Professional Rambler

Naruto Chapter 431 - Naruto Erupts

2009-01-15T22:43:00.000-08:00

After a couple of weeks of a Weekly Shonen Jump-less existence, it's back! It really has been too long since the latest Naruto chapter, and the way the series is going I really hope we don't have a break for a very long time! The siege on Konoha has reached a climax, and Naruto has finally returned to defend Konoha. He's stronger; much, much stronger. This is a totally new Naruto; I think this is the first time he's pwned his enemy from the initial get go. The battle's not won yet though, as I'm sure Pein's got more nasty tricks up his sleeve. Not to mention the perilous situation Tsunade finds herself in not that she is drained of energy; and what about Kakashi?
Download: Here

Eyeshield 21 Volume 33 Manga Cover

2009-01-09T16:41:00.000-08:00

Monta and Taka's aerial battle of receiver-ness is featured on this latest volume of the Eyeshield 21 manga, released in Japan this month. I'll post a larger version as soon as I find it. Weekly Shonen Jump chapters come out next week!

Bleach Chapter 340 - The Antagonizer

2009-01-02T10:39:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year everyone! I'm kind of late posting this so please forgive me, holiday partying can suck the work ethics out of anyone. An important bit of news is that there is obviously no Weekly Shonen Jump this week and there will not be one next week either; this means no Bleach, Naruto, Eyeshield 21, or anything else until next next week :(
Anyway, last weeks Bleach chapter was leaked early along with the rest of Weekly Shonen Jump, and it continues the pattern we've been having. Whenever we have an awesome Naruto chapter we have a rather lame Bleach one (and vice versa). Seriously, nothing happened this week. We caught up with Rukia, Renji, and co.'s fight with the skull faced peoples as well as Ichigo versus Ulquiorra, and it seems this was just an introduction to the drawn out fight these two are sure to have. Hopefully next chapter will be a bit more exciting.

Download: Here
Read Online: Here

Naruto Chapter 430 - Naruto Returns

2008-12-30T10:09:00.000-08:00

A Naruto chapter on a Tuesday? It's pretty weird but I'm sure you all know the reason why, as there wasn't really supposed to be a Weekly Shonen Jump last week but it was leaked early. I'm not really sure if there is going to be one this week, but until further notice I'm assuming yes.
Anyway, this was an excellent chapter of Naruto, praise which I have not given this series in quite some time. I think everyone has been waiting for Naruto himself to come back and actually pwn for once instead of screwing up, and if this weeks chapter was any indication this is what he'll be doing for a while. After last weeks Pain-explosion we see the aftermath; many are injured but it seems our favorites like Shikamaru, Kiba, and Hinata will be okay. We still don't know for sure if Kakashi is alive or dead, and I'm leaning towards the latter though praying for the former. As for Naruto...he has now donned a cloak similiar to the one the 4th Hokage wore, and it seems he's inherited his spirit as well as he crushes one of Peins bodies in a single attack. Hopefully he keeps up this awesome offensive next chapter too!

Download: Here
Read Online: Here

A Little Self Promotion...

2008-12-29T11:06:00.000-08:00

Last week's Shonen Jump chapters are really late, so far only Reborn has come out :( As soon as Bleach and Naruto hit the web I'll post them, but until then I thought I'd share some of my wallies with all y'all. You can check them out here at Animepaper.net, and if you have an account there I'd love to see your comments! My most recent one is a Yu Yu Hakusho wall, take a look:
You can click on it for a link to download the actual wall. Cheers!

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-25T21:50:00.000-08:00

Best wishes to everyone out there, I hope you all have a wonderful holiday no matter how you celebrate it! And now I leave you with a mini Photoshop creation :]

Bleach Chapter 339 - The Death Bringer Numbers

2008-12-22T16:48:00.000-08:00

Kubo Tite's kinda been showing a pattern with his chapters of Bleach; we'll have two kind of "meh" chapters that will have everyone getting nervous and then he'll bring out a chapter filled with awesomeness that has people sighing in relief. This was one of those chapters, and it was exceptionally important as it finally revealed the numbering of the final three espada; Halibel is number 3, Barragan is number 2...and that leaves Stark as the Primera Espada. The fact that he is now fighting Shunsui has me worried, as I could totally see Kubo using this as an opportunity to kill off a main character (or at least give the stronger ones a bit of a work out). Enjoy the two page spread promoting the new Bleach movie 3!
Direct Download: Here
Read Online: Here

Naruto Chapter 429 - Know Pain

2008-12-20T16:08:00.000-08:00

...I really need to remember that I'm out of blogging hiatus :P Admittedly I was without internet for two days thanks to a power outage, but still this is quite embarrassing. Anyway, the latest chapter of Naruto gave the manga community quite a shock, as it showed a level of destruction I have not seen in a manga since Katsuhiro Otomo's Akira (well, maybe not that far back). The scene when Pain basically drops a ninja-equivalent of an atomic bomb on Konoha stopped my heart for a moment, and I'm sure for many Japanese it is a painful reminder of the war atrocities that took place more than 60 years ago. By the end of the chapter Naruto has finally returned to the scene, and we can only hope that he and the sage frogs will bring some sort of salvation to their war torn village.
Download link: Here
Read Online: Here

Bleach Episode 199 - Holy Birth, the Resurrecting Szayel Aporro

2008-12-16T20:56:00.000-08:00

Holy birth indeed! I'm sure the first thing everyone was thinking about during this episode (at least those who read the manga) was how the rebirth scene would be handled, considering that in the original material it was pretty...weird. I'd say the animation studio handled it as well as they could, with a pretty decent amount of censoring while still keeping the creepy factor. I especially liked how they executed Mayuri's speech about the poison that would slow down time for Syazel, it was nice and claustrophobic. So that's two out of the three CaptainxEspada fights down, and it looks like next week we're back to Ken-chan and Nnoitra!
Download Link: Direct Downloa d

Official DragonBall Trailer Up

2008-12-15T18:32:00.000-08:00

Wow, I totally just missed like a weekend's worth of posts...Sorry about that guys, after such a long break it's easy to forget I have a blog to attend to, so please bear with me during these times of turbulence ;) Anyway, a couple days ago 20th Century Fox posted the first "real" official trailer for the upcoming live action Dragonball movie. You can check it out below:

So far, I'd have to give it a solid meh. It honestly looks like any other action/kung-fu/sci-fi movie Hollywood has been churning out at a dime a dozen with the Dragonball name slapped on. Plus the Evolution thing is...kinda lame (Pokemon, anyone?). Anyway the movie should be worth a few laughs if anything, and I'll keep you guys posted with any new information!

Bleach Episode 198 - The Two Scientists, Mayuri's Trap

2008-12-10T21:27:00.000-08:00

Hooray for Byakuya's fight against Pumpkin-carr (as he is affectionately called on many fan sites). This was one of the fights I was looking forward to seeing animated, mostly for the sheer craziness of Zommari's character as well as a chance to see Byakuya in action. The animators did not disappoint; I was pleasantly surprised at the animation level. While it's not as good as say the later fights of the Soul Society arc, it definitely puts to shame some of the more recent episodes. And of course, watching the mad scientists go at each other was great too; am I the only one who was lol'ing at Mayuri's performance? Only complaint I had was the censoring of the blood he coughed up that somehow into water; it looks pretty weird but I suppose it could be worse. If you haven't seen the episode you can download it for high quality viewing here.

Naruto Volume 44 Cover Scan

2008-12-09T22:00:00.000-08:00

To continue with our newest manga scans of the latest volumes, here's Naruto! Volume 44 was recently released, as we inch closer to the big five-o! Until then we have a relaxing scene of Gamakichi and his frog brother (I forget his name) along with our very favorite scowling ninja. Here's a high quality scan, click for full size, and enjoy!

Bleach Volume 36 Cover Scan

2008-12-08T16:43:00.000-08:00

It feels good to be out of hiatus :) And my first real post after my little break is of course the cover of the latest volume of the Bleach manga, titled Turn Back The Pendulum. It features an awesome back view of former Captain Shinji Hirako and his, umm, flowing hair. The big question now is does this volume cover all of the Turn Back The Pendulum arc, or will it be split into two volumes? Anyway enjoy the high quality scan, click for big size!

Hiatus Is Over, I'm Back!

2008-12-07T19:01:00.000-08:00

It's been two months and five days since I last posted here at ProfessionalRambler, and I am so very happy to announce my return! I missed writing here, I missed reading people's comments and messages, and I definitely missed the anime blogging scene which I've been out of for a while. I know there are other places to get your daily fix but I hope you guys missed me too :)

I'll be back to my regular blogging schedule of every day to every other day, depending on my free time and the number of topics I have to cover. Probably the only change will be in the weekly manga chapter and episode reviews; instead of summaries (which are kind of pointless since you can read the chapter/watch the episode is the same amount of time), I'll be focusing on giving my opinion and discussing them a little more. Plus, expect even more updates of the latest manga volumes, theatrical anime movies, and all around news. It's great to be back and I'm looking forward to a new year of blogging!

Small Hiatus...

2008-10-05T08:06:00.000-07:00

So...this is the beginning of my senior year of high school, and I'm finding myself to be super busy with college apps, AP homework, and swim team stuff, meaning I barely have time to post here. When I do have time I'm usually too tired to write coherent, interesting stuff like I used to. So I think I'm going to take a small break from blogging, at least until my life settles down and I find myself able to write at will. I'm still open for contact, just send me an email or post a comment if you need to tell me anything.I'm definitely not going to let Professional Rambler die (like so many blogs of late), I just need a little break. I'll probably still post new volume covers cuz those take five minutes. See you all in the near future!

Bleach Manga Volume 35 Cover Scan

2008-10-01T16:27:00.000-07:00

Higher Than The Moon, eh? Well, at least Mayuri finally gets a cover, considering he's been around forever and is a relatively popular character for such a creep. Tiny scan is tiny, don't worry I'll update this post as soon as I find a larger one.

Gone Camping...I'll Be Back On Monday!

2008-09-25T19:49:00.001-07:00

It's that most wonderful time of the year...when I go on a camping trip with my swim team! We'll be roughing it in the middle of nowhere with no telephone service, no running water, and of course no Internet, meaning I won't be able to update. You'll have to go it alone this weekend folks! But don't worry, normal blogging will resume on Monday (assuming I'm not too drained of energy).

After Eleven Years Toonami Says Good Bye

2008-09-22T19:01:00.000-07:00

Anime fans across the country were shocked to hear news of Cartoon Network's decision to end the Toonami block of broadcast completely. Toonami, which has been airing at various times since 1997, had its final run this past Saturday, September 20. For many slightly older anime fans like myself, Toonami was really a stepping stone into the fandom, whether it was through Outlaw Star, Dragonball Z, or Yu Yu Hakusho. Unfortunately, bad decision making on Cartoon Network's part led to the high quality anime shows being replaced with pretty shoddy stuff, resulting in a loss of viewers. Naruto is the only anime on Cartoon Network that has high ratings, and as far as we can see it's now the only anime being broadcast at a timely hour. Rest in peace, Toonami, we'll miss you!

Bleach Chapter 326 - Knockdown Monster

2008-09-20T19:23:00.000-07:00

Continuing with my new theme of opinions instead of summaries, I present to you the latest chapter of Bleach! Download it right over here if you have not done so already...
Finally seeing some emotion in the characters was super nice in this chapter; I'm talking about Yumichika's horrified reaction when he saw how messed up Ikkaku was. Of course, any sense of camaraderie was immediately squashed by Sasuke, I mean Kira, who felt staying stoic was the best means of action. Now, I have to give kudos to Kubo (I love saying that) for having one Shinigami lose the fight, but I mean...Ikkaku? The only one of the four who is at Captain strength? And let's not pull the "He doesn't want to show his Bankai to anyone!" deal, the fate of the world is at stake! But at least we got to see Captain Furry Face and his Manly Assistant, who will hopefully pwn the big guy they're fighting next chapter. I'm shaking a very disapproving finger your way, Mr. Ikkaku!

Naruto Chapter 417 - Raikage Makes His Move

2008-09-19T19:48:00.000-07:00

I think I'm going to be trying something different for my updates on weekly manga series like Naruto and Bleach. Instead of writing a summary, which is kind of redundant considering you can read the chapter in less time than you can read my summaries, I'll be giving my opinions on the happenings that are happening. I hope you guys like this new format, and it would be awesome if you gave your opinions in the comments. Oh, and to make things easier on anyone who stumbled here by accident, I'll be putting up a link to the chapter download so you can read at your leisure. In other words, download here!
So, the major revelation in this chapter was really that Sasuke is beginning to lose his eyesight. Okay, maybe lose is a bit strong of a word but he knocked over a glass of water, and through his view we could see everything getting blurry. This means that in addition to the tremendous power Itachi gave him, he also received a curse. As if the boy didn't have enough curses, pfft. The second big thing is that Killer Bee, whom Sasuke and co. took down in the previous chapters, had a brother who actually cared about him. Even worse, his bro is the Raikage, meaning he's got a whole lotta power up his flowing sleeves. I thought this was an interesting spin on the Jinchuuriki aspect of the Naruto universe. Up until now, they have been seen as monsters to be feared and loathed, but apparently the Cloud Village puts as much importance on their lives as they do to their other fellow ninjas. Methinks the new team that we see at the end of this chapter will be Sasuke and his team's next opponent. Which is nice, but I cannot freaking wait to see the new powers Naruto has gotten a hold of!

