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The treasure in One Piece is at the end of the Grand Line. But isn't that the same as the beginning? Assuming the world in the One Piece universe is round, then there is not really a beginning or an end of the Grand Line. The Straw Hats started out from the first half and are now sailing across the second half. Wouldn't it have been quicker to set sail in the opposite direction from where they started? <Q> No, there is a reason why they can't. <S> Basically the New World is beyond the Red Line , but you cannot "walk" on it, or cross it. <S> It's a huge continent, very tall that you cannot go through. <S> You can't cross the Calm Belt either, unless you have some form of locomotion such as the Navy or Boa Hancock . <S> So the only way is to start from one of the Four Seas, then to go the Reverse Mountain and follow the Grand Line until you reach Raftel , which supposedly is where One Piece is located. <A> Luffy's dream is to be the Pirate King. <S> By definition in One Piece itself, the Pirate King is someone who most freely wanders in the Grand Line. <S> Surely, finding One Piece is a necessity to become the Pirate King, but is not an enough condition. <S> Luffy loves adventure by nature. <S> He doesn't want to find One Piece so easily. <S> If he wanted so, he could ask Rayleigh its location in Sabaody Archipelago arc. <S> When Usopp asked it, he shout with a great voice and made Usopp stop asking it. <S> And he said, if he were to learn its location, or even learns if it existed or not, he would quit being a pirate at that moment. <S> Luffy simply wants to follow steps of the former Pirate King Gol D. Roger. <S> He want to experience a good adventure. <S> He wants to fight strong opponents. <S> He always chooses the hardest path. <S> If finding One Piece was his only goal, he could have of course spent his time learning cliff climbing skills instead of wasting his time in the sea. <S> Then he could finally climb that huge wall of Red Line and search for Raftel there. <S> One more thing to note is that the Location of Raftel is unknown. <S> Even Shirohige didn't know it. <S> Remember that, in a flash-back during the war in Marine Headquarters, Gol D. Roger asks Shirohine if he wants him to tell the location of Raftel. <A> In addition to Alenanno 's answer, it should be pointed out that the location of the One Piece isn't what is important, but the journey is what is important . <S> If there were such an item as the One Piece located at Raftel, the Marines would have been able to get it already. <S> In episode 315, it was pointed out by Coby that the Marines' ships can cross the Calm Belt , and coming from North or West Blue, they would be able to just go to Raftel without doing the complete journey around the world. <S> There are also lots of other ways for the World Government or the Marines to reach Raftel (e.g. Kizaru could use his mirrors, Kuzan could build an ice stairs, Fujitora could literally fly over there, ...). <S> So if it were as simple as going to Raftel to get the One Piece , the World Government would have done so already, displaying whatever treasure it would be and trying to end this Great Age of Pirates . <A> In this case, that means traveling through the most remote/dangerous places so that only the worthy can get to it. <A> Well, if Luffy chose the the easy way, he'd die, because much stronger opponents are trying to get One Piece. <S> Plus, Gold Roger said to go get One Piece, so he must have left a guardian or something. <S> It wouldn't be that easy to become pirate king. <A> The One Piece is indeed at the end of the grand line but even Big Mom has had trouble finding it. <S> The reason for this is that one cannot find Raftel without being able to read the Poneglyphs, specifically the four red Road Poneglyphs. <S> Each of these leads to an island and the midpoint between those four islands <S> is the location of Raftel. <S> One Road Poneglyph is held by Big Mom, one by Kaido, one is on the moving island of Zao, and one is missing. <S> Thus you can see that someone would have just as much trouble finding One Piece if they crossed the Calm Belt or the Red Line as they would doing things the adventurous way.

I think that the One Piece, being at the end of the Grand Line, simply refers to the fact that to get to the "One Piece", the legendary treasure talked about by the last Pirate King, you will need to travel to the "end" of the seas.

What's the significance of the watermelon in Sora no Otoshimono? In Sora no Otoshimono, Ikaros carries around a watermelon like a pet and likes watermelons and pretty much anything else round. At one point she even has a watermelon garden and attacks all the bugs that get near the melons. What's the significance of the watermelon and why does she carry one around? <Q> I believe there is no significance. <S> It is just a character trait that she really likes watermelons. <S> Probably for their smooth and round shape. <A> From what I understand of the anime, she likes being patted on her head by her master. <S> Since patting something round reminds her of the times her master pats her, she may simply be reliving that memory. <A> But this is a more realistic theory, so <S> this probably isn't even close to the idea the producers had when making this decision.

I think Ikaros likes watermelon not just because it is round and reminds her of herself when she is being pet, but she also is in a situation where she might be under a lot of stress without even knowing it (she is trying to get taken back to her original master), and this is her way to cope with it.

