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Black Jack TV Reaches Crowdfunding Goal for Anime Sols DVD
Fan arrested in South Africa for giving Orton a low blow
DarylsuratHahaha
An unidentified fan snuck into the ring with security seemingly asleep, as Randy Orton was posing on the turnbuckles after a win over Big E Langston in a match today in Capetown, South Africa.
The fan gave Orton the kind of low blow that Ric Flair would deliver from behind or that women would give to guys during Russo era of WWF. Orton went down hard, but got up. Security grabbed the guy and hauled him off, but not before Orton kicked him in the head.
TMZ.com has about a 20 second video of the incident.
The WWE released a statement regarding the incident saying, "Tonight Randy Orton was violently attacked from behind by a South African fan, who is currently being held in jail pending criminal charges. The extent of Orton's injuries are unknown at this time."
WWE Column: The Natalya "Ugly Duckling" gimmick and Be a Star
DarylsuratTotal number of years the Bellas have been in WWE: 6
Total number of shows per week WWE does they'd be on: 2-4
Total number of good or even watchable matches the Bella Twins have had, lifetime: 0
It’s no secret that in today’s society, image plays an important role in one’s life. Whether it’s the clothes they wear, the way they style their hair or simply the way the look, people are quick to judge with the explosion of social media and the ability to remain hidden or anonymous on the internet. Cyber bullying has become an issue in recent years with hurtful language being spewed forth more often than ever before. It’s rather easy for someone to make claims against someone from behind a keyboard where they are protected from being attacked for their own faults, yet this idea of pointing out the flaws of one’s self is persistent in our culture to this very day. WWE has made an attempt to curb said bullying with their impressionable young audience by promoting their Be A Star Campaign, created in conjunction with the Creative Coalition.
From WWE’s own website, this is their mission statement:
“Be a STAR (Show Tolerance And Respect) was founded by The Creative Coalition and WWE in April 2011. The mission of Be a STAR is to ensure a positive and equitable social environment for everyone regardless of age, race, religion or sexual orientation through grassroots efforts beginning with education and awareness. Be a STAR promotes positive methods of social interaction and encourages people to treat others as equals and with respect because everyone is a star in their own right.”
WWE does have the ability to change perceptions in society based on their own content and what they choose to promote or, likewise, refrain from airing. Now, as a wrestling company, there are only so many ways WWE can tell the “Good guy vs. bad guy story” without it becoming redundant, repetitive, and monotonous. It’s David vs. Goliath or some breakout star that fans want to see succeed. With their inclusion of the Be a Star campaign as promoted on their website (though admittedly has not been pushed on their flagship show as often as it used to be), they should be able to follow the guidelines listed as a part of said campaign on their own show. Is it unreasonable to believe that WWE should be able to follow through with these promises?
This past week on RAW, WWE aired multiple segments in which the Bella Twins called Natalya, “The Ugly Duckling” and then proceeded to use a duck call making fun of Natalya during their match later on in the night, causing enough of a distraction for her to lose and look on despondently towards said twins. While on the surface it might seem harmless to have them poke fun at her looks, there is much more at stake than appears at the surface.
The hypocrisy of their Be A Star campaign is full-fledged during this segment. From their own mission statement,
“Be a STAR promotes positive methods of social interaction and encourages people to treat others as equals and with respect because everyone is a star in their own right.”
WWE wants to have their cake and eat it too. They want to appear in good faith making a concerted effort towards curbing bullying, yet they continue to air such storytelling and programming in order to garner attention for their divas. WWE’s writing suggests that to women, their body image is what is most important to them, and if a diva, or any woman for that matter, does not fit their criteria of beautiful they must be considered ugly. What does this say about both the women that watch and the men that have an unrealistic view of the female form?
The WWE Diva is not the average woman, and rightfully so. They are required to perform on a regular basis and image should be important to the brand they are representing. But pointing out those that might be different because they don’t fit the form of beautiful or good-looking based on their pre-disposition of what is considered attractive displaces those that are not in WWE, which is a majority of women.
Yes, I am aware that WWE is attempting to tell a story and have the Bella Twins be perceived as the heels, but there are plenty of ways to portray or develop a story rather than poking fun at someone’s image that might be different. WWE could learn a thing or two from it’s own Be A Star campaign,
“Furthermore, The Alliance debuted Be a STAR Chapter Toolkits to help schools and communities start their own Be a STAR chapters. The free kit includes a guide on how to start a Be a STAR chapter, suggested activities, resources, a poster and other useful tools to combat bullying. The chapter toolkit has been downloaded by more than 4,000 students across the country.”