Sorry For The Long Absence...

2008-09-14T18:45:00.000-07:00

...first week of senior year is a BITCH. I've barely had time to read the new chapters of manga, let alone review them, haha. Now that I'm back in my routine I'll be able to update regularly again, so have no fear, everyone!

Bleach Movie 2 : The Diamond Dust Rebellion -Screenshots

2008-09-08T18:02:00.000-07:00

I decided to take around 40 screenshots of what I thought were some of the best scenes (or at least the prettiest ones) in the newest Bleach movie, and I thought I'd share them with all y'all :) Very soon I will also post a review of the movie, mostly a what-I-liked-what-I-didn't like sorta thing. In the meantime enjoy the screen caps and please do credit me if you use them anywhere, thanks. And if anyone would like a particular scene to be in screenshot form just let me know and I'll happily oblige!

Bleach Movie 2 The Diamond Dust Rebellion Subbed And Ready To Download!

2008-09-06T23:23:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to let you all know, Dattebayo finally subbed and released the newest Bleach movie, you can download it by torrent right here, and if you can't use torrents here's a direct download link right here. I'll be posting screen shots and a review soon, so be sure to check back!

Naruto Chapter 415 - A New Power

2008-09-04T21:23:00.000-07:00

Awesome chapter of Naruto this week, mostly because the fight with the Eight Tails Host is finally over, and looking back it wasn't too bad of a fight at all. Btw school just started for me (senior year woot woot!) so I'll be busier than ever with college apps, swim season, etc., but of course I'll still be updating regularly.
Sasuke's remembrance of his friends both past and former revitalize him and he is able to pull out the Amatareasu flames Itachi gave to him. With these in-extinguishable flames he is able to take down even the transformed killer bee, though in the process Karin is hit with the flames. Juugo gives her up for lost but Sasuke is amazingly able to put out the flames himself, thanks to the Mangekyou Sharingan. They escape with the still-alive Killer Bee, but not before scouts from the Cloud Land see them and go to alert the Raikage. Meanwhile, Naruto seems to have mastered using the oil and water for the sage techniques, and he seems to have a second agenda for his new talents. The sage toad then gives him Jiraiya's first story, a book into which he poured his heart and soul into, called "The Legend of the Gutsy Ninja". How will this relate to Naruto?

Bleach Movie 3 'Fade To Black' Trailer Released

2008-09-01T10:39:00.000-07:00

The trailer is up! It's short and not terribly informative but at least it's something to whet our appetites until the full length trailer comes out. Enjoy!

Bleach Chapter 323 - 'No Title'

2008-08-30T11:08:00.000-07:00

In place of a title for this weeks Bleach chapter we get three different colored works; the magazine cover (promoting the December release of the third movie), a full page of manga, and a gorgeous color spread of Ichigo which, I think, is one of Kubo Tite's best portrait drawings to date. Another thing that made this chapter awesome? Kira's fight began and ended all in the same chapter. Which is a first for any shonen manga.
Abirama has transformed into ~~Big Bird~~ his released form, and he claims to have feathers that are heavier than steel. Kira is not impressed and begins his attack with a whirlwind kido spell that is ineffective, though it does give him time to find some cover from Abirama's next attack. He releases his second form and demolishes the building Kira was on, seemingly bringing him to his knees. But Kira has had enough time to use his sword, which makes the feathers heavier and forces the Arrancarr to his knees instead. He then explains that Third Division is the epitome of emo (not in those words) and seemingly beheads Abirama with his sword off-camera. Whose fight will we see next chapter?

Naruto Chapter 414 - Bull On The Rampage

2008-08-28T21:12:00.000-07:00

By the end of this week's chapter I was super excited for next week, 'cause it seems to me that Sasuke might be undergoing a mental transformation that will hopefully make him rethink what he's planning on doing to Konoha. Unless Masashi Kishimoto's playing games with our heads again...grrr...
The eight-tails monstrous true form has been revealed and everyone in Sasuke's group is freaked out by how strong his chakra is. Juugo finishes grafting Sasuke's neck and collarbone with his own skin, saying he can't let him die, just in time for the Killer Bee to attack. He is blocked by Suigetsu, who creates an enormous water shield out of his body, allowing the others a chance to escape; however, he is blown away in an instant.
A quick cut to Naruto, who has progressed so far that he can pick up an enormous boulder using the sage strength, and the old toad notices that he is learning even faster than Jiraiya. Meanwhile, some ninjas from the Cloud Country notice Killer Bee's transformation and that he is fighting Akatauki "members". Sasuke, who is now fully functioning again, looks around at all his battered teammates, and for an instant remembers his old Team 7. Bloody tears begin to escape his eye as the Amaterasu he recieved from Itachi awakens! Finally it shows itself, and not a moment too soon. Hopefully this means the fight is going to be turning a corner!

Bleach Chapter 322 - Oath Under The Rose

2008-08-22T20:45:00.000-07:00

Kubo Tite got in touch with his feminine side during this week's Bleach chapter. I mean, for a manly manga where manly men yell manly things, having two girly guys bicker about who was more beautiful has been an interesting spectacle to watch.
The fight between Coolhorn and Yumichika comes to an end with a flurry of flowers, as Yumi thanks the Arrancar while biting into one of his flowers. Coolhorn says it was unfair for him to have been hiding his bankai like that, and Yumi responds that it wasn't his bankai; merely his vain, embarrassing-for-his-division shikai. And if Coolhorn had not hid them like that, he would not have released it for fear of being shunned by his Division.
Now that the drama queen's fight is over, we can switch to everyone else. Shuuhei is dealing with the guy who claims to be able to adjust his power levels however he pleases by chipping away at his mask. Once he reaches lieutenant the scene switches to Kira and his fight with newly transformed Big Bird Arrancar whose feathers can crush steel. Yikes. I sure as hell Kira has something up his sleeve, cuz his sword (which makes everything it touches heavier) isn't going to help him much here.

Naruto Chapter 413 - Crash

2008-08-21T20:47:00.000-07:00

After a week's absence Naruto is back along with the rest of the manga serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump, meaning we get to see more of Sasuke getting his ass handed to him (and maybe a bit more than that, hint hint)! Yes, that's right, the fight with the Hachibi does not seem to be coming to a close any time soon, especially after what we've seen with this chapter.
Now that Sasuke's been healed of his booboos by Karin's somewhat sexual healing powers he's back on the attack; however, the Eight Tails has got something up his sleeve as he begins to call out the beast chakra within him. Sasuke remembers this from his fight with Naruto, and though he's able to deflect the first attack the barrages affect his teammates, two of which are nearly out of commission. Sasuke uses his ocular jutsu to take down Hachibi, and it seems to work when out of nowhere -BAM!-...he gets pwned to the extent where his neck and collarbone are like...gone. Since Karin's pretty tired it's the big guy who plans on healing him, but they are all stopped speechless when they see the Eight Tales monstrous (and huge) transformation into an ox-like creature (I thought he was an octopus?!). How in the world are they going to fight him now?

New Fullmetal Alchemist Anime Confirmed

2008-08-20T20:42:00.000-07:00

Bam! Clearly the world has not had their fill of the awesomeness that is Fullmetal Alchemist, as Studio Bones has just confirmed the rumor that a new anime series is in the works. Whether it will be based directly off the manga or go in a different direction is yet unknown, but...who cares? It's new FMA! It's Studio Bones! It'll be awesome no matter what happens, methinks. Anyway as soon as I hear more news about this I'll let y'all know.

Olympic Fever Is To Blame...

2008-08-18T22:00:00.000-07:00

...for the lack of posts lately! They only come on once every four years y'know ;) The whole world, including the anime community, is a little bit quieter as everyone takes some time off to watch amazing athletes do amazing things in an amazing setting. But fear not, this week Naruto gets back to non-filler land, and there's a new Shonen Jump waiting for us on Friday. Until then, enjoy the Games!

Fullmetal Alchemist Volume 20 Cover Scan

2008-08-13T20:38:00.000-07:00

Not much to say except congrats to FMA and the amazing Hiromu Arakawa for reaching the 20th volume! This is a big achievement for a monthly series, but of course Fullmetal Alchemist is up to the challenge and then some. This is just a preview, and as soon as I find a high-res scan I'll update this post.

More Information on Bleach Movie 3 w/ Summary and Screenshots

2008-08-12T17:54:00.000-07:00

With the release of the third theatrical Bleach movie fast approaching, more and more information is being leaked on the interwebz about its plot. So far, we know for sure it will be centered around Rukia, but in the past couple days I was also able to find a little summary of events which you can read right here, though I found it first in the BleachAsylum forums:

Fade to Black. Kimi no na o yabu Enemy's sickle that,for some reason, attacked SS, stole Rukia's heart while she was watching the incident from the distance. Kurosaki Ichigo,substitute shinigami feels what happened and,thanks to Urahara,he goes to SS along with Kon. They found SS in chaos. When he arrived,Renji greets him,but he doesn't remember Ichigo. Suddely,strange beings attack Ichigo,who transforms into vizard to fight the,but because of that,he's accused to be the culprit,and SS commander ordered to catch him and execute him. Ichigo tries to ask where is Rukia,but nobody remembers her. Kon wandered around SS looking for Rukia,but can't find her. She disappeared as well. When Ichigo realized what happened to Rukia,it was too late.He was being catched by captains. Memories od suffering and sadness overcome his heart. He remembered when he saved Rukia,and that she was always by his side,but now,she and her heart are lost. In an attempt to run away,Ichigo sees Rukia far away,and he call out her name. Rukia forgot everyone's affection..Ichigo's affection..she has no heart. Substitute Shinigami's battle begins,not only against SS...agains his heart, cuz the new enemy has Rukia's heart and Ichigo must take it back. Battle at SS and at confused world is about to start. Rukia is being controlled by a weird feeling. With her sword and her reiatsu,she leads a new army.

Yes, I know, the translation's pretty shoddy but it's better than nothing. You can find some screencaps of the trailer in the forum I linked to above. Meanwhile here's the poster, and I'll post the trailer as soon as I can find it. (Click on it it's huge!)

Bleach Chapter 321 - Black Briers And Brambles

2008-08-10T20:12:00.000-07:00

The good news about this week's Bleach chapter; looks like the fight between Yumichika and Charlotte Coolhorn is over. The bad news about this week's Bleach chapter: two words...Charlotte Coolhorn. Kubo Tite I don't know what you're on, but can I have some please?
The end of last weeks chapter saw us Coolhorn's many worded release, and this week we are granted a full page look at it's glory. ~~Ignore the bulge, ignore the bulge...~~ Yumichika is as shocked as we are and he shows it by laughing uncontrollably and so loudly that even Ikkaku can hear him. Coolhorn is not pleased with this reaction, and he says that it is his duty as the most beautiful person in the world to end Yumi's life with his super long Cero attack, which Yumi frantically notes is just an ordinary cero. He dodges in time but is caught by the Fraccion, and even his sword release is stopped; the drag queen has Yumichika by the throat and releases his zanpakuto, saying that it will destroy Yumi where no one can see them. The idea of dying out of sight of everyone is enough to get Yumichika on the offensive, and with the second release of his zanpakuto he brings an end to Charlotte Coolhorn. Hopefully.

Naruto Chapter 412 - Fear Like They've Never Known Before

2008-08-08T15:06:00.000-07:00

Ooof, it's definitely been a while since I've last posted ( a week's not too bad, right?). Darn vacationing, taking up my blogging time ;) Anyway, this is Professional Rambler's 200th post since its beginning last November, and I've had a pretty good system of updating about every other day, excluding vacations, emergencies, etc. Thanks to everyone for sticking with me! And now, like always, on to the review!
The big surprise in this week's Naruto chapter is that Sasuke getting stuck all over his body with swords was not an illusion, but was actually cold hard reality. He's in serious trouble but before the Eight Tails can deliver the finishing blow Suigetsu steps in and blocks him with his sword, giving Karin enough time to step in and grab Sasuke. While the two other try and take down the Jinchuuriki, Karin heals Sasuke by making him, err, bite her. Because that's how she heals people. By getting bitten. Ooookay, Mr. Kishimoto. Putting aside Karin's scream of delight, Sasuke is saved and is now open to Suigetsu's suggestion that all three of them tackle the guy at once. Meanwhile, Naruto is still undergoing his Sage training, and he comes up with the idea of using KageBunshins to help himself work faster, and despite getting beaten and bruised, he is eager to continue training with the hopes that he can surpass Jiraiya. Sasuke and co. are still taking on the Eight Tales, and Sasuke's head-on chidori is enough to force him to run away for a second. Now, his next move is the "number eight"; what exactly could that be?

