It has been revealed that Viz Media is planning on releasing a new shojo manga called Sweet Rein in North America on November 5th which is great timing considering it is Christmas themed. The shojo manga will cost $9.99 in the United States and $12.99 in Canada if purchased physically but it can also be purchased through the Viz Manga website or through any of the numerous digital media platforms.
Sad that she may be spending Christmas alone, Kurumi Sagara is out for a walk but while she is crossing the street a boy bumps into her and a mysterious rein comes out and binds the two of them together. This boy then says that she is now a Santa Claus and she is is master. Initially she thinks he is crazy but when he suddenly turns into a reindeer it becomes all too real.
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What would Master Chief do to help combat the rampant evils that plague the fantastic world of Remnant in RWBY?
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So last weekKill la Kill took a bit of a plot divergence and showcased the ridiculous humour that comprises a majority of the series. However, this week we’re back in action as a new badass character joins the fray. Now when somebody dramatically drives down the road on a motorcycle you immediately know that they are cool. It’s one of the rules of anime or something. Arriving at Hannouji, this mysterious mohawked man pieces together his high powered sniper rifle and takes aim at…Ryuko?
He is soon interrupted by the Gardening Club and their Two Star leader, all of whom are slightly ticked off that he walked through their flower bed in his pursuit of a vantage point. Unleashing the fast growth power of the Two Star gardening uniform, a plethora of precocious piranha plants pursue the powerful perpetrator. Now, as we have learnt from previous episodes, it’s a bad idea to challenge any Star Uniform without one of your own…it usually doesn’t end well. But not everyone is as badass as Tsumugu Kinagase. Avoiding the horticulturalist from hell, Kinagase unleashes a barrage of nails which have a power draining effect on uniforms, which is a very handy ability to have in Hannouji. Long story short, the Garden Club takes a dirt nap and Kinagase nets himself a new Life Fibre.
For science!
We now return to our regularly scheduled protagonist…
It appears that once again Mako has been kidnapped by an evil school club and is being used as bait to lure Ryuko into a trap. It doesn’t work, but the bad guys certainly are persistent…or stupid, get those two confused sometimes. With clubs constantly on the offensive, Ryuko has grown stronger and, unfortunately, a little overconfident in her abilities. But with new skills, like being able to shrink the Scissor Blade down to regular scissor size, who can blame her. In the middle of a lunch celebrating their victory, Mako is peppered with needles and taken out of action. Don’t worry though, when she wakes up any fatigue she had will be alleviated, any sickness cured and she will be full of vim and vigour. Anyway, mohawk takes this time to attack Ryuko and politely, but forcefully, asks her to remove her clothes. Just as he is about to take Senketsu, Kinagase is interrupted by a note tied to a pin…thrown into his hand. Promising to return, Ryuko barely escapes danger.
After revealing that it was Mikisugi who threw the note, we finally get to learn some more about his motives. Apparently he is a part of a larger organisation known as Nudist Beach who desire a world where clothes do not hold the power to augment people. We also learn from Kinagase that there is a danger of being consumed when donning a Kamui, transforming into a “monster” in the process.
Things are tense in Nudist Beach
Despite Mikisugi’s intervention, Ryuko and Kinagase wind up fighting the next day. After a little back and forth, their battle is interrupted by every non-athletic club as per Satsuki’s orders and co-ordinated by Nonon Jakuzure, whom we learn has been with the president the longest of any Elite. As the fighting spreads and escalates, Ryuko finds herself in the school building, battered, bruised and with a depowered Senketsu. Kinagase takes this opportunity to literally swing in and kick her into the bathroom wall. He explains to her that there was once a woman who claimed clothes as comrades, but she was betrayed and destroyed by them. Failing to convince Ryuko to back down, Senketsu detaches himself from her and prepares to sacrifice himself to help Ryuko escape. With Mako’s intervention and a threat/promise from Senketsu, Kinagase begins to understand that clothes aren’t inherently evil, deciding to give Ryuko one chance to prove herself. Though he promises to finish the job he started should things come apart at the seams.
The events that transpire in the bathroom are probably the most intense that have happened in the series to date. The fact that Senketsu was willing to be destroyed to save Ryuko shows how close the two have become in such a short time. When Senketsu is taken down, Ryuko appears visibly broken for the first time, being affectected by it more than any of the crazy events that have already happened. Though Mako appears once more in her timely fashion, her humourous rant also contains some pretty raw information. She notes how before Ryuko, the only friends she ever had were in her head which, whilst representing her quirky character, also lends to the terrible effect of Satsuki’s rule on the populace and their segregated lifestyle. It should also be noted that this is the first time in the series where nudity isn’t played for laughs or fanservice. When Ryuko is stripped of Senketsu, there’s no humour to it, instead it represents her vulnerability and loneliness without her friend. Amidst all of her bravado and badassery, this side of her personality hasn’t really been given any attention, so it’s quite the shift to see our hero in such a state. The dynamic between Ryuko and Senketsu definitely adds a depth to their characters and shows a rare sombre side not often seen in this ballistic series.
