself with the hollows, becoming the main antagonist of the series, and Ichigo teams up with his former enemies in Soul Society after learning that the next step in Aizen's plan involves the destruction of his hometown. At this point, Bleach chronicles the war between Aizen and the Soul Society, a plotline which has not yet been resolved. According to Tite Kubo, the ending of the series is not yet planned out or written.[1]
[edit] Setting
A view of Seireitei in Soul Society, the home of the Soul Reapers.
Hueco Mundo is a sparse, white-sanded desert inhabited by hollows.
Bleach contains a massive cast of characters designed by series creator Tite Kubo, which are divided into various factions and fictional races with distinct themes, and described using large amounts of invented jargon specific to the series.[2][3][4] All significant characters in the series possess some degree of paranormal and superhuman abilities, and these are explained by their souls generating higher than usual levels of a paranormal energy called reiatsu (霊圧 ?, lit. "spirit pressure"). The three predominant character types in Bleach are humans, Soul Reapers, and hollows.
The humans of Bleach are much like the residents of modern Japan. A normal human cannot see or sense spirits in any way unless that spirit possesses an artificial human body called a gigai, so humanity remains unaware of the existence of the spirit world. Very rarely a human like Ichigo Kurosaki is born who is able to see, interact, or fight with spirits, and others can gain these abilities by exposure to large amounts of spiritual energy, which happens to a number of Ichigo's friends during the course of the series.[5][6]
The Soul Reapers (死神 ,shinigami?, lit. "death god") are a military order of psychopomps based in Soul Society (尸魂界（ソウル・ソサエティ） ,Sōru Sosaeti?), a sort of heaven. Soul Reapers escort the souls of the dead to Soul Society through the ritual of soul burial (魂葬 ,konsō?). Their other major duties are protecting humans from hollows, and maintaining order in Soul Society. Soul Reapers all possess supernatural powers, which manifest through their zanpakutō swords, and kidō magic spells. Several factions of ex-Soul Reapers are featured in Bleach's story, most prominent among them the members of Sōsuke Aizen's rebellion and the Visoreds, former Soul Society elites who were exiled after obtaining hollow powers. Soul Society resembles feudal Japan, and consists of two major portions: eighty residential districts called the Rukongai (流魂街 ,Town of Wandering Spirits?),[7] which are inhabited by the souls of the dead, and the walled city Seireitei (瀞霊廷 ,Court of Pure Souls?), the home and military base of the Soul Reapers. The Rukongai districts are ordinally ranked, with the lower-numbered districts being more peaceful.[8] Soul Society is nominally ruled by a king, who resides in another realm within Soul Society, but in practice is controlled by the Soul Reapers.[9]
The hollows are a race of evil spirits who feed on the souls of humans, both living and dead. Hollows are created when the soul of a dead human is neglected by the Soul Reapers until it is overcome by loneliness and/or rage, at which point it changes form into a monster with a white mask. By going through a procedure provided by Aizen, they become an arrancar, a hollow which regains the ability to reason, obtains a more humanoid form, and can gain access to Soul Reaper abilities such as the zanpakutō. As a group, the arrancar are the primary antagonists of the Bleach series. When not hunting humans or souls in the human world hollows reside in Hueco Mundo (虚圏（ウェコムンド） ,Weko Mundo?), a dimension between the human world and Soul Society. Hollows are undetectable as long as they remain in Hueco Mundo.