If they have this content accessible to them, why are they not using it to write their own programming? Why allow for such irresponsible writing to even come to fruition? Plain and simple, WWE does not follow their own protocol to write their own content. They will gladly put themselves on a pedestal promoting themselves as this great company that is about anti-bullying and everyone must be treated equal but that idea doesn’t cut it with such lousy writing. Nearly any other trope would be perfectly fine for a potential feud between the Bellas and Natalya. The Bellas could use twin magic to beat Natalya, they could cheat in another fashion, but pointing out one’s alleged physical flaws does nobody any good. It’s the same when Vickie Guerrero was constantly being labeled as fat by Jerry Lawler on commentary.
Image does play an important part in everyday life. People are making judgments constantly based on each other’s looks, and while unfortunate, it is a part of everyday life. WWE could do much more to curb said behavior but they choose to turn a blind eye when it’s convenient for them.
According to anand.org, a website regarding eating disorders, the following statistics are downright shocking and apply to WWE as a media device for men and women:
“The mortality rate associated with anorexia nervosa is 12 times higher than the death rate associated with all causes of death for females 15-24 years old.”
“The body type portrayed in advertising as the ideal is possessed naturally by only 5% of American females.”
“69% of girls in 5th-12th grade reported that magazine pictures influenced their idea of a perfect body shape.”
Why is this important you ask? Image has become exponentially more important for the female talent with the debut of their new show, Total Divas on E! They are now in the spotlight more than ever as no other talent has a show designed for their own brand like the divas do now. WWE needs to recognize the important role they play as they mold young minds and create perceptions of body image on a weekly basis. With the idea that they can make fun of Natalya as an “ugly duckling” and get away with it because they are a form of entertainment is both insulting and reprehensible.
From WWE’s Website:
“Through the Be a STAR website, over 30,000 people from all 50 US states and from 91 international countries have taken the pledge to end bullying through WWE’s Be a STAR program.”
Yet WWE fails to acknowledge their inability to end bullying on their flagship programming by continuing to air questionable content. Though it might just be a simple annoying duck call, it resonates with those fans that see themselves as inadequate or incapable of being beautiful in the eyes of WWE. It’s shortsighted, degrading and offensive. It’s a shame WWE feels the need to belittle someone based on what they perceive as deficiencies because of the high-school locker-room mentality that still permeates the WWE to this day. Natalya is currently their best in-ring worker yet they choose to define her by what they choose is important, instead of letting her stand out on her own based on her unique characteristics and ability inside the ring. WWE has a long way to go before their divas division becomes interesting again, and with the addition of the Total Divas show, it’s going to get much worse before it gets any better.
Phil Fish Gets Fed Up, Cancels "Fez II"
DarylsuratThe hardest decision I made during the Steam Summer Sale was whether or not to buy Fez, since doing so would mean that Phil Fish would get a tiny portion of the money. Another big reason everyone hates this jerkazoid is because they were tricked into watching the no-good "Indie Game: The Movie" for which he has his fair share of prominence. There is nothing in his film portrayal (which is meant to be POSITIVE!) that conflicts with his online one. Don't try to apply the principles of visual design to games, folks!
Also, Phil Fish said he wants to design houses someday. DO NOT LIVE IN A HOUSE DESIGNED BY PHIL FISH.
Phil Fish has been a controversial force in the world of independent gaming, and people love taking little things he says on Twitter and blowing them out of proportion. His latest outburst, however, is the real deal, and according to a follow-up posted on the Polytron website, Fez II is officially cancelled.
It's tough to say much more than "that was fast," especially considering the fact that the sequel was just announced in June at E3's Horizon Indie Game Conference. After having a bit of a blowup on Twitter a couple days ago, this message was posted on his site, typos and all:
FEZ II is cancelled.
i am done.
i take the money and i run.
this is as much as i can stomach.
this is isn't the result of any one thing, but the end of a long, bloody
campaign.
you win.
It's almost poetic. Despite the fact that a public spat on Twitter was initially seen as the reason for Fez II's sudden cancellation, it appears there isn't any one specific incident but many over the past few years that have caused Fish to abandon games entirely. His Twitter account is now protected, so you'll have to follow him if you want to see what else he has to say.
Anyway, regardless of how you feel about Fish, it's a bummer to see someone chewed up like that so quickly. Who knows what the future holds for Fez, if anything, but it's looking pretty grim at the moment.
Via Joystiq
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Joseph Luster is the Games and Web editor at Otaku USA Magazine. His blog can be found at subhumanzoids. Follow him on Twitter at @Moldilox.
Official "Jormungand" Dakimakura Available at Summer Comiket
Darylsurat"This confirms that she is the most moe character in the series" --it's the eyepatch
More females with washboard abs! Weapon dealer action anime Jormungand's own Valmet can now lay with you as a soft dakimakura.
Valmet looks like she is ready for you! I commend COSPA's decision to turn her into dakimakura even before Koko or Jonah. This confirms that she is the most moe character in the series. The body pillow will be available at Comiket this summer for 9,000 yen and will be available in October at COSPA if inventory allows it.