A side of Ryuko not often seen
As opposed to the previous episode’s off the walls humour and insanity, Epsiode 5 delves into the much more serious side of Kill la Kill. The development and exploration of relationships shows how there is some depth to the series beyond the awesome fight scenes. Even Satsuki is revealed to have a “softer” side, offering thanks to Jakuzure for understanding her true intentions and acting accordingly. I guess even evil can have friends. That’s kinda nice…right?
The English voice cast for Girls und Panzer was announced today by Sentai Filmworks. The anime is currently set to be released in North America on December 3rd and the extensive list of voice actresses, which include both veterans and fresh voices, can be found below:
Just a quick note, the following news is 18+. Now that that is out of the way Project-H Books has announced that they have picked up two new hentai manga licenses for release in North America. Fans of Yamatogawa will be pleased to hear that they have acquired both Aqua Bless and Witchcraft.
Currently both manga do not have a release date and at the moment Project-H Books does not know whether or not these will be released in the West in their uncensored format. Aqua Bless was one of Yamatogawa’s first hentai collections which features ten short stories while Witchcraft tells the story of a man who becomes a tool for a fortuneteller trying to test out her powers of hypnosis only for things to escalate very quickly.
Now this was a lovely little episode, putting the rift between Akari’s connection to the Sea and her new relationship in the spotlight. It seems like Hikari is becoming a more likeable character with each episode, while it turns out Chisaki is a much less perfect, more three dimensional person following her troubled emotions in the last episode.
It seems like Akari has resigned to ending her relationship with Itaru, letting go of her chance to join a family that has lost their mother once before. Partly because she feels responsible for letting down her village, but mainly because she can’t bear to see Miuna hate her for trying to replace her mother. The two used to get along so well, but after declaring her intentions to marry Itaru the little girl ostracised her. While Akari’s father is letting her make her own decision, Uroko-sama is reservedly adamant that the Sea People should not leave the village. Why? Well, we just don’t know yet. I think it’s a bigger deal than simply tradition.
Chisaki is struggling with her feelings for Hikari. On the one hand she hates herself for liking him and knows that nothing good will come of it, on the other she needs to tell someone. That someone ends up being the most unlikely person, Tsumugu, who she meets on the way to school. But blurting out your feelings in public doesn’t guarantee privacy, as Manaka happened to be right near Tsumugu.
Now’s a good time to break it down. We have Manaka who now knows Chisaki likes Hikari, as does Kaname who seems to know everything. Manaka on the other hand has a crush on Tsumugu but is closer to Hikari regardless. Hikari is loyal to Manaka as her best friend, and it’s likely those feelings can run deeper if need be. At this point, I don’t have any idea how this is going to turn out. Maybe those of you with experience can foresee this better? Unfortunately, Chisaki implores Manaka to forget what she heard, sweeping the problem under the rug without taking care of it. You know that’s not the right move, Chisaki!
After Akari breaks up with Itaru, Miuna runs away. Akari makes a panicked phonecall to her brother, Hikari and here is one of the coolest lines of the show so far. He basically tells her to quit acting all grown up like their deceased mum, and to go and be Miuna’s new mother instead. When the friends eventually find Miuna, who doesn’t want to go back, Akari meets Itaru again and reiterates her love for him. Despite admitting how she acts like a kid who wants everyone she loves, she can’t bear to give them up. This pretty much settles it, Akari can start packing her bags!
The last part of the episode is my favourite in the series so far, some quality bonding time between Hikari and Miuna. It’s a beautiful moment between what could possibly be future siblings-in-law. As Miuna remembers her mother who was from the Sea Village, she throws herself into the sea out of desperation, lamenting why she can’t swim like her. Those born between two types of people will not retain the ability to live underwater, after all. As the two hold each other, bobbing in the ocean, we find out Miuna rejecting Akari was simply defensive behaviour because she didn’t want to lose someone like her mother again.
The episode concludes with Akari bawling her eyes out as she makes up with Miuna, who seems much more matured. Out of the episodes so far, this one has reason to bring out the tissue box the most. I just love how such a simple show ends with so much impact, every time. Just look at that tear drop, that’s deep. Once again, I can’t wait to see where Nagi no Asukara ends up!
It has been seen revealed by Microsoft that Ryse: Son of Rome will feature a season pass when it launches alongside the Xbox One on November 22nd. Unlike the season pass for Dead Rising 3, this one will be more moderately priced at $20 and will give gamers access to all four of the upcoming expansions.
These four DLC packs will include fourteen multiplayer maps, a new gameplay mode, six player skins, new level events and the ability to access some new weapons and armor. These packs will be released individually but it is worth noting that those who do pick up the season pass for Ryse will net themselves an exclusive sword and shield.
Chris Lilley has created classic television comedies (We Can Be Heroes, Summer Heights High, Angry Boys), filled with memorable characters, but by far one of the most memorable has been of the year 12 private school girl; Ja’mie King. Ja’mie was originally introduced in Summer Heights High, where she was a transfer student from one of the local private schools. Well now Ja’mie is back in her natural habitat of Hillford Girls Grammar will stop at nothing to climb her way to the top of the popularity ladder, dissing all enemies and pashing all hot boys in her path.