Why is SSJ3 shown as tiring to maintain, but SSJ4 is not? In several episodes of DB:Z and DB:GT, using SSJ3 form is shown to be very tiring for the user and burns up energy very quickly, compared to SSJ1/2/enhanced/mystic/etc. However, when DB:GT rolls around, SSJ4 form, while as tiring as all other enhanced forms, doesn't seem to put as much strain on the user, nor does it have a time limit, as with SSJ3. Is there a distinct reason for this in terms of power drain, or how the body handles the transformation, or is this perhaps something overlooked when GT was created? <Q> Don't forget that GT is a filler, it wasn't created by the original creator, Akira Toriyama . <S> There is a very high probability that is was overlooked. <S> Also if I remember correctly, SSJ3 wasn't shown as tiresome in Dragon Ball GT. <A> In SSJ3 form, the energy output is huge, in contrast to the SSJ4 form. <S> The proof is written in this article from the Dragon Ball Wiki . <S> The reason behind that is not known, as far as I know. <S> In Dragon Ball GT, Goku's child form caused him to have trouble using Super Saiyan 3. <S> His small body could not handle the energy output of the transformation, and he could only hold it for one minute. <S> [...] It was after this fight that Goku discontinued the usage of Super Saiyan 3, as it was heavily outclassed by the raw power and minimal setbacks of Super Saiyan 4. <A> This is how I remember it: Goku leveled up to SSJ3 on the other dimension and never really planned to reveal it because he didn't want to show it on front of Vegeta. <S> At this point he would have made up his mind if it comes to fighting Vegeta on the tournament he would resort to Mystic saiyan mode to deal with him. <S> Turns out Vegeta ends up dead and Goku in desperation to buy time for Trunks decides to show case SSJ3 to Buu <S> and I believe it's the difference between the dimensions; I mean, the time it takes to generate the same power in this dimension could be entirely different I presume and also on the aspect that Goku didn't spend time on that mode, because he could have been practicing extensively on the Mystic mode for the tournament and so it took quite a toll on his energy levels when he uses it first time. <S> When he uses it on the second time with Kid Buu. <S> He seems to have a grasp on the energy levels and fights for a longer time until the point he uses a Kamehameha way in desperation to finish off Kid Buu and also holding out so Vegeta can fight him causes him to suffer towards the end as well. <S> Also the fight happens on the Kai's planet which becomes another different dimension compared to earth <S> also I think that might have aided him a lot because thats where Gohan reaches ascension trained by Supreme Kai. <S> I believe it's the changes in the environment primarily taking a toll on Goku's body. <S> As for SSJ4 I haven't seen Dragonball GT (primarily for the lack of Bruce Faulconer's theme :P) <S> but as from the images I think the tail helps the body to handle the power levels differently because I somehow synonymize that to a controlled transformed Mode. <A> The Dragonball Wikia states : <S> Where the third stage of Super Saiyan's purpose was 100% utilization of physical stamina, the purpose of the Super Saiyan 3 transformation is to increase the utilization of ki, and as a result, the transformation rapidly consumes the energy of the user. <S> This notably leads to extended levels of fatigue, even long after powering down. <S> However, with the enormous power, there are some very serious setbacks stemming from the rapid use of ki energy. <S> When the then-deceased Goku showed Babidi and Majin Buu the form, he cut his remaining temporal revival energy in half, and in the anime when he shows his power to the excited Trunks and Goten, his energy was completely dissipated, forcing him to return to Other World. <S> As far as Super Saiyan 4 the wikia states : <S> Unlike the Super Saiyan 3's strain due to the utilization in ki, this form does not require as much energy consumption as Super Saiyan 3's, allowing the user to stay in the state at a much longer duration. <S> It also appears that the form makes the individual larger in height and muscularity. <S> Essentially Super Saiyan 3 maximizes the ki output while Super Saiyan 4 is a more powerful transformation which does not drain the user as much as the 3rd form does. <S> Also Super Saiyan 4 is not actually a canon form because it was not developed by Akira Toriyama. <A> Well, the Oozaru (Great Ape) form is portrayed to require no particular threshold of energy, as even the low class warrior infants are capable. <S> Heck, even Gohan did it when Vegeta made the fake moon. <S> And SSJ4 is definitely something that draws power from that hidden ability: from the tail and the hair draws in the power of the great ape Oozaru. <A> So whenever he turned to ssj4 & & went back to his grown body form he was now accustomed and didn't burn energy as fast

It's because in gt goku was a kid & his body couldn't take the strain like his grown body did... The reason for this is because Super Saiyan 3 form was to fully maximize the ki of the user.

How can Madara still stick around even after the Edo Tensei had been ended? Edo Tensei is a technique to revive the dead, and bind their souls into living bodies. However, after releasing the technique, all of the dead should get back into being dead. How can Madara still stick around even after the Edo Tensei had been ended? I am not sure if it was something that we needed to think about and figure out by ourselves or is it yet to be revealed? <Q> When Edo Tensei ends, the summoned soul is freed from the Edo Tensei's control, and then the soul ascends to the pure world (afterlife). <S> However, there is a small "grace period" between the two. <S> During this grace period, the soul can act freely. <S> During that grace period, Dan used the Reika no Jutsu to go meet his girlfriend. <S> Itachi shared his memories and feeling with Sasuke (though granted he had been freed from the Edo Tensei's control long back). <S> Most other shinobi stood around doing nothing significant. <S> However, during that grace period, Madara released the Edo Tensei's summoning contract itself. <S> As such, his soul is no longer bound to "ascend to the pure world" and can continue to stay in the impure world. <S> He could have done the same thing even before the Edo Tensei was released, if Kabuto had let him, and the effect would be the same. <S> Also, if others knew the seals and chose to use them, they would be able to stick around too. <A> Firstly, the most important thing to know is that anyone, who knows the Edo Tensei seals, can free themselves from the contract, if given the opportunity. <S> Now, there are multiple ways that one can be unrestricted in Edo Tensei form. <S> These are their opportunities: <S> The grace period when one's soul is released(Example: <S> Dan meeting Tsunade) <S> The revived person is strong enough to withstand the Edo Tensei(Example: Hashirama not under Orochimaru's control) <S> The controller allows the revived person free movement(Example: Madara being revived by Kabuto) <S> Some other force is able to place a stronger control over the revived person(Example: <S> Kotoamatsukami being used on Itachi) <S> In Madara's case, Kabuto had claimed to revive him in a form stronger than his prime. <S> Madara questions Kabuto's ignorance of his prime state <S> and then Kabuto gives Madara full control of his own body in order to demonstrate his abilities. <S> After Kabuto gave control to Madara, Madara was able to use the Edo Tensei seals to free himself. <A> So actually, what Madara Uchiha did was use Edo Tensei again, using the original sacrifice Kabuto gave him, so that he is now the new caster, and he revived himself. <S> Like Madara said on Chpater 591 page 17 , there is one risk to the technique. <S> If you know the seal, you can release the summoning contract itself. <S> Basically, freeing you from the caster's control. <S> Madara's soul wasn't bound by Kabuto anymore, but by himself. <S> Tell them not to use forbidden jutsu so lightly next time.

From what I understood, if you know the Edo Tensei technique yourself, and you're resurrected, you can use it on yourself, after the technique was dismissed by the original caster .