[edit] Production
Bleach was first conceived from a desire on Tite Kubo's part to draw shinigami in kimono, which formed the basis for the design of the Soul Reapers in the series, and the conception of character Rukia Kuchiki.[10][11] The original story concept was submitted to Weekly Shōnen Jump shortly after the cancellation of Tite Kubo's previous manga Zombie Powder, but was rejected. Akira Toriyama, the creator of Dragon Ball, saw the story and wrote a letter of encouragement to Kubo.[11] Bleach was accepted for publication a short time later, in 2001, and was initially intended to be a shorter series, with a maximum serialization length of five years.[11] Early plans for the story did not include the hierarchical structure of Soul Society, but did include some characters and elements which did not come into the plot until the Arrancar arc, such as Ichigo's Soul Reaper heritage.[10]
Tite Kubo has cited influences for elements of Bleach ranging from other manga series to music, foreign language, architecture, and film. He attributes his interest in drawing the supernatural and monsters to Shigeru Mizuki's GeGeGe no Kitaro and Bleach's focus on interesting weaponry and battle scenes to Masami Kurumada's Saint Seiya, both manga Kubo enjoyed as a boy.[10] The action style and storytelling found in Bleach is inspired by cinema, though Kubo has not revealed any specific movie as being an influence for fight scenes. When pressed, he told interviewers that he liked Snatch but did not use it as a model.[12] Kubo has also stated that he wishes to make Bleach an experience that can only be found by reading manga, and dismissed ideas of creating any live-action film adaptations of the series.[11]
Bleach's creative process is focused around character design. When writing plotlines or having difficulties generating new material, Kubo begins by thinking of new characters, often en masse, and rereading previous volumes of Bleach.[10][13] Kubo has said that he likes creating characters that have outward appearances that do not match their true nature, an element that can be found in many Bleach characters, as he is "attracted to people with that seeming contradiction" and finds an "urge to draw people like that when I work."[2] The terminology used in Bleach has a variety of inspirations, with each category of character bearing a different linguistic theme. Many of the names for swords and spells used by Soul Reapers were inspired by ancient Japanese literature. Hollows and arrancar use Spanish terms. Kubo became interested in Spanish because, to him, the language sounded "bewitching" and "mellow".[2]
[edit] Media
[edit] Manga
Main article: List of Bleach chapters
The series was published in the Japanese-language magazine Weekly Shōnen Jump. The individual chapters are collected by Shueisha in series of tankōbon volumes, which also include a poem by the character of the cover.[14] Chapter names in English have katakana above them to indicate how they are read in Japanese, similarly to furigana for kanji. The first volume was released on January 5, 2002; as of February 2009, thirty-seven volumes have been released.[15][16]
The series is licensed for English language release in North America by Viz Media. Viz released the first volume on June 1, 2004, with 25 volumes released as of December 2008.[17][18] Viz began serializing the individual chapters in its manga anthology Shonen Jump in the November 2007 issue where the series continues to run.[19] Viz released a Bleach box set on September 2, 2008 contains the first twenty-one volumes of the series, as well as poster and a booklet of the series.[20]
[edit] Anime
Main article: List of Bleach episodes
The anime version of Bleach is produced by Studio Pierrot and directed by Noriyuki Abe. It began broadcasting in Japan on October 5, 2004, on TV Tokyo. Episodes 1-167 were made and broadcast in 4:3, with episodes 168+ made and broadcast in 16:9 wide screen.
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.[21] Subsequently, Viz Media contracted Studiopolis to create the English dub of the anime,[22] and has licensed its individual Bleach merchandising rights to several different companies.[23] The English version of the Bleach anime premiered on Canada's YTV channel in the Bionix program block on September 8, 2006. Cartoon Network began airing Bleach the following evening as part of its Adult Swim block. The show went on hiatus on October 20, 2007 after airing the first 52 episodes of the series. It was replaced with another Viz series, Death Note, while additional episodes of Bleach were being dubbed. YTV began showing reruns of the anime after episode 26. On March 2, 2008 at 1:00 a.m. EST, the series returned from hiatus and began the next 52 episodes.[24] In the UK, Bleach premiered on AnimeCentral on September 13, 2007, with new episodes airing daily, but is currently on hiatus after airing the first 52 episodes.
[edit] CDs
Eleven CD soundtracks, produced by Shirō Sagisu, have been released for the Bleach anime series and movies. Bleach Original Soundtrack 1 was released on May 18, 2005 and contains twenty-five tracks, including the first opening and ending themes in their original television lengths. Bleach Original Soundtrack 2 followed on August 2, 2006 with an additional twenty-three instrumental tracks. "Bleach Original Soundtrack 3" followed later on November 5, 2008 with 27 instrumental tracks, Bleach: Memories of Nobody Original Soundtrack was released with twenty-five tracks from the Bleach: Memories of Nobody anime film. A soundtrack was also released for the Bleach: The DiamondDust Rebellion film, with nearly thirty tracks from the movie and finally a 3rd one for the "Bleach: Fade To Black, I Call Your Name" movie, with twenty-nine tracks. Bleach: The Best contains twelve of the opening and ending themes from the series in their full length versions later followed by "Bleach: Best Tunes" with contains the next twelve of opening and ending themes.