Bleach Chapter 320 - Beauty Is So Solitary

2008-08-01T21:46:00.000-07:00

This week's Bleach chapter is an interesting mix of humour, drama, and umm, some unpleasant imagery. Anyone who's been lurking around anywhere on the Internet has probably seen the image that appears at the end of this chapter, and for the sake of this blog's reputation I shan't display it here! Now enjoy the review.
Gin, who is standing behind the wall of flame created by Yamamoto's release comments that Kira must be angry, as he obviously could sense the rise in his spirit energy. Kaname asks if he was worried about him, and Gin responds no, but he was glad that he was doing well. ~~Dammit Gin, why can't you make up your mind about whether you're a good guy or not?!?~~ Kira's angry face elicited a response from the Fraccion he was fighting as well, as the man prepares to release his zanpakuto with the command 'aguila'. We then cut to Yumichika's fight with he-who-shall-not-be-named, and they're involved in what's pretty much a bitchfight that involves calling the other one a fugly bastard.
The two beauty queens reach a resolution; whoever dies is the fugly one. And with that, Charlotte Coolhorn attacks with his ridiculously long-named attack which Yumi barely manages to avoid, however, his arm is now broken in three places. But he was not the only one who received damage, in the skirmish Charlotte's hair was cut. We all know what this means; the Fraccion explodes into anger and explodes into his sword release, which turns him into a tutu wearing, bulge-displaying angry man. Where will this fight go?...I honestly do not want to know...

Naruto Chapter 411 - 8 Tails Vs. Sasuke

2008-07-31T21:14:00.000-07:00

The title says it all, it's Sasuke's turn to have at it with the hip hopping Eight Tailed Jinchuuriki. Will he show off the powers Itachi gave to him?...Not this chapter, but hopefully soon!
After his two companions failed in harming the Eight Tails, Sasuke steps forward. He calmly states that he wants to see if this guy can live up to his boasting (and rapping), and with that he pulls out his sword and attacks. A few pages of attacks and it seems this guy cannot be taken lightly, even though he stops in the middle to jot down some notes for his rhymes. Finally, though, he shows his true fighting style; eight swords, all held in different places on his body, are used for the offensive. Even Juugo cannot read their movements, and Sasuke is forced to activate his Sharingan; but to his shock, the guy can conduct electricity too. Sasuke is thrown backwards and impaled; what will it take to win this fight?

Eyeshield 21 Volume 31 Cover Scan

2008-07-31T11:36:00.000-07:00

In addition to this being Shark Week, I believe we can fairly call it manga covers week as well. It seems like every new Shonen Jump manga volume is coming out in these next few days! And next on our menu is the latest cover of ES21, and from the small scan it seems to be featuring the Hakushou Dinosaur players. As always, I'll update with a larger scan the minute I find one. I can't wait to find said larger scan cuz this cover looks EPIC.
EDIT: Full Size is up, enjoy!

Naruto Volume 43 Cover Scan

2008-07-30T11:10:00.000-07:00

Feels like volume 42 just came out, but who cares! The latest volume of Naruto has been announced over in Japan and we've been graced with a teeny tiny pic to whet our appetites. As this volume covers the fight between Sasuke and his brother Itachi, they are featured on the cover in a...interesting pose. Well, Itachi looks badass but Sasuke looks like he's about to burst into song.
What do you guys think? Awesomely dramatic or made of fail?
EDIT#1: Slightly larger version added.
EDIT#2: High Quality is up, enjoy!

Bleach Chapter 319 - Ants And Dragons

2008-07-26T19:35:00.000-07:00

This was a funny chapter of Bleach. I miss Kubo Tite's humor, it seems that lately his chapters have been lacking in the comedy department (though Ulquiorra's crack about pulling Orihime's heart from her ribcage did make me chuckle), and it's definitely been a while since we've seen the guys from Soul Society have at it with each other.
So, last chapter it was shown that the studly foursome of Shuhei, Kira, Ikkaku, and Yumichika were sent to defend the four pillars that kept the illusion of Karakura Town up. The ever annoying Oomaeda is flabbergasted as he believed those four had been kept at Soul Society to keep guard, thus making him, who had been sent out, a better person (?). Soi Fon insists that she told him about the groups coming here, leading to insults from everyone else, but she had actually forgotten to inform him (sneaky sneaky). Once this filler-esque bit of humour is finished, Barragan coolly sends his four Fraccion to deal with the "small-fry".
Ikkaku gets the big guy who spouts about kings and gods, Shuhei gets the Griffith look-alike who says that he will adjust his power to that of a Vice Captain, Yumichika...well, here's where things get interesting. Yumichika is ironically paired with a frilly-lashed, curly haired drag queen whose pants are a little bit too low for a shonen magazine. He is insulted by Yumi's refusal to look at him ("I have a policy of not looking at ugly things", best quote ever) which gets their fight off to a humorously awkward start. Meanwhile, Kira is stuck with his extreme opposite; a loudmouth brute who enjoys yelling before he kicks ass. Kira refuses to shout with him, and the comedy is cut short when the Fraccion brings up Ichimaru Gin's desertion of Third Squad, causing Kira to lash out at him. Let the battles begin (and end within a reasonable time frame)!

Naruto Chapter 410 - The Battle of Thunder-Cloud Gorge

2008-07-25T17:16:00.000-07:00

Don't let the impressive title fool you, this weeks Naruto chapter features but a few fight scenes and a whole lot of talking, as well as a really neat cover/color page to raise excitement for the second movie, which will feature Sasuke! H o o r a y ~~scream the fangirls~~.
Suigetsu, being the feisty one in Sasuke's group, starts the attack on the Eight Tailed Jinchuuriki by swinging his giant sword around to no avail; he's caught with ease. Meanwhile we learn that Naruto does not actually have to die, he just has to become one with nature by sitting still for a long time (anyone who's read a chapter of Naruto knows this is close to impossible). If he fails to remain absolutely still, he will begin to turn into a frog, which is demonstrated right then and there. Fortunately the Head Frog will be there to smack him if he begins the transformation, and he tells Naruto that even Jiraiya was not 100% successful, as every time he went into hermit mode he would look a bit froggish (which explains his weird appearance during the fight with Pein). As Naruto begins his training Sasuke's group is getting pwnd by the music-happy Eight Tales, and finally Sasuke decides to take the stage. Can he defeat this crazy guy?

Saiyuki Reload Volume 9 Cover Scan

2008-07-25T17:13:00.000-07:00

After about a year without a volume release of the Saiyuki Reload manga by Kazuya Minekura, her blog has been updated with a little pic of the latest cover, featuring the crew facing off with each other. As usual, I'll update as soon as possible when I find a larger scan.
EDIT: I uploaded a bigger scan, enjoy!

Live Action Cowboy Bebop Announced

2008-07-24T09:38:00.000-07:00

I was out of town for a couple days, sorry for the lack of posts. Apparently in my absence from the Internet world Fox has signed on to make a live action Cowboy Bebop movie. Fan reaction has been...mixed. Some are already predicting doom and destruction while others plan on giving it a chance; after all, Cowboy Bebop is better suited to live action than say, Dragon Ball (a live action of which is coming out next year). There's no word yet on actors, directors, plot, or anything at all really, but I'll be sure to update when I hear more news. What do you guys think? Will this be made of fail or will it turn out to be an unexpected delight?

Bleach Chapter 318 - Five Towers, Four Pillars

2008-07-19T22:00:00.000-07:00

Ahh, I just finished the Avatar series finale! To be honest, I only saw the past couple of episodes that were playing this week, but that was enough to familiarize myself with the series which is surprisingly good. And for an interesting reason; the director has said he was heavily influenced by anime, specifically Cowboy Bebop, Samurai Champloo, and FLCL. No wonder this show was so entertaining! For an American cartoon series its got as broad of an appeal range as Naruto; I mean, it was my party-loving collegiate sister who introduced me to the show, and she's about as far from hopelessly nerdy as you can get! (No offense, sis).
Anyway, back to Bleach. Ichigo has come bursting through the wall where Ulquiorra and Orihime were discussing the biology of heart removing, and he demands that Ulqui step away from the princess, to which the saddest clown in the world snootily replies, I was going to, b****!Minus the b****. He then draws his sword -gasp- and says in the name of defending all that is good and holy, a.k.a Hueco Mundo, he's gonna kill Ichigo. And because their fight obviously can't start in the same chapter it's announced in, we switch over to the outside shenanigans.
The old Espada, whose name is Barragan, has decided that since Aizen is incapacitated, it's up to his 500 year old ass to take control and tell everyone else what to do. The boobilicious Halibel attempts to protest, but Barragam whips a throne out of nowhere and makes a speech about how the illusionary Karakura Town can be taken down if certain pillars are destroyed, which he plans to do right now using his big ugly Hollow cronies. Fortunately, the even older Yamamoto has seen through this dastardly plan and sent the four fan favorites, Kira, Shuhei, Ikkaku, and Yumichika to stand around and look awesome. And defend those towers if, y'know, they have time. Who is Barragan going to send out to fight these four Shinigami?

Naruto Chapter 409 - Passing Down The Sage Techniques

2008-07-17T20:32:00.000-07:00

This chapter really felt like a flash from the past 'cause we saw Gamakichi, the frog-son of Gamabunta who made trouble f0r Naruto when he was learning the Kuchiyose summoning technique back in part one. He did an Akamaru, growing from the size of a puppy to the size of a smallish elephant, hehe. Them frogs sure do grow big in Japan.
Last chapter Naruto was invited to train in the sage arts by the head toad himself, and today they set off on their journey. After a bit of confusion as to how they were actually going to arrive at the mountain, Gamakichi reverse-summons Naruto to the sacred site. And we see Pein and Konan prepare to head to Konoha (for literally, like, three panels). Naruto is served a meal fit for frog royalty...which means it's a meal unfit for human consumption; a few bellyaches later the training begins, or at least, the training explanation begins. The old sage explains it thoroughly, but Naruto only understands when Gamakichi relates the idea to ice cream and mints; the catch is that Naruto must "die". Meanwhile Sasuke and co. have come face to face with the seemingly bad-tempered Eight Tailed Beast, and it seems their fight will commence in the next chapter. More Sasuke! Jubilations!

Fullmetal Alchemist Chapter 85 - The Empty Box

2008-07-17T16:21:00.000-07:00

Major General Armstrong surveys the wreckage of her family's mansion, where she and her brother duked it out to see who would inherit the estate and the title of head of the Armstrong family. Now that her family is safely out of the way she can begin her plans for the upcoming war, but her thoughts are interrupted by a certain Mr. Mustang, whose flower bouquet informs the General that Selim Bradley is a Homunculus. Meanwhile, the Fuhrer is watching over the military exercises run by Grumman and his men, who are plotting against King Bradley. An old face then shows up in the form of Major General Hakuro (the one whose ear got shot early in the story), who apparently wants to inform Bradley about certain people in the military and their traitorous plans.
Bradley is convinced to go back to Central, and the train which he is riding in is sabotaged and destroyed, seemingly killing the Fuhrer and his men. Grumman and other members of the military are alerted of this news, and we see Hawkeye, Breda, and Fuery desert their posts to help the war effort that is about to begin. General Armstrong watches in amusement as Bradley's men seem helpless without him, but before she can take action "Father" and Sloth make their entrance, and they don't seem to want her interference.
Further away, Ed and his father are reunited (with a punch), and Hohenheim reveals that he is the Philosopher's stone, though to his surprise Ed has no intentions of using him to get back his and Al's body. Speaking of whom, after a bit of talking and coat-making, Al himself finally emerges from the shadows, but Ling senses that all is not well with their armored friend. And he is right, Al's metal body has been consumed by Pride himself (or at least his eerie eye shadows), and he seems to be under his control entirely. What are Pride's intentions?

Top Five Tuesdays - Two-Page Spreads

2008-07-15T17:56:00.000-07:00

Well, it certainly has been a long time since I've done a Top Five Tuesday, but I'd like to start doing these on a regular basis because they're fun to come up with and write, even if they're quite time consuming. I was inspired by this month's Fullmetal Alchemist chapter (which I shall review tomorrow) to highlight some of the best two-page spreads I can think of. This was a little hard cuz, to be honest, there are sooo many awesome ones out there! But I tried my best and here's what I came up with!

5. Fullmetal Alchemist Chapter 85
Okay, I know, this chapter just came out a couple days ago, but the minute I saw this spread I started laughing. It's so adorable! And I think it shows Ed's view of the people around him...as little pieces of wood he can move around to his will! Bwahaha, I wish I could do that...

4. Naruto Chapter 399
Here's another relatively recent spread, but OMFG it reminded me of how awesome of an artist Masashi Kishimoto is. I mean, I'd never really given the Nine Tailed fox much regard before, because every time you think of it you just think of Naruto, but this page completely turned that though process around, because that beast is fierce. I would totally want that as a pet, that's for sure.

3. Slam Dunk Chapter 275
Literally the most beloved manga to ever come out of Japan, Slam Dunk is just pure awesomeness from beginning to end (seriously, if you're a fan of shonen you must check it out). At the end of the series, the main character's team won one of the most important games because their star player (the guy on the left) finally passed the ball to said character (the guy on the right). The two were rivals, but after the winning play they broke their code of silence and rudeness to give an awesome! high five. It was awesome. And kind of sweaty. But awesome nonetheless!