Source: COSPA
Feature Watch: Attack on Titan Anime
Feature Watch: One Piece Enters a Strong World
Anime World Order Show # 116 – Bizarro Gaijin Sex in Japan, Also Hayao Miyazaki Movies
DarylsuratThis is a pretty much spoiler-free discussion given that nobody in America has really been able to see this movie yet.
true story swear to God
3rd Season of Hajime no Ippo Anime Green-Lit
DarylsuratIT'S ON LIKE NECKBONE
Interview: Helen McCarthy
Kaito's Cross Manage Lacrosse Manga to End on Monday
DarylsuratNOOOOOOOOO
Guide to the Injustice Roster: DLC Appendix 5
Evo 2013 has come and gone and while the bland Injustice: Gods Among Us tournament showcase probably poisoned the well for the game getting another high-profile appearance next year, it did at least show off a new trailer for Injustice DLC. Not only is John Stewart an available alternate skin for Green Lantern (Phil LaMarr voice acting included), but they’ve announced the first of the second set of DLC characters in Martian Manhunter.
So let’s take a look at the history of everyone’s second-favorite cookie monster.
MARTIAN MANHUNTER
Alias: J’onn J’onzz, John Jones, Fernus the Burning, Bloodwynd, Bronze Wraith and dozens of others
First Appearance: Detective Comics #225 (1955)
Powers: Super strength, speed, shape-shifting, telepathy, invisibility, laser vision, flight, intangibility
Other Media: Was a big player in the Justice League cartoon, showed up on some of the different Batman cartoons and starred in the terrible live-action Justice League pilot/movie.
Years ago, Patton Oswalt wrote a graphic novel called JLA: Welcome to the Working Week, where the main character – existing as Oswalt’s mouthpiece – referred to Martian Manhunter as the Bob Dylan to Superman’s Elvis Presley. When you’re a kid, you love the optimistic spitcurl, but when you get older, you start to appreciate the more serious giant brow. Martian Manhunter is a great foil for Superman, mainly different in that he was an adult when he made his exodus from his dying planet and that affects him differently.
The original origin was that J’onn J’onnz, a Martian lawman, was accidentally transported to Earth thanks to an experiment by Dr. Erdel. While Erdel would have been able to send him back, the shock of seeing this Martian caused him to have a heart attack and die. In the original continuity, Mars was still populated, so J’onn was driven by his quest to return. Back then, the idea of shipping a guy to Mars, even in a superhero world, was considered rather difficult. How novel.
J’onn used his shape-shifting abilities to take the identity of John Jones (get it?) and became a detective who would use his powers to give him the edge. His appearance as Martian Manhunter was meant to be a middle-ground version between Martian and human, being the best of both worlds. He joined the Justice League, used mainly as a stand-in for when the publishers felt Superman was being used way too much. For decades, J’onn was considered to be THE staple member of the Justice League. He appeared in nearly every incarnation of the team, which offset how little juice he had in carrying his own solo series, no matter how many times they tried.
Eventually, J’onn was reunited with his people and went on to rule Mars. He was written out of comics for a while until being brought back into the Justice League fold. I seem to remember that he had to save Earth from his own people in the final adventure of the classic “Satellite-Era Justice League” (ie. the original version of the team that started in the 60′s and ended in the 80′s). There was a part where he challenged another Martian to a fight and while the narrative strictly said that they were both invisible during this fight, the artist drew them like normal anyway.
Things got pretty dark for Martian Manhunter around this time. He was on the outs with his race. He joined the infamously bad Justice League Detroit (otherwise known as Aquaman leading a team of angsty teenagers) and ended up becoming the leader towards the end, only to have a couple of the kids tragically die on his watch. Then after Crisis on Infinite Earths changed continuity, it also reshaped J’onn’s origin. J’onn’s insane brother unleashed a plague upon Mars that wiped out everyone but J’onn himself. Not only did Dr. Erdel’s machine pull him from space, but also from time. The destruction of Mars was thousands of years ago. Like Superman, he was the last of his kind… until they brought in guys who were also Martians down the line.
It picked up for J’onn, though. He had a big role in Justice League International, known for being the fun and funny era. He mainly played the straight man to jokey characters Guy Gardner, Blue Beetle and Booster Gold. Thanks to Captain Marvel, he was also turned onto Oreo cookies (later renamed Chocos due to trademark) and became addicted. He also led his own Justice League side-team called Justice League: Task Force and nothing of note came from that other than the time he temporarily turned himself female.
Every now and then, J’onn and the Justice League would have to face the White Martians, a genetic offshoot who were more dedicated to war while the Green Martians were more peaceful. The most famous of these battles was the beginning of Grant Morrison’s Justice League run where a team of superheroes came to Earth to create a utopia while antagonizing the Justice League. Batman figured out that they were White Martians in disguise and easily defeated them thanks to their weakness of fire.