The Bleach Beat Collections, is an on-going set of CDs published by Sony Music featuring recordings by the original Japanese voice actors that provide a look at the personalities of the characters they play, as well as the voice actors themselves. The first CD was released on June 22, 2005; as of December 17, 2008, nineteen volumes have been released across four named sets called "Sessions".[25][26]
Two "Radio DJCD Bleach 'B' Station" CD season sets, each containing six volumes, have been released in Japan. Five drama CDs have been produced for the series as well, featuring the original voice actors from the series. These drama CDs have only been included as part of the DVD releases.
[edit] Films
There are three feature films based on the Bleach series, all directed by Noriyuki Abe, director of the Bleach anime series. The films have been released in December of each year starting in 2006. Each movie features an original plotline, rather than being an adaptation of the manga's story. They also feature original characters designed by Tite Kubo, which is contrary to the normal practice for anime-based films, as the original author usually has little creative involvement.[27]
The first film, Bleach: Memories of Nobody, was released in Japan on December 16, 2006 and had a limited release in American theaters in June 2008. The movie is centered around the activities of a group called the "Dark Ones," who were banished from the Soul Society and trying to destroy both Soul Society and the World of the Living. Memories of Nobody was released in North America on Region 1 DVD by Viz Media on October 14, 2008.[28]
The second film, Bleach: The DiamondDust Rebellion, was released to Japanese theaters on December 22, 2007. Its plot focuses on an artifact belonging to Soul Society's King, and 10th Division captain Tōshirō Hitsugaya's efforts to clear his name after it is stolen while under his care.[29]
The third film, Bleach: Fade to Black, I Call Your Name (BLEACH Fade to Black 君の名を呼ぶ ,Burichi: Fade to Black - Kimi no Na o Yobu?), was released in Japan on December 13, 2008. This film's screenplay was written by Natsuko Takahashi, who is a screenwriter for the anime series. The official film website gives the tagline of "Sayonara, Rukia". In the film, members of Soul Society are struck with amnesia causing them to forget Ichigo and Rukia. When he goes to Soul Society to investigate, Ichigo discovers that Rukia has forgotten not only him, but her own identity as well.[28] For the film, the band Porno Graffiti performed the song "Koyoi, Tsuki wa Miezu Tomo".[28]
[edit] Musical
Bleach has been adapted into a series of rock musicals, jointly produced by Studio Pierrot and Nelke Planning. There have been five musicals produced which covered portions of the Substitute and Soul Society arcs, as well as two additional performances known as "Live Bankai Shows" which did not follow the Bleach plotline. The initial performance run of the Bleach musical was from August 17 to August 28, 2005 at the Space Zero Tokyo center in Shinjuku.[30][31][32]
The musicals are directed by Takuya Hiramitsu, with a script adaptation by Naoshi Okumura and music composed by playwright Shoichi Tama. The songs are completely original and not taken from the anime soundtrack. Key actors in the series include Tatsuya Isaka, who plays Ichigo Kurosaki, Miki Satō, who plays Rukia Kuchiki, and Eiji Moriyama, who plays Renji Abarai.
[edit] Trading card game
Two collectible card games (CCG) based on the Bleach series have been produced. "Bleach Soul Card Battle", produced by Bandai, was introduced in Japan in 2004.[33] As of October 2008, seventeen named sets have been released for the series.[34]
"Bleach TCG" was introduced in the United States by Score Entertainment in May 2007.[35] Designed by Aik Tongtharadol, it is a two-player game in which each player starts with at least 61 cards: a "Guardian" card, a 60-card "main deck" and an optional 20-card "side deck". A player loses if their power, as dictated by their Guardian card, is reduced to zero, or if they are unable to draw or discard a card from their deck.[36] The cards for the game have been released in named sets with each set released in three formats: a 72-card preconstructed box set containing a starter deck and two booster packs, a 10-card booster pack, and a 12-pack booster box. As of December 2008, six named sets have been released.