Why are only some of the references censored in Lucky Star As anyone who has seen Lucky Star will remember, most of the references to other anime and manga are censored. The most obvious examples of this are references to Gundam or Sgt. Frog (both of which are notably Sunrise shows). Presumably this is done to avoid KyoAni getting sued. This also explains why references to Haruhi and Full Metal Panic weren't censored (as far as I remember). Interestingly these instances of censorship probably could have been removed in the English release since it was licensed by Bandai, but I don't know if they actually were, so this question might only apply to the Japanese version. However, there are still a few cases of references which weren't censored despite no obvious connection between the Lucky Star team and the source. The one that immediately comes to mind is To Heart, which is referenced several times. To Heart is associated with VN studio Leaf as well as animation studios Oriental Light and Magic and AIC, neither of which have anything to do with Lucky Star (KyoAni and Kadokawa). I can't find any connections between them, but of course that could be oversight on my part, and I didn't check all of the individual staff members. Is there some connection that I missed? Barring that, what sort of policy would a studio typically use for references like this? Would they try to obtain permission for all of the references, or just bleep the ones that seem risky to them? <Q> Not sure if this is just a random connection or actually the reason, but here's the connection between Lucky Star and ToHeart: Lucky Star's manga and anime are published by different branches of Kadokawa. <S> The ToHeart manga was published by MediaWorks which was owned by, you guessed it, Kadokawa. <S> I don't know if every single branch of Kadokawa is allowed to mention a work in every other branch, but there is at least this connection. <S> If someone bought Lucky Star DVDs and saw ToHeart mentioned and then decided to go buy the ToHeart manga, that's a double win for Kadokawa. <A> A major concern might be whether they has consent from the references' company. <S> An example would be Ore <S> no Imouto ga Konna ni Kawaii Wake ga <S> Nai , they show some vender's H-GAME cover in Kirino's H-Game pill, which have offended those companies and the production studio later apologized. <S> (If I remember correctly) Updated: <S> 2013/12/26 <S> I found something interested when investigating a recent news, I'm not sure it's relevant or not though) http://www.itmedia.co.jp/news/articles/1312/20/news095.html <S> (Japanese): <S> A recent episode of Yuri Danshi in Japan was said to infringe the copyright of some manga. <S> (Hidamari Sketch, A Channel, Golden Mosaic) <S> I thought this should be in the range of fair use (just like quoting sentences from another book), after checking "Fair use" the Japanese Wikipedia, it turns out "Fair use" doesn't exists in Japan's copyright laws. <S> You must have consent from the author. <A> If they decided to un-blur them they would have to give copyright claim for all of them or get permission from other companies.

Mainly due to copyright reasons and the animes not belonging to the animation studio.

What is the difference between doujinshi and manga? Doujinshi seem to represent usually works of amateurs, but that is a subjective measure. What is the objective difference between both works? <Q> Doujinshi is closer to what we think of as "indie/self-published" comics compared to manga. <S> Professionals can produce doujinshi as well as amateurs, and many mangaka will produce doujinshi on the side when they're otherwise unable to produce a certain work for legal reasons. <S> Doujinshi are often, but not limited to: Fanart of pre-existing intellectual properties Ecchi material <S> One-shots <S> The quality of any given doujinshi can vary as a result, since literally anyone can produce a doujinshi without any sort of editorial oversight. <A> Well, if it's self published, it is called doujinshi. <S> If it's by a manga publisher, it's manga. <S> Note that this distinction makes no mention of relative quality... <S> simply who is doing the publishing (and presumably paying for) the work. <S> Wikipedia highlights this in the first paragraph: Dōjinshi (同人誌?, often transliterated as doujinshi) is the Japanese term for self-published works, usually magazines, manga or novels. <S> Dōjinshi are often the work of amateurs, though some professional artists participate as a way to publish material outside the regular industry. <S> Note, professional artists can produce doujinshi if they're self-publishing that particular product. <A>

Doujinshi just means you published it yourself, so the difference is that non-doujinshi manga is published by a company, while doujinshi manga is a self-published manga