2. Reborn! Chapter 179
In the world of Shonen Jump manga, it's pretty rare to see women authors; not unheard of, just rare. Akira Amano, the manga-ka of Reborn!, is an exception to this ruler, and thank god she is because she draws some wicked good looking men for us lady shonen-fans out there! I saw this spread while browsing around a couple of months ago, and being the ~~shallow fangirl~~ curious viewer I was, I began to read a bit of the series from whence it came. And it was good. Anyway, this is the pic that introduced me to Reborn!, which is now one of my favorite manga series, so drool with respect.

Drumroll, please!

1. Bleach Chapter 162
Ichigo's Bankai. As the turning point in his life as a Shinigami, I don't think anyone could have handled the unveiling of this epic achievement as well as Kubo Tite. It's simple yet powerful, and IMO it really sets a new standard for shonen artists. The swirling sky, the blood red of his coat, and his calm stare all lead up to what is, in my opinion, the best two-page spread ever (until Kubo comes up with another, of course). Hope you enjoyed! And if you have any spreads you think are as awesome as these, mention them in the comments and I'll give them a peek ;)

Bleach Movie 3 To Be Titled 'Fade To Black'

2008-07-14T20:24:00.000-07:00

It's for real this time, guyz, the latest Bleach movie is not going to be called Sayonara Rukia but rather Fade to Black. But don't fret, it is still clearly going to revolve around Rukia as the mini sneak peak that was released earlier and this pic from the movie's website show. As usual I'll update again as soon as I hear more news!

Eyeshield 21 Chapter 289 - Aerial Battles Are Staring Contests

2008-07-14T19:09:00.000-07:00

Kind of a funny chapter title for this week's ES21 chapter, and there's some hella funny imagery too!...Like a giant Virgin Mary who makes some really strange faces...If you're adverse to religious humor I would skip out on this chapter ;)
The battle we focus on this week is between Monta and Taka, the two greatest high school receivers in Japan! Hiruma throws long pass after long pass (also known as Hail Marys), but Taka's superior height and catching blocks every one of them. Some of the other members display their all-star skills, proving that Teikoku really is a team filled with aces. Taka then realizes what Monta's plan is; he is trying to turn around on a dime before Taka does so that he can catch Hiruma's long pass. Seconds before the first half ends, Monta and Taka begin to run again, and this time it's a match of courage to see who will turn around first. And to everyones surprise, Taka bends to the pressure, turning around giving Monta time to prepare for the catch. Will he be able to score the first points for Deimon?

Bleach Chapter 317 - Six Hearts Will Beat As One

2008-07-11T18:23:00.000-07:00

After a Bleach-less last week Ichigo and co. are back with an awesome two page spread and cover, as well as some pretty major developments in the chapter itself. It seems there is one more thing to be taken care of before the battle between Soul Society and Hueco Mundo can commence, and that is the grudge between Ichigo and Ulquiorra, a grudge that has been festering since the very day the green eyed Espada came to earth with the intention of ending Ichigo's life.
Ichigo races towards the tower where Ulquiorra and Orihime now are, cutting down giant Hollows that stand in his path. The tension between the captive and the abductor can be seen as Orihime explains why she is not afraid. When she found out that her friends had come to rescue her, she was upset at first; but quickly realized that she would have done the same for them. Meanwhile Ichigo stopped by a more fearsome foe, the captain of the Exequias and his troops. He tries to move past them but is stopped by their sheer numbers; fortunately, help arrives in the form of Renji, Chad, and Rukia, who encourages him to move forward. Orihime ends her speech by saying that placing one's heart close to their friends is what is meant by the saying "to make your heart as one". However, Ulquiorra is not moved by her speech and comes closer with threatening gestures, but he is stopped in his tracks by Ichigo bursting through the wall. Let their fight begin!

Naruto Chapter 408 - Fukasaku's Proposal

2008-07-10T20:52:00.000-07:00

Just in case anyone didn't know, Fukasaku's the old hermit frog. I don't think his name was revealed before this chapter...but I could be wrong. This week we see a bit of everyone, but what was really exciting was the appearance of the Eight Tailed Jinchuuriki, who, by the laws of the beasts, should be the second most powerful after the Kyuubi. We didn't actually get to see him in action, but I'm sure that will happen next week.
The chapter begins with the members of Hawk, formerly Snake, beating down on some Land of Thunder ninjas to get info on the Eight Tails whereabouts. The four members are now wearing Akatsuki robes, which is kind of disturbing to me cuz it really makes it seem like they've joined the "dark side". And after all Itachi went through... Anyway, the guy they're questioning refuses to give up information until Sasuke uses his new Mangekyou Sharingan on him. Once he gets his answers, Sasuke releases the jutsu and the group heads out, seemingly sparing the man's life.
Meanwhile, Naruto and the others show Fukasaku the translated code, though he does not understand what it means. However, he suspects that Pein can revive himself from death using his other bodies. Once there are other sources of information, like the autopsy, Konoha will be able to take action, but this might not be for another week. Naruto is crestfallen at first, but he perks up when the Toad Sage offers to train him in the sage arts, which he taught Jiraiya a long time ago. Far away, in a cave at the Land of Thunder, the eight tailed Jinchuuriki emerges into the bright sunlight. We were able to see his octopus-like shadow; what will his powers be like?

Eyehsield 21 Chapter 288 - Chris Cross

2008-07-08T19:38:00.000-07:00

It's late but it's here! The most recent chapter of Eyeshield 21, in which things start to look up for the Deimon Devilbats in their final game against the Teikoku Alexanders. By the way, I updated this post with a large, high quality scan of the latest Eyeshield 21 volume, which would be number 30. It's cool, go look at it.
Though it's early in the game, Sena and Monta have decided to go with the chris-cross play, where they run like they both have the ball. An excellent idea...save for the fact that the ball was fumbled before either of them could actually grab it. Achilles catches the ball, but he also fumbles when faced with the Hah-Hah brothers and their newly developed tackles. Hiruma snatches it up, and Monta is clear for the first time; however, Hiruma cannot throw it because of a game rule. Taka is shaken as he realizes that if the pass had been made, Monta would have caught it. The two teams prepare for the next play, now more determined then ever to win!

Naruto Chapter 407 - To Naruto

2008-07-05T19:16:00.000-07:00

Well, this week's Naruto chapter was a bit...s l o o o w. I appreciate Mr. Kishimoto taking the time to explain how Jiraiya's handwriting is a bit off, but considering Konoha is about to be attacked by like, everyone, it would be nice to see a bit of action.
Naruto, Shikamaru, and the girl with glasses are trying to decode the numbered message Jiraiya left to them, when Naruto makes a startling revelation; the number everyone thought was a nine was actually the katakana "ta". Gasp! Apparently Naruto was able to realize this because he was constantly being asked to read Jiraiya's scripts for his naughty novels. Kakashi then conveniently appears with a copy of Icha Icha "Ta"ctics, which they believe holds the message as Jiraiya actually wrote that book while training Naruto. Kakashi turns to page 31 and blushingly reads aloud the passage.
The message is revealed to be "The real one isn't with them", which Kakashi believes is related to his fight with Pein, and the foursome go to talk to Fukusaku. Meanwhile, Madara and Pein with Konan are discussing the Tailed beasts. Now that Jiraiya is dead, Pein can concentrate on capturing Naruto, and Madara expresses his confidence that Sasuke will capture the Eight Tails. Pein prepares to go to Konoha with all five of his bodies, including a new female one. Will he succeed in getting Naruto?

Happy July The 4th Everyone!

2008-07-04T21:21:00.000-07:00

Whether you were at AnimeExpo, down at the beach, or chilling out in front of your computer, I hope you all had an awesome July 4th! And the best part is yet to come what with this three day weekend. Now I'm going to go enjoy me some fireworks. I'll see you guys tomorrow with the latest Naruto and Eyeshield 21 chapters!
Wait, there is no July the 4th in Japan! >_<

Bleach Volume 34 Cover Scan - King Of The Kill

2008-07-03T16:52:00.000-07:00

Sooo...Do we have any Nell fans in the audience? In fact, do we have any fans of boobs in general? Because if so, this latest cover for the Bleach manga will please you.
Personally, I...I just don't know what to say. Kudos to Kubo for giving some love to his male fans, but us females are gonna go sit over here and wish for a Byakuya cover. Any guesses on who the next cover will feature?

EDIT: Full res is up, enjoy!!

Bleach Movie 3 To Be Titled "Sayonara Rukia" (Tentative)

2008-06-30T16:33:00.000-07:00

In last weeks double Bleach episode, there was a one minute special featuring Kon running around New York at the Memories of Nobody movie premiere, which was nice and all but the real treat came at the end, where there was a little announcement about the upcoming Bleach movie. It's only a few seconds in length and there was no footage, but it's better than nothing. Here's the clip:

BTW, as I'm sure most of you know, theatrical adaptations of anime series are not canon (they're pretty much nice-looking fillers) so important characters never die. In other words, Rukia is not going to die. The movie will probably just be centered around her, which is cool cuz it might mean Byakuya and Renji will be more involved (me = Byakuya fangirl). I'll be sure to post as soon as find more information about the movie. And I'll be back to posting regularly on Bleach and Naruto episodes once these damn fillers are over.

Sunday AMV Spotlight - Spies

2008-06-29T15:16:00.000-07:00

In light of the recently released Coldplay album, Viva La Vida or Death And All His Friends, this Sunday's AMV features an older though still excellent Coldplay song, Spies. It's made by French AMV creator Toff, you can check out his website here (it's in French!) His AMV is very reminiscent of Tyler's Best of you AMV which I featured in this post. And they're both French, what a coincidence! Anyway...Check it out!

It's a relatively simple but immensely powerful AMV, and his synchronization was amazing. As I'm sure you all know by now, Youtube's quality is inferior and made of fail when compared to the original video, so be sure to give this a download at AMV.org, right here. Later!

Bleach Chapter 316 - Swang The Edge Down

2008-06-28T16:19:00.000-07:00

And so end the Pendulum chapters with a boom, and the present day arc begins again with a...bang? Lots of talking in this chapter, but it seems that the fighting will be starting up again shortly, and hopefully it will be exciting. By the way, there will be no chapter next week so that Tite Kubo can work on the upcoming chapters, which is kind of a bummer but hopefully it means he'll be putting lots of effort into this battle.
A young girl being chased through Karakura town by low-level Hollows is saved at the last minute when they begin to explode, apparently from all the spiritual pressure in the air. Aizen and the Captains of Soul Society are in a standoff, and some quips about each others powers are exchanged while we see the three top ranked Espada and their Fraccions. Yamamoto asks everyone to stand back, and he releases his zanpakuto, sending a wall of fire that blocks Aizen and the others from interfering with what we'll assume will be a fight with the top three Espada. Aizen is not alarmed, saying that the battle will not need their interference.
Meanwhile, Ulquiorra (remember him?) is slowly walking towards Orihime, and he asks her if she is scared. He coldly says that she is of no more use to Aizen, and that they are alone (creeepy!). Apparently he even plans to kill her, as he asks once again if she is frightened by the thought of dying alone with no one to help her. Orihime calmly responds that she is not scared; since all of her friends came to save her, her heart is already with them. Ichigo is racing to save Orihime , but will he make it in time before ~~the saddest clown in the world~~ Ulqiorra does away with her?

Naruto Chapter 406 - Unlock The Future

2008-06-26T21:01:00.000-07:00

Early release of this week's Naruto chapter! Not that I'm complaining, since this chapter has given us more insightful wisdom from none other than Shikamaru. Because it hasn't been rubbed in our faces for nearly the past 10 years that Shikamaru is a freaking genius who can spurt out wisdom that we don't even hear from people ten times his age. How's about we give the spotlight to, maybe, y'know, the 20 million other characters in Naruto who have appeared for like, five minutes, said yo, went on a mission or whatever, and we never see again. Like that spiky haired guy from the Chuunin exam. Let him say some nice, timeless advice, right? Why is it always Shikamaru?
So, this chapter began with Tsunade meeting with Ibiki concerning a frog Jiraiya left behind, a frog which holds the body of a captured Rain ninja. It seems that Ibiki's squad and the coroners are going to try and get all the secrets they can out of this body. Meanwhile, Shikamaru visits the Decoding department to see how the, err, decoding is going, to be greeted with the news that a "combination number" will be needed to break the code, a number which those close to Jiraiya will probably know. Shikamaru goes to ask Kakashi, who suspects it may be 106 (the size in cm. of Tsunade's breasts). Shikamaru is unamused and goes to see Naruto, who is still in a slump even after Iruka's little speech. He seems to be in a daze, but he begins to snap out of it when Shikamaru takes him for a walk and tells him how they must become the teachers they once looked up to. Hopefully, this will make Naruto a little more cheerful next week... -sigh-. See you tomorrow with the new Bleach chapter!

One Piece Manga Volume 50 Cover Scan

2008-06-24T17:52:00.000-07:00

I know I don't really blog about One Piece, but I just had to post the cover for the latest volume, which by the way is volume 50!!1! Congratulations One Piece! I mean, 50 volumes is just a hell of a long time for a manga to be running, and according to Eichira Oda, he's only about halfway through. Which, according to my extensively difficult mathematical calculations means One Piece might reach 100 volumes. Wow.
Click for super high quality bigness. Enjoy!