Fire is something all Martians fear, though it’s shown to be more of a psychological weakness than physiological. In other words, fire only hurts J’onn because he lets it. He briefly got together with a reformed fire-based villain named Scorch, who helped him get over his fear of fire. This turned out disastrous. We found out that eons ago, when the Martians were still primitive life forms, they were both bloodthirsty and virtually unstoppable. The Guardians of the Universe (Green Lantern’s bosses) were concerned with what this would mean if the Martians could evolve to figure out space flight. They intervened and subdued the entire race, injecting them all with a fear of fire as a way to keep them all in check.
No longer bound by this gigantic weakness, J’onn became corrupted by this savage, forgotten piece of his bloodline. He became a beast known as Fernus the Burning and showed that he was really the most powerful member of the League all along, as even Superman was helpless against him. Turned out Batman had a solution to this situation as well by siccing Plastic Man on him. Plastic Man’s immune to mind control and has a better grasp on shapeshifting, so he was able to help take down the mad Martian. J’onn and Fernus were separated from each other as two different identities in the end.
Nothing much happened with J’onn for a while. After Infinite Crisis, he got a new look that looked closer to his pure Martian form, mainly due to his pessimism towards humanity. This was for his new solo series which once again sold like shit and was canceled. J’onn was killed by Libra and the Secret Society of Supervillains in the story Final Crisis. Sweetly enough, Batman visited J’onn’s tomb and left a single Choco cookie.
J’onn returned from the grave during Blackest Night as one of the more unbeatable walking corpses. At the end of the story, he was one of the dozen characters fully resurrected. J’onn then starred in the series Brightest Day, where he was able to make Mars fertile again and ended up clashing with an insane Green Martian D’kay. J’onn had to kill D’kay and destroy the budding life on Mars, showing that in the end, Earth was his only true home.
With the New 52 reboot, J’onn had never joined the Justice League in the past but instead was part of Stormwatch, a cloak and dagger superhero organization. There, J’onn fought against evil from the shadows, but eventually left the team and removed all their memories of him being there in the first place. Since then, Martian Manhunter has been brought into the Justice League of America, the US government’s personal team meant to counter the regular Justice League if they ever get out of line. Martian Manhunter is there to deal with Superman.
Probably the saddest depiction of J’onn is in Kingdom Come, the dystopian future storyline. In order to give Superman vs. Captain Marvel more gravitas, J’onn had to be taken off the table. He appeared in one scene to aid Batman, depicted as a gibbering and mentally broken John Jones who could barely function after trying to open his mind to all of humanity. Poor guy.
One of the better Martian Manhunter stories is New Frontier, which exists as both a wonderful graphic novel and a pretty good animated film. When showing off his hybrid superhero appearance to a human friend, he was flatly told, “Real men wear pants.” And that’s a fair point because, really, what the hell is that outfit?Similar Posts:
- Remember the Fiff-dee-tuu
- Guide to the Injustice Roster: DLC Appendix 1
- The New What If Batch
- Last Sons Twice Removed
- Guide to the Injustice Roster: DLC Appendix 4
NIS: "Disgaea 5" in Pre-Production, Aims to Surpass Original Game
DarylsuratI think we can look at the charts and see that the more powerful the presence is of Captain Gordon 37th Defender of Earth, the higher ranked the NIS game. Sadly, all anyone can hear are the pedopedos screaming for Etna and Flonne.
Fans in Japan recently voted on their favorite Nippon Ichi Software games, with the exception of ports, and the original Disgaea came out on top. Following the results, NIS CEO Sohei Niikawa told Dengeki Online that Disgaea 5 is in pre-production and, unsurprisingly, aims to surpass that first entry.
You can view the full results in Japanese via the link above, or just check out how the top 15 turned out below. Niikawa plans to use the list as a reference for which games future projects need to surpass.
1. Disgaea
2. Disgaea 4
3. Disgaea 2
4. Disgaea D2
5. Soul Nomad & the World Eaters
6. Disgaea 3
7. Phantom Brave
8. Rhapsody: A Musical Adventure
8. Prinny 2: Dawn of Operation Panties, Dood!
8. Prinny: Can I Really Be the Hero?
11. Criminal Girls
12. Z.H.P. Unlosing Ranger vs. Darkdeath Evilman
13. Makai Kingdom
14. The Guided Fate Paradox
15. Little Princess: The Puppet Princess of Marl Kingdom 2
What would top your list of favorite NIS games?
Via Siliconera
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Joseph Luster is the Games and Web editor at Otaku USA Magazine. His blog can be found at subhumanzoids. Follow him on Twitter at @Moldilox.
John Oliver Names Florida 'Worst State' After Zimmerman Verdict
Click here to view this media
The Daily Show's John Oliver was back from vacation and opened this Monday's show by first going through a few highlights they missed while they were gone for the last two weeks, and then proceeded to lay into Florida after the "truly depressing" not guilty verdict of George Zimmerman.