Does the "bloody nose" trope necessarily imply a sexual situation? If you've seen much anime, you're familiar with the male character getting a bloody nose when he gets sexually excited. For example: Master Roshi (Dragon Ball) and Umino Iruka (Naruto) However, when I mentioned this to a Japanese person (someone who was not a big anime viewer), she was confused, and adamant that a bloody nose would normally just mean that the person was excited in general, and it would not necessarily have anything to do with sexual excitement. This could (and seems likely to be) true for Japanese day to day real life, but very different in anime, where the connection to libido seems very clear. Is there someone that can explain this difference? Is the "bloody nose" in anime just used to signify excitement, and it just happens to often (always) be sexual excitement because of the plot? Or is it supposed to be just understood how a bloody nose is interpreted in anime is different from normal life? <Q> Gilles Portras, author of The Anime Companion , wondered the same thing: <S> "So I asked a few Japanese and got a variety of pseudoscientific, and occasionally embarassed, <S> explanations about humidity and blood pressure. <S> But the best response I got was from one fellow who simply recounted that when he was a child he was told by his mother that if he stared at a pretty woman he would get a bloody nose." <S> It's basically superstition, like if you sneeze once someone is saying something good about you. <S> If you sneeze twice they are saying something bad. <S> If you sneeze three times, you have a cold. <A> The bloody nose gag exaggerates the rise in blood pressure when people are aroused, to such a degree that blood shoots out of the aroused character's nose. <A> As far as I know, it comes from embarrassment more than arousal. <S> Note that it tends to not be perverts who get bloody noses (at least not when they're dealing with someone other than their primary love interest). <S> Instead, it is the semi innocent/honorable hero/supporting character, the one who is not actively trying to look at a female's chest. <S> When presented with this kind of situation, all of a sudden, they tend to become quite embarrassed. <S> This embarrassment normally leads to the face being filled with blood (blushing). <S> BUT, to show an extreme case of this embarrassment, their nose bleeds instead from the excessive blood pressure buildup. <A> According to Wikipedia : Male characters will develop a bloody nose around their female love interests (typically to indicate arousal, which is a play on an old wives' tale). <S> It has a reference in the end of this sentence that leads here . <S> I am not sure if these are reliable source, though... <A> It is an exaggeration of having high blood pressure when a real person is sexually aroused. <S> In Japanese media, healthy young men that have no other sexual outlet will often suffer nosebleeds upon seeing the naked female body, or even just a pair of well-filled panties. <S> It's probably a side effect of High Pressure Blood in a body that's Overdrawn at the Blood Bank. <S> And it is somehow a metaphor to this: <S> The nosebleed is, of course, a visual shorthand/euphemism for sexual arousal. <S> It is commonly interpreted that way for males and females, with little trickles of blood indicating mild arousal, and gushing fountains of blood indicating erection/extreme arousal in both sexes. <S> It can also be interpreted as shorthand strictly for erections in males. <S> In that case, when blood shoots from the nose explosively, and in ridiculous quantity, the implication would be an ejaculation. <A> As explained on MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia : <S> Nosebleed can be caused by: Irritation due to allergies, colds, sneezing or sinus problems <S> Very cold or dry air Blowing the nose very hard, or picking the nose Injury to nose, including a broken nose, or an object stuck in the nose Deviated septum <S> Chemical irritants <S> Overuse of decongestant nasal sprays <S> Repeated nosebleeds may be a symptom of another disease such as high blood pressure, a bleeding disorder, or a tumor of the nose or sinuses. <S> Blood thinners, such as warfarin (Coumadin), clopidogrel (Plavix), or aspirin, may cause or worsen nosebleeds. <S> To answer your question, your Japanese acquaintance is right that in real life, a bloody nose would normally just mean that the person was excited in general, and it would not necessarily have anything to do with sexual excitement. <S> In my experience, though, it's usually due to the causes listed in the bullet points, not due to high blood pressure. <S> I would go with @ʞɹɐzǝɹ 's answer that it is a superstition/myth that is perpetuated in anime and manga, which <S> this potentially NSFW video <S> debunks (rather unscientifically) in a light-hearted manner. <S> Screenshots from the video. <S> The big captions read "Verification method: the woman in front will get naked without warning" and "Will the nosebleed come out?" <A> No actual proof here, but... <S> I would suspect that the anime writers just use bloody noses when they think it is funny, not taking actual Japanese beliefs or day-to-day customs into account. <S> It is way more funny when heroes get bloody noses when they get an accidental look than when perverts get a look (all the time). <S> On the other hand it is also funny when a pervert gets a bloody nose all the time (in extremes). <S> As already mentioned, Jiraiya is an example of this. <S> Sanji is even a better example as his bloody nose becomes life threatening at a certain point! <A> It's possible that the response of the 'Japanese person' in one of the above comments, that it's a sign of excitement in general, is probably correct. <S> In 'Black Clover,' the character Gauche Adlai exhibits the characteristic anime nosebleed over a little girl, Marie - but she is merely his sister, whom he worships, and nothing more. <S> In anime, not all nosebleeds are a sign of sexual arousal - but perhaps all instances of sexual arousal are signified by nosebleeds.

According here , in anime, nosebleed mostly happens to a character being sexually aroused.

What is the relation between Ergo Proxy and Vincent Law? I understand that one of them is actually the other. At first we are led to believe that Vincent is Ergo. But toward the end of the series, we discover something but I am not sure what it means: Ergo created Vincent to run away from himself. Also, in the beginning, when Vincent turns into Ergo, he loses control and doesn't remember any of it. Later on he starts to control Ergo, but at the same time he can talk with him. So, basically, I don't understand which 'came first':Is Vincent Law Ergo Proxy? Or is it the other way around? Or are they actually two different 'selves' that 'reside in the same body'? <Q> From what I understand, Proxy 1 and Ergo Proxy are two separate entities. <S> A miss conception, thanks to the English translation, is proxy 1 created Romdeau; this is not the case as Romdeau is described a flawed Dome in the same way as its creator, Ergo Proxy, is a clone on Proxy 1 and hence a flawed proxy (also shown by the fact he can survive UV rays). <S> This is further backed up by the relationship between Ergo and Monad. <S> Monad we are told loved Ergo proxy due to their opposing natures of life and death, thus she comes to Vincent AKA Ergos aid at the end of the series rather than to help forefill Proxy 1's ambitions for Ergo to destroy humanities chance for a future on earth. <S> Vincent is therefore the human name of the being Ergo proxy while he has amnesia due to the removal of his own memories to prevent him from becoming the literal grim reaper on earth. <S> Of coarse I could be completely wrong but it doesn't really matter as the main focus of the anime isn't the plot but the moral and theological questions which arise from the setting and premise of the series. <S> In short its a fantastic anime whether the ending is ambiguous or not :) <A> According to wikipedia under Other Characters - Proxies : Ergo Proxy is a "clone" of Proxy One, Romdo's creator and guardian, who was created to help bring about the destruction of the human race because of Proxy One's anger at humanity's treatment of and plans for the Proxies, specifically Monad Proxy. <S> Ergo Proxy often wears a white mask with elements of both The Phantom of the Opera and a harlequin jester to differentiate from Proxy One. <S> Vincent initially has no control over his transformations, changing into Ergo Proxy whenever another Proxy reveals itself, but is implied to be in control of his abilities by the end of the series. <S> Regarding Proxy One <S> : <S> The main antagonist of the series, he is Ergo Proxy's original and true self, and calls Vincent his shadow. <S> He was first alluded to in episode 15 and is the one behind the events of the entire series, having created Vincent and then sent him back to Romdo from Mosk to start his revenge plan. <S> Near the end of the series, Proxy One is revealed to be the one who fired the thermonuclear missile Rapture, destroyed Amnesia to hide Vincent's memories, and killed Donov Mayer. <S> To summarize, Vincent Law transforms into Ergo Proxy. <S> Ergo Proxy is the proxy form of Vincent Law. <S> He appoints Romdeau, his domed city, with a human regent and then gives himself amnesia, leaving himself in his human form (as Vincent). <S> Ergo Proxy comes first, though he is a clone of Proxy One. <A> Vincent Law is Ergo Proxy, who is Proxy 1. <S> Proxy one divided himself into two. <S> That which is divided must become one. <S> So Proxy 1 splits into 2, and one half leaves the dome, the other half remains. <S> The half that leaves gets rid of their memory... <S> who are they now? <S> They are no longer the true Proxy Project creation. <S> They are now gaining self-awareness and forging a new identity. <S> It is perhaps because they rejected their imperfect origin that they decided to dump their memory, and become Vincent Law. <S> Victory over Law. <S> He has claimed victory over the rules. <S> He is no longer just a proxy. <S> The amnesia effect allows us to follow him on his journey against the strongest enemy he'll ever face... himself. <S> A journey we all must take if we strike out against what we were planned to be and instead seek out our own destiny. <S> So Proxy 1 is Ergo Proxy... <S> He is both one and the same, and he must embrace every aspect of himself if he is to truly choose his own future. <S> It's not an easy thing to do, but he has Re-l, or reality. <S> He also has pino, and "in vino, veritas", or "in wine there is truth". <S> So moving forward with reality and truth, the lab project known as Proxy One will eventually embrace that he is Ergo Proxy, and yet overcome his origins and finally reach happiness by redefining himself as Vincent Law, victorious over the laws his very cells were programmed to follow. <S> He felt the pulse of the awakening, and instead of dying, he awoke. <S> He is the agent of death... or was... not anymore... <S> He is Vincent Law, and Vince is in full control as he sails off with truth and reality, and a new autorave who perhaps represents the discipline he has finally achieved.