Eyeshield 21 Chapter 286 - Run Vs. Run

2008-06-22T20:25:00.000-07:00

This chapter is a milestone in the game against Teikoku Gakuen; t'was the first chapter that presented only one scene, Sena versus Yamato. The winner this time was Yamato, but something in his eyes in the last panel shows us that he just might not be as invincible as everyone says.
Last chapter Yamato had caught Karin's powerful pass, and now he races towards the end zone. Hiruma, Ishimaru, and Kuroki rush out to stop him, but they are helpless against his "true" Devilbat ghost technique. Finally it is just him and Sena, who remembers Shin's advice to focus on Yamato's middle body and jump to tackle him only at the last moment. This plan seems to work as Sena successfully latches on to him, but Yamato shows the strength of true football running when he continues to move, dragging Sena along with him. Sena is shaken off, but to everyones shock he manages to run ahead of Yamato and grab his shirt once more. He swears that he will not lose in speed, and even though Yamato pushes him away the damage has been down; there is now a fear in his eyes, a fear that shows his vulnerability. The Devilbats still have a chance in this game!

Bleach Chapter -97 - Let's Stop The Pendulum

2008-06-21T21:01:00.000-07:00

The pendulum has swung. It has destroyed the lives of eight individuals, sent three into eternal banishment, and set the events in motion that would be the basis of the events that take place in Bleach. It's time to stop swinging, it's time for the past to meet the present, and it's time for the Vaizards, whose lives the pendulum has changed the most, to pick their sides in the battle. And so the pendulum stops.
Urahara wakes up from what was probably a fitful sleep only to gaze in horror at the mask that now covers Shinji's face entirely. His plan to cure Shinji and the other afflicted Captains using the Hogyoku has failed, and Urahara goes outside for some fresh air, leaving Tessai to hold the fort. He barely steps outside when two members of the Secret Corps arrest them and take the two to the Central Room, where they begin to be questioned by who we can assume are the Central 46 (all of whom Aizen murders 100 years later). It seems that somebody has told the questioners that it was Urahara who had been experimenting on the eight captains and vice-captains for his Hollowfication plans. Of course, this is untrue, but when Urahara tries to protest he is shut down by some old hag; to make matters worse, another Corps member reports that there is evidence of Hollowfication in the Twelfth Division's labs.
Urahara and Tessai are in deep trouble now, as the Central 46 sentence them to banishment to earth and imprisonment, respectively. They also plan to deal with the afflicted Captains as if they were Hollows, in other words killing them. Once again Urahara tries to protest, but this time he is interrupted by Yoruichi, who enters the room wearing a mask. She grabs Urahara and Tessai and takes them to the secret room she took Ichigo to 100 years later. The three plan to hide out on Earth in gigais, while Urahara tries to find a solution for the Hollowification. Cut to Hirako in the present day, who expresses his gratitude to Urahara...and Aizen. The Vaizard begin to depart from their warehouse to join a battle where their two enemies and friends will fight each other. Whose side will they take?

Naruto Chapter 405 - What He Left Behind

2008-06-21T11:52:00.000-07:00

The horrible tragedy of Jiraiya's death has come to the forefront of the Naruto manga with this week's chapter. It is nearly impossible for everyone to comprehend that one of the characters who has been around for so long and who was the closest thing to a father figure that Naruto had (I mean, hell, he was his godfather) is gone. Naruto's reaction of anger and sadness is a grim realization of what the loss of one of the most important figures in his life will mean for him.
The old toad who came to bring the message of Jiraiya's demise revealed the number code he had left on his back, but Naruto is not interested in this news. He is angry that Tsuande would send Jiraiya on such a dangerous mission on his own, but it is revealed that she wanted to go with him. Naruto doesn't care and he walks out on the meeting, to Kakashi's embarrassment (even though the the frog elder seems to like Narutos personality.) As he remembers all the things he went through with Jiraiya, his sadness is so great that he turns down Iruka's offer of ramen. Restless and unable to sleep that night, he picks up a two-person Popsicle (like the one he and Jiraiya shared a long time ago) and sits alone on a bench, as tears begin to roll down his face. Iruka joins him on the bench, and after listening to Naruto's grievances he assures him that Jiraiya considered him one of the best men he'd ever met, cheering Naruto up. Meanwhile, Shikamaru is asked to help decode the numbers by Tsunade, who walks out on him to grieve on her own, as she remembers Jiraiya's cheerful smile.

Inuyasha Chapter 558 (Final Chapter!) - Tomorrow

2008-06-19T19:21:00.000-07:00

12 years and nearly 600 chapters later, the epic feudal fairy tale by the richest and most prolific manga-ka in Japan has come to a conclusion. After all the violence and action of the previous chapters, this epilogue of sorts ends the series on a light and wonderfully cheerful note, though in some ways it is bittersweet. Inuyasha and Kagome are finally together for good, but that has meant Kagome leaving her family and life in the modern world. Sango and Miroku are married with three kids, Rin is planning to return back to a human village (though Sesshomaru checks on her often), and Shippou is still working to become a proper kitsune. All in all a pleasant ending to a wonderful series. I'm happy Rumiko Takahashi was able to finish this at her own pace, and now we can all look forward to her new work! Hopefully it'll be a comedy, anyone who's ever read Ranma 1/2 knows the woman is hilarious. If you're having trouble finding this chapter, you can download it (and all the other chapters) over here.
If anyone's curious about this series or Takahashi's other works, I highly recommend checking out Rumic World, an extremely comprehensive website on all things Rumiko Takahashi, with a huge section on Inuyasha.

Situation Resolved

2008-06-18T15:31:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I brought to your attention (in the post below) that a certain website had been stealing my content and publishing it without my permission or credit. This has been resolved by the domain-master of his website, and it's all under control now. So I wanted to thank said master for his vigilance in addressing this problem.

As for some more upbeat news...

LAST DAY OF SCHOOL TOMORROW FDHFGDH...!!!

Ahem...In other words, tomorrow I'll be able to post a review on the last Inuyasha chapter (download it over at Mangatraders.com), and now that summer will have begun I'll be able to be more active on mah blog. See you then!

I'm Being Plagiarized?

2008-06-17T19:05:00.000-07:00

As if I didn't need something else to bother me besides finals this week...It has come to my attention that the website EZY Anime (link located here) has been taking the posts I publish here at Professional Rambler and publishing them on his/her own blog with no credit or trackback whatsoever. This is OBVIOUSLY against the laws of teh internets, and in all seriousness this cannot be allowed or accepted. I'm going to write to the author of EZY Anime and ask that he remove all of my posts and that he stop stealing them, but until he complies I just wanted to notify all my readers about this nasty situation. Please take this an as example of what not to do if you have or wish to start your own blog, it's kind of...ridiculous. Thanks guys.

Eyeshield 21 Chapter 285 - Koizumi Karin

2008-06-16T16:58:00.000-07:00

Perhaps even a bigger shock than the "real" Eyeshield 21 being on the Teikoku Gakuen football team is that their first-string quarterback is a girl. And a polite, soft-spoken one at that! Why was she chosen to be one of the most crucial players in Japan's best American football team? We find out in this chapter of ES21!
As Koizumi Karin enters the field, the stadium goes wild, revealing that the female ace has as many male fans as Sakuraba has female ones. Apparently Hiruma had informed his teammates (the more gullible ones, anyway) that Karin was a man, in the hopes that they would beat her up with no inhibitions. She and Sena face off, before the play...and start bowing and humbly asking each other for gentleness during the game. Hiruma notices that they are similar in that the both of them were forced (tricked, black-mailed, whatever you wanna call it) into joining the football team, and both of them pushed through the hard times to become one of the best on their teams.
Karin's story is that one day she was passing the team's football practice when a stray ball landed her way; upon trying to toss it back, she threw it way over the heads of Ibarada and Yamato, and they instantly recruited her onto the team. What the real catch to her throw, however, is it's strength, accuracy, and easiness of catching, making it the perfect kind of pass for Taka. Kurita bashes his way through the line to try and get through to Karin, and though it seems that Yamato will come to protect her he does not. Instead, Karin reveals that she can effectively dodge as well as throw, and Yamato effortlessly catches the ball. It is now him against Sena; who will emerge victorious in this game of speed?

Bleach Chapter -98 - Turn Back The Pendulum 11

2008-06-15T16:52:00.000-07:00

Eleven chapters in and it's finally been revealed; the Hogyoku! The reason for the events of the Soul Society arc, the reason for Rukia's near execution, the reason for just about every major event that's happened in Bleach is sitting on the palm of Urahara's hand by the end of this chapter. Why does Aizen want this object so badly? How does it lead to the expulsion of Urahara and the present-Vaizards from Soul Society? Will I pass the Chemistry final I have tomorrow and have yet to study for? Find out in this weeks Bleach chapter! Except for that last question, you'll never find that out.
Last chapter Urahara and Tessai arrived at the scene of the crime, where Aizen, Gin, and Tousen coolly stand. Tousen insists on killing them, but Aizen says their is no need. Shinji asks Urahara why he's here and he jokingly responds with a comment on his ugly mask. However, his smile disappears when he sees Hiyori's badly injured body on the ground. He asks Aizen what's going on, and is able to see through his rather weak lie of 'I was just walking by'. Urahara knows that the injured Captains are going through Hollow Tranformation, to Aizen's lack of surprise. The evil trio then leave, and though Tessai tries to stop them Urahara turns his attention to their friends. Tessai then proceeds to take them back to the Twelfth Division headquarters using a forbidden technique (now we know why he was kicked out of Soul Society), and Urahara unveils the Hogyoku, saying he will heal them using it. But how?

Naruto Chapter 404 - "Hawk" and "Akatsuki"

2008-06-14T18:17:00.000-07:00

Hey guys, sorry for the lapse in updates, end of the year jet lag is starting to kick in. I sure as hell wished I'd cleared up my like, million absences before the deadline. 'I swear they were all doctor appointments!' Yeah right kid, get to the back of the line. Anyway, enough with my tardy-grievances, it's time to review the latest Weekly Shonen Jump chapters! By the way, Animenewsnetwork has put up a pretty cool review of the Bleach movie's American theatrical release, check it out over here and feel free to compare it to my 'lil review right over here. Shameless self-promoting, I know :)
Now that the Itachi revelations mini-arc is officially over, we get to see more of Naruto and everyone else, though Sasuke and Akatsuki are still getting much of the attention. The chapter starts with Madara and Kisame talking, and Kisame says he thought that he, Tobi, had died. Madara then takes of his mask, though we are unable to see his face, and Kisame seems surprised. He says that he'll be able to move around easier now, and then addresses Tobi as Madara-san. Meanwhile, Naruto is napping on his bed when he sees Kakashi at the window, who says Tsunade wants to speak with him. The toads Gamabunta and Gamakichi are there too, and their suspicious behavior makes Naruto, well, suspicious. Might I add that I think Masashi Kishimoto has not drawn Naruto himself in so long that he's a little out of shape, because Naruto's looking kinda cool in some panels.
Naruto and Kakashi enter Tsunade's room, where Sakura, Sai, and the old frog hermit are waiting. Frog hermit confirms that Naruto is Jiraiya's pupil, and after shaking off the boy's rudeness he breaks the bad news; that Jiraiya has been killed in battle, to Naruto's disbelief. We then go to Sasuke (because it wouldn't be Naruto without Sasuke!) who's throwing himself into a chair during what looks like a meeting between Hawk and Akatsuki. Madara proposes that the two teams work together to reach their common cause, however, it seems that they might have different end goals in mind. Sasuke just wants to get rid of the corrupt Leaf Village elders, while Madara seems to want to wipe out the entire Village. After a brief skirmish between Suigetsu and Kisame, Madara says that if they all work together, they'll let Hawk have the Eight Tailed Beast. He then reveals in private to Kisame that Itachi was the only thing standing in his way of destroying Konoha completely, and that making Sasuke his own had been his plan from the start.

Bleach Movie 3 To Be Released In Winter 2008! And Other News...

2008-06-10T18:04:00.000-07:00

Doesn't it feel like The Diamond-Dust Rebellion just came out? Bleach fans rejoice, because the third Bleach movie's existence has been confirmed, as last week's Shonen Jump let us know. There is zero information out about plot, new characters, etc. but as soon as I begin to hear (or see) new news I'll be sure to let you all know.

Another exciting bit of news is that the long running (eleven years to be precise!) manga series we all know and love/hate, Inuyasha, will be ending with next week's chapter. It's been a hella long (and repetitive) run, but I think it's darn time Rumiko Takahashi closed the book on one of the most popular and famous manga series to ever be created.

Now, just a quick note; my summer vacation is starting in less than two weeks, meaning I'll have much more free time (when I'm not at work, chilling at the beach, etc.) to update things on this blog besides the weekly shows/chapters, which is what I've been doing lately. Hang tight until then, and I promise I'll write a review of the Naruto: Shippuden movie as soon as school's out :) See ya!