As Oliver reminded the audience, what makes this case so horrid is not that the system broke down, but that it worked exactly the way it was meant to given Florida's laws that seem "cut and pasted from 1881 Tombstone.”
OLIVER: Because, let's be clear here. According to current Florida law, you can get a gun, follow an unarmed minor, call the police, have them explicitly tell you to stop following them, then choose to ignore that, keep following the minor, get into a confrontation with them. and if at any point during that process, you get scared, you can shoot the minor to death, and the state of Florida will say, "Well, look, you did what you could."
You know what? I think it might honestly be time for the Sunshine state to officially change its motto.
Oliver went after Zimmerman's attorney Mark O'Mara for the ridiculous and callous remark that if George Zimmerman were black, "he never would've been charged with a crime."
OLIVER: Yes, I suppose the one thing that our justice system is notorious for is how lenient it is on black people.
After slamming Zimmerman's brother for the cognitive dissonance it must have taken to be able to appear on television and complain about his brother having to worry about armed vigilantes, Oliver wrapped things up pointing out that Florida's self defense laws aren't exactly applied equally if you're unfortunate enough to be black.
Shueisha Releases Shonen Jump 33rd Issue in Print & Digital on Same Day
The Japanese publisher Shueisha released the 33rd issue of Weekly Shonen Jump on several Japanese e-book stores including iTunes App and Google Play on today July 13, the same day that the paper version hit the street. This is the first time for them to release a manga magazine simultaneously in print and digital format. And it is also the first time to release digitally for a fee. They posted the magazine online for free when the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami delayed the shipment in March 2011. The price for the digital version is 300 yen (US$3.02) while the print's is 250 yen. The digital version will be available for six months from today.
The 33rd issue of Weekly Shonen Jump celebrates its 45th anniversary. Both versions feature the first episode of Jaco the Galactic Patrolman, the long-awaited new manga by Akira Toriyama (Dragon Ball).
The digital version includes the full-color version episodes of One Piece, Naruto, Ansatsu Kyoshitsu with its
original black-and-white version, Dragonball x One Piece: Cross Epoch, a 2007 collaborative work between
Eiichiro Oda and Akira Toriyama featuring the characters from both One Piece and Dragon Ball, and
more exclusive materials. It is unclear whether Shueisha will publish more Shonen Jump issues digitally
in future.
Shonen Jump 33rd issue digital version
"Jaco the Galactic Patrolman"
Source: Comic Natalie
© SHUEISHA Inc.
© Bird Studio/SHUEISHA Inc.
"Attack on Titan" Opening Single Debuts in Second Place in Daily Sales Chart
DarylsuratIS YOUR HEART ON THE RIGHT
The July 10th release of Linked Horizon's Attack on Titan single with the first opening, "Guren no Yumiya" and second, "Jiyū no Tsubasa," scored a second place position in Oricon's Daily Sales CD rankings, behind Exile Tribes' "Burning Up." 58,770 copies were sold, topping the 45,523 for Valvrave's crossover hit opening Preserved Roses.
Different chains offered different, linking limited bonus jacket art featuring the 104 grads, Levi and composer Revo.
Animate http://www.animate-onlineshop.jp/pd/1203511/
HMV http://www.hmv.co.jp/fl/48/372/2/
Tower Records http://tower.jp/item/3240721
TSUTAYA http://tsutaya.jp/207d7qqc/
Pony Canyon http://www.hmv.co.jp/fl/48/372/2/
Stores participating in the promotion not listed above (WonderGOO, Gamers and the like)
SKE48's Rena Matsui with Revo
via @wah__
via @akibablog
via HMV_Osaka
via TOWER_Marubiru
via animatehonten
via EkD_
Kaji Yuuki (Eren) + Shimono Hiro (Conny Springer) + REVO's latest performance...
A couple of bonus magazine spreads...
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Scott Green is editor and reporter for anime and manga at geek entertainment site Ain't It Cool News. Follow him on Twitter at @aicnanime.
NES-Style "Mega Man Revolution" Fan Game Arrives
Yes, Mega Man Revolution is another one of the seemingly countless Mega Man fan projects modeled after the classic 8-bit NES games. However, this one in particular has been in development since 2002, and it's finally available to download and play via its official website.
You can also listen to and grab the full soundtrack.
Throughout Mega Man Revolution's tumultuous development, the goal was always to accurately emulate the style of the original Mega Man games, including the sprite flickering and slow-down. Effects like that can be toggled, and there's also a co-op mode in the works.
Via Rockman Corner
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Joseph Luster is the Games and Web editor at Otaku USA Magazine. His blog can be found at subhumanzoids. Follow him on Twitter at @Moldilox.