[edit] Video games
Main article: List of Bleach video games
Currently, the majority of the games have only been released in Japan, though Sega has directly ported the first, and second Nintendo DS game and the Wii version for North America. So far, all dedicated Bleach games released for Sony's consoles have been developed and published by SCEI, whereas the Nintendo GameCube ones are developed and published by Sega, and the Nintendo DS versions are developed by Treasure Co. Ltd.
[edit] Other
A single Bleach artbook, All Colour But The Black, has been released in Japan.[37]
Three databooks have also been released about the series. The first two, Bleach: Official Character Book Souls and Bleach: Official Animation Book Vibes were released on February 3, 2006.[38][39] The third, Bleach Official Bootleg: KaraBuri+ (BLEACH OFFICIAL BOOTLEG カラブリ プラス ?), was released on August 3, 2007. In addition to character guides and articles on other fictional aspects of the series, it compiles the various short comics, Tedious Everyday Tales Colorful Bleach (徒然日常絵詞 カラフル ブリーチ ,Tsuredure Nichijou Ekotoba Karafuru Buriichi?), that were published in V Jump. The omake-style panels are similar to those included in the main series, but unrelated to the actual plot of the manga.[40]
Tite Kubo and Makoto Matsubara have co-authored two novelizations of the Bleach series, which were published by Shueisha under their Jump Books label. The first volume, BLEACH-letters from the other side: The Death and The Strawberry was published on December 15, 2004, and the second, BLEACH: The Honey Dish Rhapsody, was published in October 30, 2006.[41][42]
[edit] Reception
The first volume of the manga has sold over 1.25 million copies in Japan, and the original Japanese version of the manga series as a whole has sold over 50 million copies.[43][not in citation given] In 2005, Bleach was awarded the Shogakukan Manga Award in the shōnen category.[44][45] During 2008, volume 34 of the manga sold 874,153 copies in Japan, becoming the 12th best-seller comics from the year. Volumes 33 and 35 have also ranked 17 and 18, respectively.[46] In total the manga has sold 3,161,825 copies in Japan during 2008, becoming 5th best seller series.[47] North American sales of the manga have been high, with Volume 16 placing in the top 10 graphic novel sales in December 2006[48] and Volume 17 being the best-selling manga volume for the month of February 2007.[49][50] 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.[51][dead link] In a 2006 Internet poll by TV Asahi, Bleach was ranked as Japan's seventh-favorite anime program.[52] The previous year, it was ranked as the twenty-seventh favorite program.[53]
Deb Aoki from About.com considered the series as the Best Continuing Shonen Manga of 2007, along with Eyeshield 21, praising the "compelling stories, dazzling action sequences and great character development".[54] She also placed the title on her list of "Top 10 Shonen Manga Must-Reads".[55] Mania.com reviewer Jarred Pine criticized the series as being plagued with stereotypes from the genre. He felt it was a rough start for the series with unimpressive battles, overused gags, and a bad introduction for central character Ichigo that causes him to come across "as a frowning punk" whose one good trait is his desire to protect. Despite this, Pine notes that he loves the series, particularly its quirky, lovable characters.[56]
With the acclaimed Studio Pierrot handling animation duties, a storyline that dishes out cliffhanger after cliffhanger, and a rapidly growing fanbase, Bleach is clearly the Next Big Anime License. It doesn't aspire to be high art, but it doesn't need to—this is high entertainment, swords out and spirit energy blazing, ready to bring a modern sensibility to the classic shōnen themes of friendship, challenge, and victory.