EDIT: One more notice, I changed the way everyone's comments are published so instead of you all having to type in that annoying code thingy, I personally have to check each comment before they're published. This prevents spam on my part, and makes things easier on your part. My email's always open, so I can approve comments almost as soon as you write them. So if your comment doesn't appear right away, that's why :)

Sunday AMV Spotlight - 300 Death Gods

2008-06-08T22:19:00.000-07:00

Ever since the epically digital movie 300 was released, over-exuberant fans have eagerly parodied it using every media source available, from V for Vendetta to Alvin and the Chipmunks to The Simpsons. I'm going to present one of these such spoofs today, and this being an anime blog it's obviously gonna be an anime related one, and me being a Bleach fan it's obviously gonna be a Bleach related one, and me being a Kenpachi fan...Wait, I don't wanna spoil it for you guys! Here, check it out:

It is clearly made from all that is good and holy in this world. In other words, 11th Squad. If you want to see this in all it's spartan glory, give it a download over here, at AMV.org. Because every time you download something from AMV.org, God creates a kitten. Wait a minute...

Bleach Chapter -99 - Turn Back The Pendulum 10

2008-06-07T12:28:00.000-07:00

This chapter has just given me another favorite Bleach quote evar, from Aizen of all people. It's cool. Really cool. Which is surprising 'cuz Aizen just never really seemed very cool to me (maybe it was, y'know, betraying the ENTIRE Soul Society, or something). Anyway, everyone is clearly super happy with this whole major flashback arc, as Kubo does not really want to end it. I'm getting tired of saying "next time we'll see the conclusion!", because I really don't know when this is going to be over. And to be honest, I really don't want it to end.
At the end of last chapter, Aizen, along with Gin and Tousen, had revealed himself as being the perpetrator behind the horrible Shinigami incidents (to the surprise of about three people across the world.) Shinji claims to have known all along there was something strange about Aizen, and he says the reason he picked Aizen out for his own squad was to keep an eye on him. Aizen then reveals that the man following Shinji around as his Vice Captain was not Aizen himself, but a man he had trained to act exactly like him. Shinji, who kept Aizen close but not close enough out of suspicion, never noticed this fake. He taunts Shinji by saying that it was thanks to his wariness that Aizen's plans were able to work, and that Shinji's friends are now in this state.
Shinji angrily rears up to attack, but to his horror the white substance that turns one into a Hollow begins to shoot out of his mouth and eye, and the same begins to happen to Love and Hachi. Shinji screams at Aizen to tell him what's happening, but his anger only speeds along what Aizen calls the "Hollow Transformation". Hiyori, who is standing still and listening to Shinjis screams, tries to say his name, and Aizen orders Kaname to strike her. Aizen then prepares to kill Shinji, and as he does so he says that awesome line; "The betrayal you can see is trivial. What is truly terrifying is the betrayal you don't see, Captain Hirako." But just in time, Urahara shows up ~~in his Little Red Riding Hood outfit~~ to stop Aizen's blow. How will he and Tessai affect the outcome of this tragedy?

Naruto Chapter 403 - Tears

2008-06-06T19:57:00.000-07:00

OK, the whole excessive flash backing thing in Naruto is starting to get kinda frustrating. Yes, it's nice to know when Itachi cried; yes, it's nice to know he didn't really want to kill his clan, but can we please get back to the present storyline? I guess flash backing works in some cases, like the present Bleach chapters, but Naruto's better when it sticks to the main storyline. Nevertheless, here's the review!
For the first time in a while the chapter starts with a scene concerning Naruto (he is the main character, remember?). However, we go straight to flashback as we head to the leave-off of his encounter with Itachi, who begins by asking Naruto why he wants to save his traitorous brother so much, to which Naruto responds 'because he's more of a brother to me than he ever was to you.' Of course, we now know why that statement is so ironic, and indeed Itachi has quite a sad smile as they begin to fight. Itachi asks what Naruto will do if Sasuke tries to destroy the Leaf, hinting that he may know his brothers indentations more than he is letting on. Naruto angrily retorts that he will protect the Leaf Village and save Sasuke without killing him.
Itachi smiles again, and then sends one of his genjutsu crows into Naruto's mouth, apparently transferring some of his power into Naruto. He leaves the fight, and we switch back to Sasuke and Uchiha Madara. Sasuke once again thinks back to the night Itachi betrayed the village, but we see things a bit differently this time. Instead of falling after the first time Itachi says his goodbyes, Sasuke seems to awaken the beginnings of his Sharingan, and goes running after his brother. He throws kunai at Itachi, and one of them knocks of his headband; he bends down and puts it back on, and we see tears flowing from his eye. Then Sasuke passes out. He tells Madara that he could never believe Itachi was actually crying, and then he says he will resurrect the Uchiha his own way, a way his brother probably would not have approved.

Bleach Episode 173 - The Appearance of the Great Evil! The Darkness in the House of Kasumioji

2008-06-04T21:02:00.000-07:00

This week's Bleach episode was...disappointing. It had bad animation, a weak plot, and it was just plain out boring, which is not something Bleach usually is. That horrible screenshot of Ichigo from last weeks preview pretty much summarizes today's episode. It was so mediocre, I don't even feel like giving it a proper length review. So here's a quick, filler-worthy summary.
Lulichiyo (there's a million different spellings of her name, bear with me), who had wandered off into Soul Society, runs into that creepy old man from the opening theme and his clan, who scolds her for running off. He seems to be in league with the Kakashi-lookalike. Ichigo, Rukia, and the bodyguards come running into Soul Society to find her, and Rukia bumps into Kenpachi, who now is trying to find Ichigo so he can fight him. Rurichiyo meets up with another little princess for a tea party, which Ichigo accidentally crashes while looking for her. He is driven off by the guards, and meanwhile Lurichiyo is attacked by this wild, crazy little girl; and when Ichigo tries to protect her, once again, he is met with fury by the guards. The crazy little girl then kills said guards, but is stopped just in time by...Kenpachi, who just wants to fight Ichigo. Turns out the girl was an assassin in disguise, but Kenpachi does away with him. Then there's a happy ending with a sunset and everything. Whoopee. Next episode looks a bit better, though, so see you then!

Eyeshield 21 Volume 30 Cover Scan - Updated!

2008-06-03T18:23:00.000-07:00

Though it's teeny tiny, I've come across a scan of the latest volume of Eyeshield 21, volume 30! Covering the game against the Hakusho Dinosaurs after Hiruma broke his arm, this volume's cover depicts Sena giving instructions to the team, the members of which are wearing unusually serious (yet determined) faces. As soon as I find a bigger scan I'll update this post, but until then:
EDIT: I found a high quality scan, enjoy!

Eyeshield 21 Chapter 283 - Absolute Prediction

2008-06-02T16:49:00.000-07:00

If I had to say right now who I think is going to win the Christmas Bowl, I would say the Devilbats. And that is for one reason: Teikoku Gakuen just scored the first points in the game. Why would this make the Devilbats win, you ask? Because in every game against a team that was supposedly stronger then they are, Deimon would always come back and win from a loss. That's just my view, let's see if I get proved wrong!
The end of last chapter showed us that Hiruma's arm had recovered enough to allow him to throw a bullet pass; its aim is a bit off but Monta is sure he will catch it. Sure, that is, until Taka (the receiver for Teikoku) seriously walks on air, does not even look at Monta, and calmly catches the ball. Now, I'm pretty certain he did not actually walk on air, but it sure as hell looked like he did! Monta falls to the ground in frustration, realizing Taka does not even care enough to look at him. Taka then effortlessly passes to Yamato, who catches the ball and runs for a touchdown, still with one arm behind his back. Sena runs to stop him but is hindered by a patch of snow, and Yamato scores the first touchdown of the Christmas Bowl for Teikoku. Sena swears he will catch him, but how can his team deal with such aces?

Bleach Chapter -100 - Turn Back The Pendulum 9

2008-05-31T18:56:00.000-07:00

It definitely looks the the Bleach flashback arc will be going into the -90's, as this chapter did not come very close to "neatly wrapping things up". However, not to many people's surprise, Aizen seems to be the one behind the strange happenings around the Shinigami, as the end of the chapter shows us. What exactly he is up to, however, has not been revealed, though I think we know one thing for sure; since Aizen was a trusted, well-liked Captain during the Soul Society arc, it can be assumed that no one besides the soon-to-be Vaizards and possibly Urahara will know what he was really up to.
Captain Kyouraku is making his rounds in Soul Society when he runs into some guards, who ask him why he is still up, to which he replies he couldn't sleep. Aizen is seen walking with a pile of books, and the two nod in greeting as Kyouraku walks on. He then runs into (and this made my day!) Ise Nanao, his future Vice Captain! Right now, though, she's the youngest member of Eighth Division, clearly a prodigy of some sort, though she appears to only be about ten or eleven years old. Apparently she comes once a month to read with Lisa Yadoumaru. Captain Kyouraku gently explains that Lisa won't be able to read with her tonight, but he promises she'll be back; as we see her fall in a shower of blood.
Kensei is still beating the crap out of the Captains and Lieutenants sent to stop him, and only a level 99 spell by Hachi is able to control him. Shinji wants to see what's under Kensei's mask, but Hiyori's violent coughing diverts his attention. A look of fear crosses his face as she tells him to let go of her. The worst has happened as Shinji falls from a slash across the chest; Hiyori has begun her Hollow transformation. Rose, Love, and Lisa move in to attack, but a familiar black shadow grips them all. Shinji is shocked to see Tousen, and he angrily asks how he could betray Kensei, his captain. It is not Kensei who answers his question, however, and as Aizen steps from the shadows with Gin right behind him he says Tousen has been loyal to only him. Shinji gives him a deathly glare; what are Aizen's intentions?

Naruto Chapter 402 - Last Words

2008-05-30T20:09:00.000-07:00

After reading this latest Naruto chapter, someone on the 'net brought up a very good point; is Masashi Kishimoto getting paid the same amount of money as all the other Jump artists? Because his past several chapters of Naruto have reused so much art from his other chapters, it's like he's only drawing half a chapter every week. Either way, the end of this chapter finally shows us something new; a shocking revelation of Sasuke's future plans!
The first half of this chapter was flashbacks to when Sasuke and Itachi were younger, during Itachi's early Academy days, and how he always told his brother he would teach him new tricks "another time". We then see Itachi's last moments, after he pokes Sasuke on the forehead, and with a sad smile on his face he apologizes to his younger brother, saying there won't be another time. Fade to the present, where Sasuke is overlooking the ocean; bitter tears are streaming down his face as he remembers his brother. Uchiha Madara and the three members of his Hebi Team watch him, and as a hawk flies into the distance Sasuke begins to speak. He is renaming "Snake" to "Hawk", and their only purpose will be to destroy Konoha completely!

New Banner, Thank You CloudyC!

2008-05-30T08:33:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! If you would be so kind as to raise your eyes to the top of my blog, you would see an awesome new banner made by one of the loyal readers of Professionalrambler, CloudyC, as a congratulations gift for reaching 20,000 hits. It was such an awesomely made banner that I decided to start using it from today! Once again, thank you CloudyC, and thank you all the visitors who continue to visit ProfessionalRambler! See you all later with reviews of the latest Shonen Jump chapters!

Bleach Episode 172 - Kibune Goes to War! The Violent Wind that Rages

2008-05-28T20:01:00.000-07:00

Soul Society? Real world? Soul Society? Real world? When will these fillers make up their minds? It looks like today's Bleach episode took place back in Soul Society as we see more hijinks by the new Captain of Third Company, Amagai Shusuke. Just to spoil it quickly; remember that little screen of Gin we saw in the preview of last week's episode? Turns out it was just an illusion. Sorry, fangirls, no Captain foxy for you today!
The episode started off with a scene right out of Naruto; Third Squad, led by Kira, is running around in search of a...cat. No need for Death Gods to be worrying about Aizen's plans to destroy the world, nosirree, we've gotta look for missing housepets instead! In case anyone was panicking, yes, the cat was captured. The rest of the squad is disgruntled by all the annoying jobs their Captain is making them do, but they cheer up at the mention of drinks. When Kira goes to turn in the report to his Captain, he momentarily sees Gin at his seat, asking if he's done. Kira gasps but the image quickly turns into Amagai, asking if he's alright. The new Captain then reveals why he's been giving his squad such menial assignments; he wants to build up the trust he felt was lost in the Squad when Gin betrayed them all.
The next day, Captain Amagai leads the squad in an exercise meant to build up teamwork, and though they looks kind of silly everyone is motivated and cheerful. Everyone expresses newfound respect for the Captain and his new assistant, though Kira is a little bummed that everyone likes them more than him now. He quickly cheers up after a few drinks at a bar (everyone is a freaking alcoholic in Soul Society!) with his manly friends Renji and Iba. The latter is worried that 3rd Seat Kifune is going to take Kira's job as Assistant Captain, which doesn't help Kira's mood. Just then, Kyouraku and Amagai come into the bar to have a drink. After a talk about improving the relations between all the squads, the new captain proves, once again, that he can't hold his liquor. Later on, in a surprise Hollow attack, Kifune shows his cold-heartedness when he tries to kill one of his Squad members in an effort to take down a Hollow. Kifune is starting to looks awfully suspicious; what could his violent actions bode for the future of Squad 3?