NIS America Announces "DanganRonpa" and "Demon Gaze"
NIS America announced at Anime Expo that newly anime adapted mystery adventure game, DanganRonpa: Trigger Happy Havoc, will be making its way to the PlayStation Vita in both North America and Europe early next year.
About the game:
Hope's Peak Academy is home to Japan's best and brightest high school students—the beacons of hope for the future. But that hope suddenly dies when Makoto Naegi and his classmates find themselves imprisoned in the school, cut off from the outside world and subject to the whims of a strange, murderous little bear named Monokuma. He pits the students against each other, promising freedom to anyone who can murder a fellow classmate and get away with it. It's up to you to find out who Monokuma really is, and why you've been taken from the world you once knew. But be careful what you wish for—sometimes there's nothing more deadly than the truth...
Dungeon crawler Demon Gaze will also be released for the platform next year.
About the game:
Oz awakens to find himself in Misred—a cursed land at the world's western frontier—with a dark shroud covering certain memories of his past. The land before him contains many labyrinths that hold both treasure and danger in equal volumes. Without knowing where else to go or what else to do, Oz decides to take up arms in order to hunt down artifacts and eke out a living in this world that feels so new to him. One day, he will have to face his past, but until then, he has no choice but to trust those around him, and in his newfound abilities as a "Demon Gazer"...
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Scott Green is editor and reporter for anime and manga at geek entertainment site Ain't It Cool News. Follow him on Twitter at @aicnanime.
Interesting note from WWE's house show tonight
Mark & Jay Briscoe were at ringside at the WWE house show in Ocean City, MD.
Anderson gets knocked out
Comic-Con Int'l to Host Lone Wolf & Cub's Kazuo Koike in San Diego
Crunchyroll Adds "KAIJI" Seasons 1 & 2 and "Genshiken: Second Season" Anime
Crunchyroll’s back catalog of anime continues to grow and grow with the addition of KAIJI season 1 & 2 and Genshiken: Second Season to the roster of streaming titles.
Both seasons of “manly gambling gone wild” series KAIJI (based on the manga by Nobuyuki Fukumoto) have been added, and Kaiji Ultimate Survivor and Kaiji Against All Rules are available to all premium members* while free users can enjoy 12 episodes today will a roll-out of 8 episodes/week.
KAIJI story:
Kaiji Ito is a total loser. He lives day by day gambling, making small debt and taking out his frustration on expensive imported cars. His life changes one day with a visit from a loan shark, Endo. Endo seduces the disheartened Kaiji, "You can wipe the debt away in one night."
KAIJI is available in the following terrirotires: USA, Canada, United Kingdom, Ireland, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, the Carribeans, and South/Central America.
BUT THAT'S NOT ALL
Genshiken: Second Season, based on the famed manga by Shimoku Kio, has also been added to the summer simulcast lineup.
Launch date/time will be announced at a later date but Genshiken: Second Season will be available in the following territories: USA, Canada, United Kingdom, Ireland, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Denmark, Finland, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and Central and South America.
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Patrick Macias is editor in chief of Crunchyroll News. He also runs the Japanese Fashion Inferno tumblr blog. Follow him on twitter at @Patrick_Macias.
STUDY: Media Still Largely Fail To Put Wildfires In Climate Context
A study of wildfire coverage from April through July 1 finds that print and TV media only mentioned climate change in 6 percent of coverage, although this was double the amount of coverage from a year ago. While many factors must come together for wildfires to occur, climate change has led to hotter and drier conditions in parts of the West that have increased the risk of wildfires.
Wildfire Coverage Misses Climate Connection
Just 6 Percent Of Wildfire Coverage Mentioned Climate Change. Major television and print media outlets improved over last year in connecting climate change to wildfires in Colorado, New Mexico, California and other Western states, but still generally failed to mention the link. Only 6 percent of total wildfire items mentioned climate change, including 9 percent of major print coverage and 4 percent of TV coverage. In a 2012 study encompassing a similar period, only 3 percent of wildfire coverage mentioned climate change (6 percent of print articles, 2 percent of TV segments). Coverage of July 2012 wildfires improved on those numbers. [Media Matters, 7/3/12] [Media Matters, 8/6/12]
Overall TV Coverage More Than Doubled. TV coverage connecting wildfires to climate change more than doubled, going from less than 2 percent to about 4 percent since the 2012 study. All outlets improved: ABC (3 percent to 7 percent), CBS (4 percent to 8 percent), NBC (0 percent to 3 percent) and CNN (1 percent to 3 percent). However, TV coverage was still significantly worse than in Media Matters' July 2012 follow-up wildfire study (11 percent). [Media Matters, 8/6/12]
Overall Print Coverage Improved. Print coverage connecting wildfires to climate change increased 50 percent over that surveyed in Media Matters' 2012 study, from 6 percent to 9 percent. All print outlets except for CNN.com and the Associated Press showed improvement: The Los Angeles Times (10 percent to 14 percent), USA TODAY (0 percent to 17 percent) The New York Times (11 percent to 36 percent), The Wall Street Journal (0 percent to 10 percent), and The Washington Post (17 percent to 33 percent). CNN.com once again entirely ignored climate change in its wildfire stories. The Associated Press decreased coverage from 6 percent to 2 percent. Overall, print coverage still did not mention climate change as often as in Media Matters' July 2012 follow-up wildfire study (18 percent). As Climate Progress has noted, even fewer articles explained that these changes are manmade. [Media Matters, 8/6/12] [Climate Progress, 7/2/13]
METHODOLOGY: We searched Nexis and Factiva databases for articles and segments on (wildfire or wild fire or forest fire) between April 1, 2013, and July 1, 2013. News outlets included in this study are ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, CNN.com, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Associated Press, The Los Angeles Times, USA Today and The Wall Street Journal. We only included full articles and segments focused on wildfires, as we did in 2012. All percentages are rounded to the nearest number.