—Carlos Santos, Anime News Network[57]
Anime News Network's Carlos Santos praised the anime adaptation, describing it as "...one incredibly entertaining anime that will grab you and refuse to let go."[57] Animefringe's Maria Lin liked the varied and distinct characters, and how well they handle the responsibilities increasing powers give them. She also complimented the series for its attention to details, well paced script, and balance of seriousness and comedy. In summary, she notes "Bleach the anime deserves its popularity. It has something for everyone: the supernatural, comedy, action and a little bit of romance, all tied together with excellent animation and a very enthusiastic sounding bunch of voice actors."[58] Adam Arseneau of DVD Verdict, felt Bleach was a "show that only gets better with age" and was "surprisingly well-rounded and appealing" with well developed characters and pacing.[59] Active Anime's Holly Ellingwood praising the anime for perfectly capturing "the excitement, the caustic humour and supernatural intrigue" of the original manga.[60] She felt that the series "does a wonderful job of building on its continuity to provide increasingly tense and layered episodes involving not only Ichigo and Rukia, but the secondary characters as well".[61] She also praised the series for its striking visual effects, intriguing plot and its "brilliant blend of action, off the wall comedy."[62][63][63] In reviewing the series for DVD Talk, Don Houston felt the characters surpassed the usual shōnen anime stereotypes and liked "the mixture of darker material with the comedic".[64] Another Fellow reviewer John Sinnott felt series starts out as a boring "monster-of-the-week program" that becomes more engaging as the stories build and the characters are fleshed out.[65] Otaku USA''s Joseph Luster wrote that "the storylines are consistently dramatic without hammering it home too heavily, the characters manage comic relief that's not as eye rolling as one would expect, and the action (in classic fighting series form) has only gotten more ridiculous over the years; in a good way, of course".[66] Mania.com's Bryce Coulter praised the series for its plot twists and "the quirky and amusing characters".[67][68] In comparing the series with Naruto, Mania.com's Chris Beveridge felt Bleach was less childish and "simply comes together surprisingly well in its style and execution of what is fairly standard material".[69]
ANIME
Anime Soundtracks
Adventures in Voice Acting
DVD Review
Adventures in Voice Acting feels like you're watching a documentary. But that's NOT what it is. It's a virtual toolkit that contains everything you'll need to start you on your journey into the world of Voice Acting. Get ready for an adventure that takes you behind the scenes and into the studio, as some of the best in the business teach you how they did it, and help guide you to prepare yourself for your own first day in the studio.
If you've ever wondered about how to break into the biz, then this is the guide you've been waiting for. For those of us that can't draw a straight line, this is how to immerse yourself into the world of professional animation without having to have a portfolio and years of art school.
If youíre more of an "arm chair" Voice Actor, or just interested in knowing more about the inner-workings of the industry, this comprehensive and honest look at the Voice Acting profession will keep you riveted. There is nothing else out there like it. Finally a film that honors and pays respect to the incredibly hard-working and often under-recognized voice artists working today.
You'll get not only practical knowledge on what it takes to enter this field, but also learn from real life experiences. Top Voice Actors reveal their personal sacrifices and struggles, and talk frankly and openly about the realities of the business. Shot on location in busy studios across the U.S., Adventures in Voice Acting - Volume One also includes insights and advice from top Casting Directors, Producers and Voice Directors.
Adventures in Voice Acting is a three volume project covering anime, games and original animation. Volume One focuses on anime. Each volume is broken down into five approximately half-hour episodes. Episode 4 of volume one, for example, is dedicated entirely to advice - advice on auditions, demo reels, agents, and even classes. From this, any interested actor, fan or viewer can walk away with a solid understanding of what itís really like to not only follow your dreams, but live them as well.
Reviewed by Brian Cirulnick, February 2009
Anime Toonz 1 & 2
Anime Soundtrack Review
Anime Toonz are remixes of popular anime theme songs. Ranging from pop to techno to electronica to funky to just downright weird, the eclectic mix offers something for everyone. Kikuko Inoue (on disc one) has a very pretty voice and that helps, although it would be better for you if you know the theme songs she's doing.
The second disc by Maria Kawamura offers some great remixes such as the Macross "Do You Remember Love", Bitshifter's remix of the Love Hina theme song (an awesome video-game sounding mix), and Prozac's remix of Popolocrois, as well as some delicious soundbytes.