20.000 Hits! Yatta!

2008-05-27T20:34:00.000-07:00

Celebratory post is celebrating! On this wonderful day, May 27 2008, Professional Rambler reached 20,000 hits! That means since the time this blog began, back in November of 2007 (yeah, yeah, I know, it's not that far back) twenty thousand visitors have stopped by, whether for one minute or one hour. Whether you came here looking for a review of the latest Naruto chapter, or for a high quality scan of the newest Bleach volume, or for anything else for that matter, I hope you found what they wanted! A special thank you to the approximately 20 returning visitors who stop by nearly every day (or so StatCounter tells me), it makes me very happy to know that my blog is in your bookmarks, or feeds, or whatever. Here's to 20,000 more hits in the future! Ya~ha!

Bleach Chapter -101 - Turn Back The Pendulum 8

2008-05-25T15:38:00.000-07:00

The reason for the horrendous transformations of Soul Society's Shinigami is still not clear, but one thing is; those who have been transformed are now more like Hollows than actual Shinigami. The group known today as the Vaizard have gathered as one among them turns into a monster, but there's no telling what could happen next.
As the backup Shinigami sent by General Captain Yamamoto begin to arrive, they are shocked to find the barely-recognizable Kensei transformed into a beastly strong Hollow. As he attacks Love, the others prepare to fight; and though Hiyori yells at them to stop Shinji tells her it's their duty to stop him, especially if it really is Kensei. Rose and Risa plan on cutting his tendons so they can stop Kensei without killing him, but suddenly Mashiro (Kensei's VC) attacks Rose; it appears that she too has been turned into a Hollow.
She attacks Shinji but is stooped by the newly arrived Hachi, who tells everyone to run away, and then pins Mashiro and Kensei to the floor. He tries to ask Shinji what is going on, but is shocked to see Kensei beginning to break through his barrier through strength alone. Meanwhile, Urahara tries to sneak to the crime scene wearing a cloak that hides his reiatsu, but he is stopped by Tessai. After revealing that the two grew up together at Yoruichi's house, Tessai insists on going with Urahara to help everyone. How will these two be related to this horrible night?

Naruto Chapter 401 - Illusion

2008-05-23T15:30:00.000-07:00

It appears that this Itachi-revelations arc is coming to a close. More information regarding the Uchiha brothers has been given in these chapters than in the entire series combined, and now it's time to see some action!...in the next chapter, of course. Until then, more talking!
Uchiha Madara wraps up his expository speech by continuing to insist that Itachi cared for Sasuke more than anything in the world, providing further evidence by the fact that he killed Orochimaru personally so that Sasuke's curse seal would be gone forever. Sasuke continues to frantically insist that Madara is lying, but he is shot down every single time. Finally, being told that his life meant more to Itachi than his village, Sasuke seems to accept this impossible fact. The last pages show him freed by Madara, wearing a new outfit and standing by the ocean. A different air is about him; how will Sasuke live his life now that his brother is gone?

Bleach Episode 171 - Kenryu, the Profusion of Blooming Crimson Flowers

2008-05-22T17:36:00.000-07:00

I'm a little bit insulted after watching this week's Bleach episode. How rude of the directors to have a filler character with a similar ~~flower~~power as Byakuya's! Simply absurd! Even though it was nowhere near as as cool ~~or sexy~~ as Captain Pritti-Hairs, it's still pretty uncreative. At least, in this week's episode, the animation improved and the action wasn't as drop dead boring.
While walking home from school, Ichigo, Rukia, Rurichiyo, and her bodyguards stop by a vending machine, something the princess has never seen before. After buying her a drink, Ichigo and Rukia realize it might be fun for her if they all stopped by an arcade, to show her what some aspects of the real world were like. It's a great success, and on the way home they are accosted by Yuzu, who insists on inviting Rurichiyo over for dinner. She proclaims it delicious...until she finds the carrots in the stew, which apparently she dislikes. Ichigo, being the paternal blockhead he is, insists that she clean her plate, as those vegetables took a long time to grow (Supermarkets across Japan are flooded by anime fans wanting to eat Ichigo-endorsed carrots). Rurichiyo's bodyguards, the new Ceiling!Shinigami, burst into Ichigo's house and berate him for trying to force her to eat the carrots. Unfortunately they also let slip that Ichigo was asked to babysit Rurichiyo, angering her and causing her to run off from the table.
Her angry outburst puts Kenryuu and Enryuu in a slump, but they are quickly snapped out of it when Yuzu and Karin burst in and and say that Rurichiyo has left the house. They are even more alarmed when they see that she has switched from her gigai into her regular spirit body. They split up to search for Rurichiyo, but she was found by Orihime, and after a little discussion she agrees to go and apologize to her bodyguards. Just then, they are attacked by another one of the ninjas, one with a disgusting lance type weapon who is strong enough so that Orihime is barely able to hold him off with her shield. Just when things are starting to get messy, Ichigo and co. show up to rescue them. While fighting Mr. Ninja, Kenryuu shows off his horribly, horribly feminine rip-off-of-Byakuya's zanpakuto release, the special power of which is to cover the opponents weapon in flowers, rendering it useless. Amazing. Mr. Ninja is then easily defeated, but he kills himself before revealing any information. All seems well until the next morning, when Ichigo is rudely awakened by Kenryuu and Enryuu; Rurichiyo has gone missing again!

Eyeshield 21 Chapter 281 - Christmas Bowl

2008-05-19T21:11:00.000-07:00

It's finally here. Six years ago, Hiruma, Kurita, and Sena began their dream of reaching the Christmas Bowl, and they've finally made it. As the little side note says, the final decisive battle has begun! East versus West, Deimon versus Teikoku, the underdogs versus the reining champions, who is the better football team?
But before the game can start there is pondering to be done. While spectators from all over Japan are buying tickets, the Devilbats prepare in the locker room, sharing memories of the team's beginnings. Among others, the parents of Sena, Juumonji, and Hiruma (?!?) show up to watch this climactic game. As the Devilbats come running out of the locker room, they are surprised to see an enormous crowd has gathered to cheer for Teikoku, even though they are far from their home turf. Honjou and Monta pass each other without a word, and Hiruma tries to fool the opponents into taking it easy on him because of his injury. Yamato taunts the team by saying that he will play with only his left arm too, but Hiruma is unfazed. As the best in Japan face off, the whistle blows; the Christmas Bowl has begun!

Check Out My Wallpapers, Por Favor?

2008-05-18T19:15:00.000-07:00

I've recently gotten into making manga-themed wallpapers, with my first one having been accepted at Animepaper.net (the top site for anime wallpapers). Now that AP's are over I've had some spare time during the week, and this is my new way of wasting it :) It would be great if you had an AnimePaper or a Minitokyo account and could give my walls a quick download or comment, speak up and I'll be more than happy to do the same for you. Heres my Animepaper account, and heres my Minitokyo account. You can also find these links at the right hand side of this blog. By the way, my age on those accounts is false, I just randomly enter an age over 13 or whatever. As you could probably figure out I'm a junior in high school. Happy browsing! And here's a sneak peek:

Bleach Chapter -102 - Turn Back The Pendulum 7

2008-05-18T18:58:00.000-07:00

The end is coming. Things start to fall into place as the events of a hundred years ago continue to unfold. The one question on everyone's mind will be answered soon; what was it that caused the Vaizard to become what they are today?
The meeting of the Captains is underway as Urahara noisily enters, declaring that he wants to investigate the scene since his Vice-Captain, Hiyori, is there. Yamamoto refuses, and Urahara is about to argue when a sharp word from Yoruichi about showing respect to his Vice-Captain renders him speechless. Yamamoto continues his speech and makes plans to send Shinji, Love, and Rojuro (three of the current Vaizards) to the scene. He also plans on sending Tessai and and Hachigen, respectively the Captain and Lieutenant of the Kido Corps; however, Kyouraku insists on sending his lieutenant, Risa (another Vaizard, hmm hmm!).
Tessai accepts this change and heads off; Urahara is still upset that he is not going to help, but Kyouraku comforts him by saying it is the duty of the Captain to have faith in his subordinates. Meanwhile, a scratched up Hiyori is frantically running away from a mysterious figure who is intent on killing her. As the mortal strike is about to be given, Shinji shows up and protects her. He asks her why she didn't escape, and she responds by saying how could she? Shinji understand when he looks at what's been attacking her; it's Kensei, horribly transformed into a form similar to Ichigo's Hollow transformation. What is happening to the Shinigami?

Naruto Chapter 400 - In The Pits Of Hell

2008-05-17T20:50:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the lack of posts yesterday, it was the first Friday I didn't have to study for AP's and so I celebrated my butt off. And it looks like the Naruto manga was celebrating with me as the 400th chapter came out; that's right, count'em, 400 chapters! And as Sasuke's whole world comes crashing down around him, how will he handle more news of Itachi's true identity?
The shocking news that the Uchiha had planned a coup d'etat against the Leaf Village is a tremendous shock to Sasuke, as is the news that Itachi was a double spy for his clan and the Village. It turns out that when Itachi was a child, he lived through a terrible war that was burned into his memory, turning him into a person who wished for peace above all else. Unfortunately, for the sake of this peace, he was ordered to murder the entire Uchiha clan before they became too much for even the Fire Country to handle. He sought out Uchiha Madara and offered him a deal; in exchange for helping him wipe out the Uchiha clan, Madara would not touch the Leaf Village.
The two of them successfully completed the mission; however, Itachi refused to kill Sasuke. He did everything in his power, from pleading with the Third Hokage to threatening Danzou, to ensure that Sasuke would be kept safe from bodily harm and the truth about his family. And his final act was to set up the fight between him and Sasuke, so that he would die by his little brother's hand while giving him a new power. Sasuke's face begins to turn eerily blank as he insists that Madara must be lying. Could this new knowledge be too much for him to handle?

Bleach Episode 170 - Desperate Struggle Under the Moonlit Night, the Mysterious Assassin and Zanpakutō

2008-05-14T21:14:00.000-07:00

AP's are over! High schoolers across the nation rejoice as they are finally able to resume fun daily activities like sleeping, relaxing, partying, sleeping, etc. And a brand new Bleach episode was just waiting to be watched...unfortunately, it kinda stank. I was really having high hopes for this filler season, but if the quality keeps going downhill like it did today, I'll have to reconsider. Let's keep our fingers crossed that it doesn't!
So basically, in a nutshell, Rurichio and her two bodyguards, Kenryu and Enryu, go through a day at Ichigo's school, trying and failing to fit in. They go home and later that night are attacked by a ninja-wannabe who is probably after Rurichio; he fails in his kidnapping and ends up fighting Ichigo and Rukia, losing miserably and killing himself. Ichigo then holds a team meeting in his house, where we learn that Rurichio is part of a noble family and, uh, bad people are after her. The bodyguards then ask for Ichigo's assistance in protecting Rurichio, and he grudgingly agrees. In Soul Society, a Kakashi look-alike informs a crusty old man that his ninja failed, and said old man declares that taking over a clan is 'hard work'. ~Fin~
I know, kind of a half-assed review, but this was a really mediocre episode with pretty shoddy animation. But it looks like next week's animation will be pretty good, and the episode itself will hopefully be a bit better. See ya!

Eyeshield 21 Chapter 280 - The Talents of the Gods

2008-05-12T20:51:00.000-07:00

It's certainly been a while since I reviewed a chapter of Eyeshield 21. Familiar faces begin to appear as Deimon High School begins the headfirst dive into their first ever Christmas Bowl! Countless amounts of blood, sweat, and tears were taken from this underdog team, but the day has finally come where they would play against the undefeated, seemingly invincible Teikoku Alexanders. However, before the game can begin, some shady business gets underway.
Motivated to reach new heights after throwing away his beloved baseball glove, Monta continues to work hard under Ikkyu's coaching, and along with the rest of the team a significant amount of improvement can be seen in his skills. During the practice, Hiruma asks Unsui where his brother, the "fucking dreads", is. The surprising answer is training. Ever since his unsuccessful game against Deimon, Agon has begun to train everyday, and as his brother notes, he is now a match for no one. That very same Agon is now trying to join the Teikoku Alexanders with the goal of completely crushing Deimon!
Though at first one of the Teikoku players reminds him that if he switches schools he won't be able to play for six months, Yamato says that if Agon can beat him in a one on one match they will do something for him. The two geniuses suit up, and in a lighting flash play, Agon shows his god-speed impulse, as well as his instinct of when to back down, leading the mini match to end in a draw. Yamato compliments his skill, but does not say whether or not he will let him play. Meanwhile, at Tokyo Stadium, the bench-warmers from the Teikoku Alexanders are building a giant snow sculpture in front of the stadium. Habashira of the Zokugaku Chameleons notices this, and, being the softie he is, calls up his team and has them build a giant Devilbat snow sculpture to rival the Alexanders. What a way to begin the Christman Bowl!