UCS: Several Factors Influence Fire Risk. As the Union of Concerned Scientists explained, several factors are influencing the increase in wildfires, which require a spark such as lightning to begin, but a "major factor driving the increase" is global warming driven by greenhouse gas emissions:
Natural cycles, human activities--such as land-use (clearing, development, mining) and fire exclusion--as well as climate change can influence the likelihood of wildfires. However, many of the areas that have seen these increases--such as Yosemite National Park and the Northern Rockies--are protected from or relatively unaffected by human land-use and behaviors. This suggests that climate change is a major factor driving the increase in wildfires.
[...]
By engaging in mitigation efforts--creating buffer zones between human habitation and susceptible forests, and meeting home and city fire-safety standards--and by taking steps to reduce our impact on the climate, we can help to keep our forests, our homes, and our health safe. [Union of Concerned Scientists, 9/6/11]
Western Wildfires Spread In Context Of Climate Change-Driven Severe Heat Waves And Droughts. As a July 2013 Climate Central article explained, a recent wildfire in Arizona, like others in Western states, started in an environment of record heat waves and drought:
The Yarnell Hill fire, like other wildfires in the West right now, is taking place in the context of one of the most extreme heat waves on record in the region, as well as a long-running drought. While the contributors to specific fires are varied and include natural weather and climate variability as well as human factors, such as arson, a draft federal climate report released in January found that manmade climate change, along with other factors, has already increased the overall risk of wildfires in the Southwest.
And projections show that the West may be in for more large wildfires in the future. Climate models show an alarming increase in large wildfires in the West in coming years, as spring snowpack melts earlier, summer temperatures increase, and droughts occur more frequently or with greater severity.
Climate Central further noted that "Arizona was the fastest warming state in the contiguous U.S. since the mid-1970s" and included this chart showing that large wildfires in the state have increased:
[Climate Central, 7/1/13]
Major Report: "Wildfires in the United States Are Already Increasing Due To Warming." In a comprehensive report commissioned by the Bush administration and released in June 2009, the U.S. Global Change Research Program said earlier snowmelt and drier soils and plants have worsened wildfires in Western states:
Wildfires in the United States are already increasing due to warming. In the West, there has been a nearly fourfold increase in large wildfires in recent decades, with greater fire frequency, longer fire durations, and longer wildfire seasons. This increase is strongly associated with increased spring and summer temperatures and earlier spring snowmelt, which have caused drying of soils and vegetation.
The report included the following chart showing that the number of acres burned per fire has increased significantly since the 1980s:
[U.S. Global Change Research Program, 6/16/09]
National Research Council: "Length Of The Fire Season Has Expanded By 2.5 Months." A 2010 National Research Council report summarizing the state of climate science concluded that "the length of the fire season has expanded by 2.5 months":
[L]arge and long-duration forest fires have increased fourfold over the past 30 years in the American West; the length of the fire season has expanded by 2.5 months; and the size of wildfires has increased several-fold. Recent research indicates that earlier snowmelt, temperature changes, and drought associated with climate change are important contributors to this increase in forest fire. [National Research Council, 5/19/10]
United States Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell echoed this research, stating in June 2013 testimony to Congress that the U.S. wildfire season lasts longer than it used to thanks to climate change:
America's wildfire season lasts two months longer than it did 40 years ago and burns up twice as much land as it did in those earlier days because of the hotter, drier conditions produced by climate change, the country's forest service chief told Congress on Tuesday.
[...]
"It's hard for the average member of the public to understand how things have changed," Tidwell said.
"Ten years ago in New Mexico outside Los Alamos we had a fire get started. Over seven days, it burned 40,000 acres. In 2011, we had another fire. Las Conchas. It also burned 40,000 acres. It did it in 12 hours," he went on.