Ja’mie: Private School Girl follows Ja’mie in her last year of school, including all the twists, turns and tribulations that many of us went through. Things like finding a partner, and planning a Schoolies trip are all covered here, with Lilley’s signature satiric comedy stylings.
Ja’Mie: Private School Girl is available from November 28th on DVD for the RRP of $29.99, from ABC TV (the Australian one, not the American ABC) so it would make that perfect holiday gift for any Chris Lilley fan, or anyone who went to school with someone like Ja’mie.
On November 14, Paramount Pictures‘ Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa will hit cinemas nationwide. The film has been entertaining Americans for almost a fortnight, debuting at #1 on its release weekend at the box office with a $32 million take.
After sharing with you the behind the scenes featurettes on both the ‘Broken Ride’ and ‘Estate Sale’ gags just days ago, we now have another, this time focusing on the ‘Penguin’ incident. I say incident because there almost was one, if it weren’t for Irving Zisman’s (Johnny Knoxville) old age. Check it out directly below. And also, embedded at the bottom of this article, you will find an entirely new clip from the ‘Wedding’. As I said last time, Billy – and Jackson Nicholl who plays him – is an evil kid… if your grandpa falls over and potentially breaks a hip, you don’t just stand there and eat wedding cake!
As far as crazy episodes go, this one would have to be one of the craziest. Episode 5, 100% Fake, begins with the start of the fight between Aoki and Imae which began at the very end of the last episode, I say “begins” because the last episode showed nothing of the fight except for the combatants entering the ring. The way I do these Anime Impressions every week is very much like a “play-by-play” recap for the episode and considering Hajime No Ippo is an Anime about boxing I believe it fits quite well, this week though I’m going to stray from that path because I feel as though this episode is forcing me to, even if just a little bit.
Episode 5 plays out almost like a game…not a match, a game. Remember that Aoki and Imae are two totally different fighters each occupying their own end of the spectrum so you can see why this battle is both odd and exciting. Imae being the champion and the orthodox fighter almost automatically takes the lead, Aoki goes in to brawl but Imae is having none of that and continuously has him back off with a few swift, left-hand jabs, very normal and very simple yet effective in a fight of this kind. The Hajime No Ippo-style humour kicks in with Aoki ducking, dodging and scrambling around the ring in an attempt to both start his own fighting rhythm and to hook Imae in, once again, he’s having none of it and Aoki is cut down again.
This is where it gets even more interesting. The first fight of the series had Ippo defend his title against a man that swore he had a way to destroy the “Dempsey Roll” which happens to be Ippo’s signature and most deadly technique, within this fight we have Imae swearing that, through his study of Aoki’s style, he can destroy the “Frog Punch” which happens to be Aoki’s more favoured technique. It seems to follow the same match layout and I’m lead to believe that it wasn’t just a happy coincidence, Aoki wants to rise to the level of Ippo and Takamura, what better way to do it than to prove that you can do exactly what they did. Defeat the man who has trained strictly to defeat you, it’s simple, it’s symbolical, it’s a Hajime No Ippo staple and it works.
Aoki tries for the “Frog Punch” and, like what Imae boasted about, it is quickly denied and Aoki is sent to the canvas mat, this happens a couple times throughout the match alongside general Aoki beatdowns both physically and, what seems to be, mentally but I want you to remember the title of the episode, it’s called “100% Fake” for a reason. Through playing dead and playing weak, Aoki closes the gap between him and his opponent, not literally but metaphorically, this was his plan from the start and it proves to the audience that, despite the look of this man’s fighting style, he is truly a boxing genius. Aoki is a fantastic fighter that plays dumb, he makes his opponents loose their cool and he strikes them down.
I mentioned this above; I’m not going to take you through the play-by-play, what I am going to do is tell you how the episode ends because this was truly the highlight of the episode. Imae is worn out yet Aoki, being the trickster he is, is perfectly fine and recovering stamina by the second which is fantastic because up until this point he made the audience believe that he was on the verge of another loss. Imae can barely stand in a fighting pose as Aoki springs real close, he goes in for a massive hit, Imae’s shock sets in and then…nothing…Aoki steps back and both are frozen where they stand, Aoki slowly looks to his right, he looks to be in shock and both Imae and the audience follow, who the hell takes their eyes off of their opponent?
It isn’t shown but Aoki, during the glance away from the fight, crouches and springs into a “Frog Punch”, an attack that broke Imae both physically and mentally. What’s worse is that Aoki manages to get him again with the same tactic, it seems like Imae has been broken BUT the fight didn’t end in this episode, I’m guessing that the next episode will have this battle come to a close and, I have to say; Hajime No Ippo is so good at leaving you on a cliffhanger, it’s just enough information to be able to speculate on, I love it! Check out more Hajime No Ippo – Rising Impressions HERE.
It has been revealed that Viz Media is planning on releasing a new shojo manga called Sweet Rein in North America on November 5th which is great timing considering it is Christmas themed. The shojo manga will cost $9.99 in the United States and $12.99 in Canada if purchased physically but it can also be purchased through the Viz Manga website or through any of the numerous digital media platforms.
Just a quick note, the following news is 18+. Now that that is out of the way 