Bleach Chapter -103 - Turn Back The Pendulum 6

2008-05-10T19:10:00.000-07:00

The pendulum is swinging faster and faster as Bleach's flashback arc begins to turn the corner into it's conclusion. Things are getting messy in Soul Society as more people begin to vanish into thin air, leaving nothing behind but their clothes and a horrible feeling of suspense. Who will be next, and who is behind these disappearances?
Captain Kensei, of Ninth Division, and his men have come across the remains of the ten men sent out from the Advanced Squad to investigate the disappearances, only to become victims themselves. He gives orders to his men with the intention of stopping the culprits before they reach Soul Society. At the 12th Division's laboratory, Mayuri and Hiyori are in the middle of an argument, when they are interrupted by Urahara, who wants Hiyori to retrieve evidence from the crime scene. She angrily accepts; however, the job may be trickier than it seems. Ninth Division has set up camp at the crime scene, and all is peaceful until screams fill the air. It seems that Todou, one of Kensei's men, has murdered his squad, but then he and everybody around Kensei begin to drop dead. Suddenly Kensei is stabbed through the chest by someone he seems to recognize. As an emergency bell begins to sound in Soul Society, Urahara panics as he realizes Hiyori is heading straight for the crime scene, and he goes after her. Who is responsible for this terrible massacre?

Naruto Chapter 399 - The Beginning of Everything

2008-05-09T16:46:00.000-07:00

If there's one thing we haven't seen from Masashi Kishimoto in a long time, it's one of his awesome two-page spreads. We got one this chapter, though, and it's wicked cool. One of the coolest spreads I've seen in a long time, and it's not even colored! This week's chapter was pretty good, as we continue the tragic tale of the Uchiha's fall, and the reason for Itachi's betrayal.
Uchiha Madara continues the story of his past with the Senju clan's Hashirama, who was the Leaf's first Hokage. The Senju clan and the Uchiha's were fierce rivals, and every move Madara made (including the taking of his brother's eyes) was for the sake of his clan's survival. Which was why he felt so shocked when both clans, tired of the constant fighting, decided to form a truce. He, being the Uchiha's leader, had to agree, and the Leaf Village within the Fire Country was formed. For a while there was peace, but Madara became angry when Hashirama became Hokage, feeling that the Uchiha clan was beginning to lose its status in the village. No one among the Uchiha's agreed with him, and, feeling betrayed, Madara left the leaf Village. In the spread you can see above, he challenged Hashirama to a fight, and at the Valley of the End (where Naruto and Sasuke fought) he was seemingly killed.
Of course, he hadn't been. Back at the Leaf Village, the Second Hokage made the Uchiha clan into the Village's police force, as a sign of trust. But in fact, it was a move that kept the Uchiha under surveillance and didn't allow them to revolt. Then, sixteen years ago, the Kyuubi attacked the village, leading the Village leaders to believe an Uchiha had plotted the attack, when it was in fact just a natural disaster. Suspicion of the Uchiha's led to their being segregated in a closed off area of the village, and though the Third Hokage did not approve of this, he was outnumbered. Unfortunately, the Village's suspicions were proved correct when the Uchiha's began to plan a coup d'etat. It was then that Itachi was planted as a spy among the Uchiha.

Bleach Episode 169 - New Development, the Dangerous Transfer Student Appears!

2008-05-08T16:43:00.000-07:00

So, I think the deal with the new filler arc in Bleach is this: Ichigo and co. did not 'suddenly get transported back to normal life', this is just like a flashback of sorts, perhaps taking place in the time between the Vaizard Arc and Orihime's kidnapping. That way, by the time this arc is over, any loose ends can be tied up without having to worry about affecting the future episodes. That's just my opinion, who knows what the real explanation is. But so far I'm not complaining, the animation's been nice and the story's been pretty good (so far) for filler; if the quality stays this good, this whole arc might not just be tolerable, but enjoyable.
A gate from Soul Society opens in a field next to the river running through Karakura Town, and two Shinigami step out. The big guy is pulling a little chariot, atop of which sits a young girl with her face covered by a lampshade of sorts. The smaller Shinigami says that they must wait for sunrise before they can move about, but the girl insists that she is hungry. Daybreak happens at Ichigo's house, and he is rudely awakened by his fathers attempt to beat him up, this time involving the use of a trampoline. A regular day at school begins, with art-class inspired humor, when Ichigo is interrupted by Rukia's cellphone, signaling a Hollow attack. As they race toward what seems to be a growing number of Hollows, the younger Shinigami (his name is Kenryu, the big guy is Enryu) loses track of the little girl they are in charge of, who goes to find food and ends up running into Ichigo. After a humorous interaction between the two, Kenryu and Enryu show up, snatch the girl (whose name is Rurichio), and leave Ichigo to be squashed by a group of Hollows.
Fortunately for Ichigo, his trusty Bankai is able to prevent him from becoming a stain in the ground, and to the surprise of the fleeing strangers his power is enough to take down all the Hollows with ease. Apparently Kenryu knows of Ichigo and his powers, though he does not offer any help. Ichigo joins up with Rukia, and Orihime, Chad, and Ishida show up to take care of the remaining Hollows. They had sensed an unfamiliar spirit energy, and once Rukia learns that Ichigo met the Soul Reapers, she spends the rest of the day on her cellphone trying to find out who they are. She doesn't get very far, but later that evening the three new strangers move right next door to Ichigo! A not-so-warm welcome ensues, and Ichigo is even more shocked the next day when all three of them transfer into his school. Why are they in the human world, and what do they want from Ichigo?

Naruto Volume 42 Cover Scan

2008-05-05T20:53:00.000-07:00

What a surprise, with almost no warning whatsoever I've just found a great scan of the latest volume of the Japanese Naruto manga, volume 42! I personally love this cover, it's been a while since we've had one that makes you want to smile and weep at the same time (smile 'cause it's cute, weep 'cause of Jiraiya's fate). Anyhow check it out:
It's not the most HQ scan, but for a first find it's pretty darn good, right?(Click to make it bigger). I'll be sure to update this post when a high-resolution scan comes out. The sketchy, watercolor feel it has is so nice too, a helluva effort by Masashi Kishimoto here! Now I'm gonna go cry in my little corner, thank you very much! (Dammit Jiraiya, why'd you have to die?!?)

Sunday AMV Spotlight - One Jump

2008-05-04T17:48:00.000-07:00

I'm in a Disney themed mood right now, so this week's AMV spotlight is gonna be a little bit different. I found this AMV a little while ago, and I watch it pretty often because it's hella good at cheering me up, for the reasons that it's a.) really funny and b.) really well made. It combines the song "One Jump" from the Disney movie Aladdin (the song sung at the very beginning) to the anime...Naruto! And it totally works, I mean, Naruto and Aladdin are very similar, both being street urchins who cause too much trouble for their own good. It's an awesome, hilarious AMV that's totally different from anything you've ever seen (I guarantee it!), so check it out below.

Of course, high quality is always better so give it a download right here at AMV.org. Pretty great, right? Just to let you all know, this week is AP Exams week for me, so I'll be a bit busy, meaning the review of the Naruto Shippuden movie I promised may be a bit late. 'Later!

No Weekly Shonen Jump This Week

2008-05-01T18:52:00.000-07:00

It's Golden Week over in the Land of the Rising Sun, meaning that the telephone-book-size magazine we all know and love will not be published. In addition to this sorry absence, there are no new Bleach or Naruto: Shippuden episodes this week, meaning I've got a pretty quiet schedule coming up as far as blogging goes. Good thing too, because this week and next week are AP's; the mere mention of these is enough to strike fear in the hearts of students all over America. However, a bit of good news, as I'm sure you all know the Naruto Shippuden Movie was subbed and released by Dattebayo, and I will probably review that at some point in the very near future. See ya later!

Blade of the Immortal: First Trailer for the Anime

2008-04-28T19:20:00.000-07:00

It's finally here! The first glimpses of Hiroaki Samura's epic, verbally anachronistic samurai manga-turned-anime is here! You can take a look at the very revealing trailer by clicking on this direct link to the website, right here! So far so good, me thinks, as the animation doesn't seem shabby at all and the artwork is as good as one could hope for, considering that Mr. Samura's art is incredibly hard to duplicate in animation. It also seems that the relatively large amount of violence will be kept intact, though I wonder how Bee Train will handle his famous center-fold death scenes. In case you don't want to bother checking out the link above (which leads directly to the trailer btw), you can watch it on Youtube in pretty high quality right here. Enjoy!

Bleach Chapter -104 - Turn Back The Pendulum 5

2008-04-26T18:23:00.000-07:00

It is 9 years after the appointment of Urahara Kisuke as Captain of the 12th Division. Ordinary members of Rukongai have been mysteriously disappearing, leaving nothing behind but their clothes and a nasty feeling that something is amiss in Soul Society. Shinji Hirako is questioning Urahara about the disappearances, but the young Captain innocently maintains that he knows nothing, though it is hard to not be suspicious of he and Mayuri. The 9th Division, led by present-day Vaizard Kensei, has been instructed to investigate these strange occurrences.
After being light-heartedly grilled by his Vice-Captain, Kuna Mashiro (another Vaizard), Kensei and his Division are attacked by an extremely large and stupid looking Hollow who has come to terrorize the Rukongai citizens. The skill of his Division members is shown as they help take down the Hollow, and a scared little boy with wild black hair is protected by Kensei. The Captain releases his zanpakuto with the cry of Blow, Tachikaze, and in a single instant the Hollow is destroyed. He then demands that the little boy cheer up, and as he helps him to his feet he asks his name. The boy is Hisagi Shuuhei, the present day vice-Captain of the 9th squad! This introduction is interrupted by the discovery of 10 abandoned Shinigami robes, and the chapter ends questioning the significance of that number.

Naruto Chapter 398 - The Leaf's Origins

2008-04-25T19:34:00.000-07:00

This week's Naruto chapter came with a really nice color page and cover, I imagine in anticipation for the recently announced new Shippuden movie. Just in case no one knows, the first Naruto Shippuden movie came out two days ago, meaning subs should be popping up on the web hopefully this weekend, though possibly some time next week.
Uchiha Madara/Tobi is telling Sasuke unbelievable information about his brother Itachi, information that completely contradicts everything Sasuke believed in for the past ten or so years. The only people who knew the truth about Itachi's real purpose in life were the Third Hokage, his three advisors (including Danzou), and Madara himself. Sasuke begins to panic at all this new information, and he blacks out to the memories of his older brother, waking up to find himself tied up by Madara, who wants Sasuke to listen to his story. The shocking truth, according to the Akatsuki leader, is that Itachi was ordered to go on his killing spree by the leaders of Konoha village. Before he continues, Uchiha Madara says that his story must begin at the founding of the Leaf, a story which Sasuke says he refuses to believe but listens to nonetheless. Before the Leaf Village was founded, two ninja clans were given the title of the strongest; the Uchiha and the Senju Clan. Madara was born into the Uchiha's with the strongest chakra they had ever seen, and it was this strength that led him into a fight with the leader of the Senju's, called the greatest ninja and the only man Madara ever respected. What will the outcome of their battle be?

Bleach Episode 168 - The New Captain Appears! His name is Amagai Shuusuke!

2008-04-24T14:41:00.000-07:00

'Tis the season for fillers, as both Bleach and Naruto begin to head into uncharted waters brought on by lack of material in the manga. Fillers in any case are annoying, but I at least have some hope for the Bleach ones, as they tend to highlight characters we don't see very often, and they don't take themselves to seriously. Unlike the Naruto fillers, which just plain suck. This episode of Bleach begins what is going to be known as the New Captain Amagi Shusuke Arc, which btw is what the letters underneath the Bleach logo in the new opening mean. We jumped straight from the Ichigo vs. Grimmjow fight into this arc with no transition whatsoever, and it looks like next episode Ichigo and co. are going to be in Karakura town too, so I hope the producers have a good explanation for this sudden switcharoo. I've heard mutterings of a flashback arc, a prequel arc, etc., but no one knows for sure. At least we got to see Byakuya in the new opening!
This episode was really just an introduction to the new captain himself. His character design isn't as annoying as the filler characters in the Bount Arc, and personality wise he combines Kyouraku's love for alcohol with Ukitake's politeness and sense of honor; he also has two "swords", making him even more similar to those two Captains. Anyway, he's come to replace Gin as Captain of the Third Squad, and together with his effeminate assistant he spends the episode introducing himself to Kira and the rest of his squad, meanwhile getting smashed off only a single cup of sake'. He and his assistant's relatively high fighting abilities are shown in a fight against a group of malicious Menos Grande which Third Squad is conveniently told to handle. The preview for the next episode makes it seem that we will be introduced to the next filler group, which is made up of a young girl and her bodyguards, around whom Ichigo's story will revolve.
A couple things I liked about this episode; even though it's the beginning of filler, the artwork looked really nice; some of the music seems to have been taken from the new movie (the Diamond Dust Rebellion), which is a cool change especially considering the movie's soundtrack was really good. The new opening was pretty decent, better than the last one but, IMO, not as good as any of the previous OP's. The fact that there was zero mention of the Hueco Mundo arc in it is a sure sign that this filler arc is going to last at least this whole season.