Ergo Proxy was created a long time prior to the series by Proxy 1 as a means of revenge on humanity.

What are Madara Uchiha's weaknesses? At his current state, how could Madara possibly be defeated? Any physical attack/Taijutsu would be easily deflected by either: The Susano'o The Gunbai (war fan, which proved to easily negate a Bijuudama) Shinra Tensei (which wasn't seen yet, but we have to assume he's capable of it). And I'm not even starting to talk about the Rikudo mode. Any non-physical attack would be easily absorbed by the Preta Rinnegan path. There aren't m any ultra-powerful genjutsu ninja who can hope to trap him in a genjutsu for more than 2 seconds. And in the offshoot that something does hurt him, he'd just regenerate. He's a zombie. What weakness does Madara have that could be exploited to harm him? They'd have to damage him badly to hope for a seal. <Q> It does not seem like any of Madara's new abilities have a counter to sound genjutsu, especially when boosted by Senjutsu / Sage mode. <S> While sound genjutsu and Senjutsu are both very rare, the manga has shown two examples of different techniques of that type being effective against techniques that Madara has recently gained. <S> The two Sage Toads' sound genjutsu is effective against the Rinnegan. <S> When Jiraiya had them use it in his battle with Pain, it was able to easily overcome 3 paths of Pain. <S> When Kabuto in Snake Sage mode used Tayuya's flute sound genjutsu, he was able to immobilize both Sasuke and more notably, a Susanoo-wielding Edo Tensei Itachi. <S> The pair were only able to escape by using Sharingan genjutsu on each other. <A> In Chapter 622, it has been shown that Madara has issues with being too aware of his surroundings, and being easily distracted or have an inability to focus properly . <S> He also has issues with pride , that he carried on until his adulthood. <S> In Chapter 623, the same possible weaknesses has been shown. <S> He even claimed that he didn't have any weaknesses . <S> [1] [2] . <S> Credits: All images are from Mangastream 's scanlations. <A> They mentioned in the latest chapter that Madara is vulnerable to Taijutsu. <S> Also, as grasshopper said, his overconfidence causes him to drop your guard when dealing with those he thinks are not able to harm him. <A> Currently the only combatants I could see do lasting damage to Madara would be the recently resurrected Hokages. <S> Kishimoto has outright said that he has no real weakness. <S> The closest thing to a weakness he may have is Taijutsu, but since it does no lasting damage it´s frankly as useless as everything else one could use against him. <S> Only an intervention from the 1st-4th Hokage could possibly defeat him right now, as he is a cocktail of the 3rd strongest person of all time and all the overpowered abilities in the series. <A> I know this is not an answer (but couldn't stop writing this), but seeing the question and recent chapter <S> I believe Madara's weakness is: Talk <S> No Jutsu .... <S> For your reference

Currently Madara has the following: full control of Hashirama´s cells, Rinnegan, an invulnerable body and an infinite supply of chakra (courtesy of the Edo Tensei), the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan and the most powerful Katon of all time. Chapters 622 and 623 hint at a possible weakness of Madara Uchiha.