Climate change was a key driver of those bigger, more explosive fires. Earlier snow-melt, higher temperatures and drought created optimum fire conditions. [The Guardian, 6/4/13]
Warming Has Boosted Tree-Killing Beetles, Adding Fuel For Fires. A ClimateWire article following a large 2012 fire in Colorado noted how mountain pine beetles (or pine bark beetles) are sapping trees of vital moisture, thus increasing the amount of dry forest tinder available to kick-start wildfires:
When pine beetles take over a forest, fire is typically not far behind, said Cal Wettstein, incident commander with the Rocky Mountain division of the Beetle Incident Management Organization.
"When trees die, they go through a natural process of drying" -- leaving them vulnerable to fire -- "and eventually falling," he said. "When beetles get into a forest, they essentially shortcut that first stage."
[...]
On top of that, the pine beetle epidemic gripping the West is larger than any in recent memory. Many entomologists point to the record warmth of the last 10 years as a cause. The beetle's life cycle is temperature-dependent. It is killed by frosts, but its life cycle is accelerated by warmth, and in some cases higher temperatures have been shown to allow the beetles to reproduce twice a year rather than once[.] [ClimateWire, 6/20/12]
As a January 2013 Climate Central article explained, recent studies have shown how beetles are thriving due to warming:
[T]he beetles, whose numbers would normally be held in check by cold winters that kill their larvae, are surviving in greater numbers from one year to the next as winters in the U.S. continue to get warmer. Not only that: as spring comes earlier and temperatures stay warm for longer, the beetles can fly further than they once did, allowing them to extend their range. [Climate Central, 1/7/13]
A U.S. Forest Service website explains that climate change appears to be a factor influencing these shifts:
Although outbreak dynamics differ from species to species and from forest to forest, climate change is one factor that appears to be driving at least some of the current bark beetle outbreaks. Temperature influences everything in a bark beetle's life, from the number of eggs laid by a single female beetle, to the beetles' ability to disperse to new host trees, to individuals' over-winter survival and developmental timing. Elevated temperatures associated with climate change, particularly when there are consecutive warm years, can speed up reproductive cycles and reduce cold-induced mortality. [U.S. Forest Service, 2008]
Wildfire Acreage Has Grown, Is Expected To Increase Further. In a 2010 report, the National Research Council said that "for warming levels of 1°C to 2°C, the area burned by wildfire in parts of western North America is expected to increase by 2 to 4 times for each degree (°C) of global warming." Particularly vulnerable areas "include the Pacific Northwest and forested regions of the Rockies and the Sierra," according to the report, which also included the following map showing projected increases in "area burned for a 1°C increase in global average temperature" relative to the median annual area burned from 1950-2003:
[National Research Council, 6/16/10]
Responding To Increased Fire Risk Requires Policy Change, Vigilance Regarding Latest Science. The U.S. Global Change Research Program recommended that policymakers become versed in "what the latest climate science implies for changes in types, locations, timing, and potential severity of fire risks over seasons to decades and beyond" and change policy accordingly:
Living with present-day levels of fire risk, along with projected increases in risk, involves actions by residents along the urban-forest interface as well as fire and land management officials. Some basic strategies for reducing damage to structures due to fires are being encouraged by groups like National Firewise Communities, an interagency program that encourages wildfire preparedness measures such as creating defensible space around residential structures by thinning trees and brush, choosing fire-resistant plants, selecting ignition-resistant building materials and design features, positioning structures away from slopes, and working with firefighters to develop emergency plans.
Additional strategies for responding to the increased risk of fire as climate continues to change could include adding firefighting resources and improving evacuation procedures and communications infrastructure. Also important would be regularly updated insights into what the latest climate science implies for changes in types, locations, timing, and potential severity of fire risks over seasons to decades and beyond; implications for related political, legal, economic, and social institutions; and improving predictions for regeneration of burnt-over areas and the implications for subsequent fire risks. Reconsideration of policies that encourage growth of residential developments in or near forests is another potential avenue for adaptive strategies. [U.S. Global Change Research Program, 6/16/09]
Wildfire Experts: Reporters Should Include Climate Change In Wildfire Coverage. Seven of the nine fire scientists who responded to email inquiries as part of a July 2012 Media Matters study agreed that journalists should put wildfires in context by explaining the ways climate change could make them more likely in the West. [Media Matters, 7/3/12]
Shauna Theel created the graphics for this report.
Dueling WrestleMania conventions
DarylsuratI always say that wrestling fandom is like anime fandom, except maybe 10-20 years behind. This is further proof.
Gabe Sapolsky on Facebook noted that WWN Live will be doing its own convention apart of WrestleCon in New Orleans in April in conjunction with WrestleMania.
The event will be called WWNLive Experience, and will include live events and iPPV shows from Evolve, Shimmer, Kaiju Big Battel and Dragon Gate USA, with shows on Friday, multiple shows on Saturday and Sunday afternoon.
Wrestlecon had announced its event yesterday.