Reviewed by Brian Cirulnick, February 2005
The Best of Anime
Anime Soundtrack Review
What's most surprising about this album to us is that it's put out by a non-Japanese company — Rhino. We've seen many compilation albums of anime title songs before, but they were strictly Japanese. It's like suddenly being hit over the head as we realize "Duh, anime really HAS gone mainstream!" Also, Rhino goes a bit further by giving us 4 tracks that are the American versions of well-known anime (admittedly, Astroboy, Speed Racer and Gigantor might feel a bit out of place next to Megazone 23).
Nevertheless, the album overall is a good sampling of what's out there in terms of different anime music. The CD features everything from the upbeat Urusei Yatsura season 1 title song to the more sublime "Sailing" (from Silent Mobius) seems to be represented. Some are too cute, but seem balanced compared to the harder rock sound from Megazone and Macross Plus. This CD is definitely one to play in the car while driving, as it's fun and you don't need to concentrate on the lyrics — besides, you're not likely to get road rage while listening to the Sailor Moon song!
Adventures in Voice Acting
DVD Review
Adventures in Voice Acting feels like you're watching a documentary. But that's NOT what it is. It's a virtual toolkit that contains everything you'll need to start you on your journey into the world of Voice Acting. Get ready for an adventure that takes you behind the scenes and into the studio, as some of the best in the business teach you how they did it, and help guide you to prepare yourself for your own first day in the studio.
If you've ever wondered about how to break into the biz, then this is the guide you've been waiting for. For those of us that can't draw a straight line, this is how to immerse yourself into the world of professional animation without having to have a portfolio and years of art school.
If youíre more of an "arm chair" Voice Actor, or just interested in knowing more about the inner-workings of the industry, this comprehensive and honest look at the Voice Acting profession will keep you riveted. There is nothing else out there like it. Finally a film that honors and pays respect to the incredibly hard-working and often under-recognized voice artists working today.
You'll get not only practical knowledge on what it takes to enter this field, but also learn from real life experiences. Top Voice Actors reveal their personal sacrifices and struggles, and talk frankly and openly about the realities of the business. Shot on location in busy studios across the U.S., Adventures in Voice Acting - Volume One also includes insights and advice from top Casting Directors, Producers and Voice Directors.
Adventures in Voice Acting is a three volume project covering anime, games and original animation. Volume One focuses on anime. Each volume is broken down into five approximately half-hour episodes. Episode 4 of volume one, for example, is dedicated entirely to advice - advice on auditions, demo reels, agents, and even classes. From this, any interested actor, fan or viewer can walk away with a solid understanding of what itís really like to not only follow your dreams, but live them as well.
Reviewed by Brian Cirulnick, February 2009
Anime Toonz 1 & 2
Anime Soundtrack Review
Anime Toonz are remixes of popular anime theme songs. Ranging from pop to techno to electronica to funky to just downright weird, the eclectic mix offers something for everyone. Kikuko Inoue (on disc one) has a very pretty voice and that helps, although it would be better for you if you know the theme songs she's doing.
The second disc by Maria Kawamura offers some great remixes such as the Macross "Do You Remember Love", Bitshifter's remix of the Love Hina theme song (an awesome video-game sounding mix), and Prozac's remix of Popolocrois, as well as some delicious soundbytes.
Reviewed by Brian Cirulnick, February 2005
The Best of Anime
Anime Soundtrack Review
What's most surprising about this album to us is that it's put out by a non-Japanese company — Rhino. We've seen many compilation albums of anime title songs before, but they were strictly Japanese. It's like suddenly being hit over the head as we realize "Duh, anime really HAS gone mainstream!" Also, Rhino goes a bit further by giving us 4 tracks that are the American versions of well-known anime (admittedly, Astroboy, Speed Racer and Gigantor might feel a bit out of place next to Megazone 23).
Nevertheless, the album overall is a good sampling of what's out there in terms of different anime music. The CD features everything from the upbeat Urusei Yatsura season 1 title song to the more sublime "Sailing" (from Silent Mobius) seems to be represented. Some are too cute, but seem balanced compared to the harder rock sound from Megazone and Macross Plus. This CD is definitely one to play in the car while driving, as it's fun and you don't need to concentrate on the lyrics — besides, you're not likely to get road rage while listening to the Sailor Moon song!
EYE SHIELD 21
Eyeshield 21" (2005) More at IMDbPro »TV series
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