How much time has passed in-universe in Detective Conan? Detective Conan is a notoriously long-running series -- it's been running for like fifteen years, and hundreds of cases have been solved. Conan has made friends, received upgraded technology over time (cell phones!), and has generally "kept up" with its audience. Yet, logically, time in-universe must have passed, and Shinichi's continued absence should be more notable than it is if he's been gone for more than a year. How much time has passed, currently, in the Meitantei Conan universe? <Q> Technically the story plays out in real time, but realistically it is at the whim of the author. <S> Assuming the cases appear in chronological order. <S> You'll notice that none of the characters ever age or even graduate. <S> There are many discrepancies <S> the Eisuke/Kir Arc alone has some serious and problematic time discrepancies. <S> It starts with the Nail and Snake Arc which took place a week or so after New Years and then continues to some cases later in the Clash of Red and Black arc which climaxing in a certain person's death. <S> Eisuke vanished around 18th to 19th of December... so chronologically speaking a year should have passed... but did it? <S> Ask Gosho Aoyama. <A> So the only thing that's in order is the first episode. <S> From there, we have probably 5 cases going on at a time, and when he solves one he goes on to another. <S> Every day he has a case to solve, whether it's one from weeks before or not. <S> My second theory is that even if we say each episode represented a day, which it doesn't, at least a year would have passed based on the number of episodes, and Ayumi and the rest shouldn't be in grade 1 anymore. <S> As a result, the only logical explanation is time overlaps! <A> I would say that you have to look only at cases that are canon. <S> And by that I don't mean the ones that are in the manga. <S> I mean canon as in something in the story line moves along <S> and it's not just a 'guess who did it'-case. <S> There are only in about maybe 300 canon eps where the storyline is moved along in 750-ish anime eps. <S> And stuff like 'The Clash of Red and Black', 'Homles Revalation' and 'Jet Black Mystery Train' are many eps long but they are only over the span of 1-3 days each time. <S> Plus many cases are 2-4 eps but happen in a day or just overnight. <S> There are times where the characters will say it's been this long or that long <S> but they are few and far in bewteen. <S> I would say that only about 6-ish months have passed since the start of Detective Conan. <A> Although time has passed in the sense that the technology and other aspects of the setting that are not directly related to the story have progressed, very little time has passed in the main story. <S> Occasionally, they will make references to it having been months since a previous case or other reference point, but these do not seem to line up much, if at all, and generally they are intended to indicate a time period for the individual case or arc, so that elements such as Ran's waiting for Shinichi seems to have actually been over a period of time. <S> These indications, for obvious reasons, cannot always coincide, and so it would seem that the author decided long ago to make the story timeless. <S> If you want a clear answer of the main plotline, so far it has been only for a few months, while the numerous side cases do not fit into this framework. <A> In episode 521, one of the canon episodes, the gang goes to some town to investigate a report that Shinichi solved a case wrong. <S> That case happened "a year ago" while Shinichi was still teen-sized. <S> Hundreds of episodes have passed since then, but that gives you a floor for the time. <A> A good example would be using Holidays as a way to track time. <S> The "first" actual Valentine episode was actually TV-only (Episode 6), yet there is another Valentine case (Episode 266-268, Volume 33 files 3-6). <S> The Holiday that comes after it is White Day, which takes place March 14th, one month after Valentine's Day, and they make references to the past Valentine's Day as an excuse to give back gifts to the women of the show. <S> However, the episode/volume that takes place during White Day is episode 608-609 and volume 69 files 7-9. <S> That's over 500 episodes and 36 volumes for one month to pass in their time.

I don't believe a whole year has passed, there have been several plot holes in the midst of it though. The fact that tech in the show changes and the seasons change is simply because Aoyama-sensei the anime staff have been writing the show in real life for many years. My first theory is, in order to make sense of the Detective Conan universe, the stories must overlap!

How is it that a Sharingan can work when it's been transplanted? If the various "superpower" ninja traits are considered "blood traits," how is it someone like Kakashi, who is in no way related to the Uchiha clan, can use the Sharingan Eye technique? More fully: would transplanting work on any bloodline trait power? If someone had a bloodline trait that worked on arms, could they just transplant their arm onto another person and then there would be two people with that technique? <Q> Let's disregard the fact that eyes in Naruto are considered less difficult to work with than PnP displays. <S> (Rin did it in a cave, without any medical supplies, in a couple of seconds, and it just worked ) <S> Your eyes contain your DNA, so our (the Uchiha) eyes contain the already awakened Sharingan, it's written into the DNA. <S> It also has the genetic information allowing you to activate the techniques the eye holds (including Mangekyo). <A> I'm not sure about other bloodline jutsu, but the Sharingan's power lies within the eye. <S> So whoever controls a Sharingan eye gains its powers. <S> It may be possible to gain other bloodine jutsu, but to determine where the actual jutsu is located within their body or even the chakra system is still speculation. <S> For now, we know that those jutsu that comes from eyes, Sharingan and Rinnegan are up for grabs, not sure about others though. <A> However it won't be as effective. <S> Sharingan original users, the Uchiha clan, can use the techniques with ease, but Kakashi needs to rest more often. <S> This is due to the fact that since he's not an Uchiha member, these techniques will use up his chakra much faster. <S> Kakashi has it all covered, except in battles, because he cannot deactivate it and it would, like I said above, consume his chakra in vain. <S> He's not the only one that does a transplant. <S> Also, Danzo, Tobi transplants the Rinnegan and steals it and Sasuke receives new eyes. <S> I suspect the same would happen for other transplants <S> but I have no examples off the top of my head. <A> A non-Uchiha cannot advance their Sharingan. <S> As seen with Danzo and Kakashi. <S> The only reason Kakashi had a Mangekyo Sharingan is because Obito saw Rin die. <S> This is explained by Tobirama when he tells about the Uchiha's brain, how their pain and hate change their brain physiology and functioning, allowing them to turn that pain into the Sharingan. <S> As their pain and hate grow, so does their power. <S> If a brain isn't an Uchiha brain, and thus does not have this special area of the brain, <S> then they will not: A.) <S> Naturally gain a Sharingan B.) <S> Awaken the different stages of the Sharingan.

The Sharingan being transplanted will work, as you've noticed with Kakashi.

Do ninjas have extended lifespans? Most ninjas probably don't live very long by the nature of their work. They die on missions, in wars, in raids, while being ambushed by other ninjas, during testing, etc. However, the handful of ninjas we have seen (e.g. The Third Hokage, as well as Tsunade and Jiraiya) who've lived past the usual lifespan seem to be of very advanced age. Do ninjas have a longer natural lifespan that is simply cut short by the nature of their work? <Q> Not really, no. <S> The oldest (probably) Shinobi alive was Madara Uchiha, and even that because he awakened the Rinnegan, summoned the Gedo Mazo, and leeched on it for life-force. <S> Without it, he would probably have died at 80-90, which is a reasonable lifespan. <A> The Third Hokage, as well as Tsunade and Jiraiya <S> Sarutobi Hiruzen was 69 old. <S> When he died (following NARUTO Hiden: <S> Tō no Sho ), Tsunade has a special jutsu (as already mentioned). <S> Jiraiya died at age ~53, being 50 at his first appearance (plus the training-time with Naruto (1.5 years, <S> if I'm not mistaken, plus some story, I think 53 would be right)). <S> The only one who had a very long life was... ... <S> Also, Kakuzu had a long life, but just because he had the ability to swap hearts. <A> As far as I know they all had lifespans that you'd judge as normal. <S> The Third Hokage, Sarutobi, was let's say around 30 when he was training Orochimaru, Tsunade and Jiraiya. <S> He died at 68-69 years old, that's a reasonable lifespan. <S> Tsunade uses a special Jutsu that preserves her in a younger state, but she is as old as Jiraya. <S> Jiraya died younger than Sarutobi, around 54. <S> His hair is not a proof of his age, since it was white even when he was a kid. <S> On Tobi/Madara <S> I won't say anything, since it's <S> a yet-to-be-fully-revealed character and wrong information might be given at this point. <A> Some ninja families do have extended lifespans like the Senju and their sub branches like Uzumaki and Hyuuga. <S> Most ninjas have average lifespans which seems long as it is rather commendable for any of them to be able to survive that long. <S> Also, this is complimented by the point that in surviving for this long, they manage to gather many accomplishments. <S> Generally, a old seeming ninja has just matured from all they have been through. <A> The anime and manga make it quite clear that normally ninja live only for the same lifespan as all normal people do. <S> There are exceptions though to this. <S> Having extremely high/dense chakra. <S> The most notable here are the uzumakis who are renowned for this. <S> Although the Senju are related to them I don't remember reading about Senju who grew older or had a dense chakra. <S> The Uzumaki are the only clan mentioned that had this ability and a longer lifespan. <S> Cheating. <S> The best example here is Orochimaru. <S> He cheated death by taking on new bodies time and time and time again. <S> Another one being the Akatsuki guy who stole hearts of his oponents. <S> One additional possibility is the faith of Jashin. <S> The followers of that cult can gain immortality. <S> Although it is not stated if this merely means undying by force or also undying by old age. <S> Thus I count this only as a possibility. <S> Aside from these examples (and a quite old Madara Uchiha where it is never noted if that was still a normal lifespan or an extended one) <S> there are no ninja who life beyond the natural lifespan. <S> As a note to add to the first point: Of note are here the sage of the 6 pathes who lived VERY long, the tailed beasts themselves (effectively immortal) and the mother of the sage of 6 pathes (his two sons I don't count as they were more or less ghostlike from the descriptions <S> and it is not known if they would have lived longer than natural normally). <A> Most ninjas don not live very long. <S> Even the handful of ninjas we have seen (The Third Hokage, as well as Tsunade and Jiraiya) who've lived past the usual lifespan do not seem that old. <S> Between 50 and 70. <S> Do ninjas have a longer natural lifespan that is simply cut short by the nature of their work?No, (For anyone born in 2017, average life expectancy is 72.2 years and highest theoretical life is 104 years{one woman reached 122 years a man 116 years}) <S> Instead, shinobi seem to age faster than normal people and die younger as well.this is most likely due to healing chakra speeding up cell division to heal wounds. <S> The more they use healing chakra the faster they age the sooner <S> they die. <S> The answer is a simple <S> "No" except for special cases like Uzumaki with amazing yang and chakra or natural energies like the animal sages who have lives thousands of years ninjas do not have an extended lifespan.

All in all, you could say, that with special jutsus, ninjas live longer, but other than that, they're normal people. Uchiha Madara who had the Rinnegan and attached himself to the Gedō Mazō, with which he had a longer lifetime.

What happens to Sai? In Hikaru no Go , the main character (Hikaru) has a ghostly companion who tutors and trains him in the game of Go, a sort of Othello/chess hybrid game. However, about halfway through the series.... Sai ends up disappearing and, from then on, Hikaru must train and succeed on his own. What happens to Sai? Why is he no longer present for the rest of the series? <Q> Having no more regrets, he can leave the world. <S> So Madara Uchiha's answer is correct. <S> Also, in a public interview Yumi Hotta (scenarist of the "Hikaru No Go") gave during European Go Congress 2011 <S> (in Bordeaux, France), someone asked her "Why did Sai disappear?". <S> She answered that Sai had a role similar to a father to Hikaru, and that you cannot live your whole life with your parents following you. <S> At some point, you have to grow up and become an adult. <S> So, the fact that Sai disappeared is a symbolic way of saying that Hikaru is (on his way to) becoming an adult. <S> Hikaru "finds" Sai later when playing go. <S> This has the same meaning as saying that even if you leave your parents, you will always have in you what they told you, what they taught you, and the values they transmitted to you. <S> And, in fact, by the end of the series Hikaru looks a lot more mature than when he was with Sai. <S> According to Yumi Hotta, "Sai had to disappear", otherwise he would be blocking Hikaru from becoming an adult, in the same way a mother or a father would if he or she was always protective about his/her child. <A> From what I understood, Sai had fulfilled his role in the world. <S> He had trained someone with passion to continue his work alone, without his guidance. <S> The path to the "Divine Move" is now cleared, and he's no longer needed. <S> His job was done. <A> I think that Sai's original goal and purpose was to play the divine move and be part of the game, but as he realized Hikaru's potential he decided by himself that his goal was to put Hikaru on the path to the divine move. <S> Kind of like if your a parent that played a certain sport and your child decides to play as well. <S> There might be one thing in that sport <S> you were never able to do before you retired. <S> Would you continue to push past your limits as you got older? <S> No you would help your child achieve that goal themselves and leave behind your legacy with them.

According to the plot of the serie, Sai realized his role was not to achieve the Divine move (also called "hand of god") but that he was just there to transmit all his knowledge of the game to Hikaru.

Do we ever see the Senshi de-transform? The henshin (or, transformation) sequences in Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon are legendary for being awesome , but do we ever see them change back into their civilian identities? I'm requesting either video links, screencaptures, or panels from the manga for this one, because I'd like to see the scenes myself! Examples from both the anime and the manga would be appreciated. <Q> In episode 45 of the dub, Sailor Moon is forcibly de-transformed at ~11:44. <S> When it does, she "ribbons" back to her civilian clothes. <S> In episode 108 of the dub, we see Sailor Uranus de-transforms (at ~21:12), willingly, by going nude briefly before she appears in her civilian clothes. <S> In the manga. <S> it looks like they use the transformation pen to de-transform a la ribbons. <S> So it seems they typically get surrounded by ribbons again and revert back to their civilian clothes. <A> What I've found: Sailor Moon R the Movie: Promise of the Rose - Sailor Moon is forcibly detransformed by Fiore, twice. <S> Both times are during the later half on the movie, on the asteroid. <S> The first one is the asteroid-flower scene with Sailor Moon tied-up in vines. <S> Sailor Moon SuperS <S> - I believe it's also in the later half on the movie, on the ship. <S> The Inner and Outer senshi/soldiers have their power drained, having them detransformed. <S> However, they only appear as their colored-barbie forms, likely because it showed them frontally "nude" for around 12 seconds. <S> - YouTube reference . <A> In the anime, there was a scene or two where the senshi were forced to transform back by draining power or similar. <S> Actual detransformation was done by "ripping" the transformation off (though not as visible as in some other series), which'd suggest normal transformation would be something different, which I remember not be shown at any time. <S> Looks like there was (at least one) back-transformation in anime too. <A> <A> In episode 8 of the third season of Sailor Moon Crystal (episode 34 of the entire adaptation), we see Sailor Chibi Moon revert back to her civilian costume after her brooch is stolen (along with her "copy" of the Legendary Silver Crystal and her soul) by a transformed Hotaru. <S> (We learn in the next episode that Hotaru has transformed into Mistress 9.) <S> We can assume then that one of these objects—presumably the brooch and/or the soul, as the other Sailor Guardians do not have the Legendary Silver Crystal—is necessary for "maintaining" the transformed state. <S> (It is of course obvious that the brooch is needed for the transformation, but it does not seem clear to me whether or not the Sailor Guardians could drop their brooches while transformed and stay transformed. <S> Perhaps the distance from a Sailor Guardian and her brooch could also matter.)

In episode 8 of Sailor Moon Crystal, Sailor Venus is shown intentionally de-transforming in front of the other senshi.

Did Ichigo originally have Sode no Shiraiyuki? At the start of the Bleach manga, Rukia stabs Ichigo in the heart with her zanpakuto in order to give him her shinigami powers, which allows him to protect his family from the Hollows. After that, Ichigo obtains a sealed zanpakuto that he uses (alongside Rukia in a gigai ) to fight Hollows around Karakura. Later, Rukia returns to Seireitei and regains her shinigami powers, which robs Ichigo of his. This implies that Ichigo had borrowed his powers from Rukia for the run of the Karakura Arc. This is further supported when Ichigo gains his own zanpakuto, Zangetsu, and his sword is unsealed rather than remaining in its more benign state. Because Ichigo is borrowing Rukia's spirit powers, and because Zangetsu's form appears to be more volatile and less prone to remaining sealed, is the first zanpakuto that Ichigo carries Rukia's zanpakuto Sode no Shiraiyuki ? <Q> He loses his powers originally because Byakuya severs his soul chain, which detaches him from being able to touch his powers. <S> He regains the powers because of training with Urahara that also causes him to become part Hollow. <S> As quoted from bleach.wiki.com: <S> [Urahara] explains that Byakuya destroyed the source of his power, leaving him without any Shinigami powers and that he must restore these in order to fight the Shinigami. <S> He explains about Reiryoku, saying that the more one's reiryoku rises, the sharper the movements of their spiritual body becomes. <S> He says that if Ichigo can manage to move even better with his spiritual body than he can with his mortal body, then we will have made a complete recovery of his reiryoku. <S> More importantly, however, his unsealed zanpakuto is the same both before and after his fight with Renji/Byakuya. <S> To have had Sode no Shiraiyuki previously, he would have needed to have an entirely different sword, which he didn't. <S> These aren't exactly manga scans, but here are pictures of the sword before and after Ichigo regains his powers: Before: <S> After: <A> No. <S> When Ichigo was stabbed, the only thing transferred over was Rukia's Spirit Energy. <S> She lost the ability to call forth her sword and to use Kido effectively, both of which have some bearing on Spirit Energy. <S> However, Ichigo didn't pick up any of her abilities. <A> No. <S> That makes it rather hard to believe that he originally had her Zanpakuto. <A> The blade of the zanpaku-to just channels the spirit of the users zanpuku-to. <S> It was an incomplete manifestation of Zangetsu. <S> So even if he had called Sode no Shiraiyuki, nothing would have happened. <S> Its like trying to call someone else's spirit (zanpaku-to), when you don't even own it.

Ichigo doesn't have Sode no Shiraiyuki originally. When Ichigo was stabbed again (Again, by Rukia) to give him his Shinigami powers after he lost them against Ginjo, he regained his own sword.

Why does an alchemist need a transmutation circle? As a follow up, but another subject, of my question about equivalent exchange part of the alchemy laws . Why do (most) alchemists require a transmutation circle? Does any circle suffice or does an alchemist require a specific type for each (type of) job? At least the size seems to matter... <Q> The transmutation circles contain the formulae and/or specific incantation needed to carry out a function. <S> There is always some part of the human mind that is involved in a transmutation (otherwise, Mustang's gloves would only be able to mess with the air in a very select pattern), but in general more complicated transmutations will require a more robust "hard formula". <S> The "soft formula" comes from the mind of the alchemist. <S> This is the part that actually shapes what should happen, while the "hard formula" is used to gather the required energy/ handle the heavy lifting. <S> On the subject of people who can transmute without circles, there are two different schools of thought. <S> The first follows the anime/manga rigidly, and interprets Izumi's words literally. <S> They see it as the 'reward' for losing part of yourself when you looked beyond the gate. <S> Looking beyond the gate exacts a toll from you, which is then used to "pay" for the privilege of seeing the base code of the universe. <S> Knowing this base code, alchemists are able to use the "soft" formula to a greater extent, and do not require the assistance of a "hard" formula in order to transmute. <S> The second possible explaination is more of an unintended side effect. <S> Remember how Barry the Chopper lost his body? <S> Well, his soul (in the armor) was able to sense his body's presence (and vice-versa). <S> If one assumes the figure at the gate (which takes peoples' body parts) is god (or at least, the source of alchemy), then him "wearing" an alchemists parts (pardon the term) is essentially giving that alchemist a very subtle, yet powerful connection on a mental level. <S> The alchemists are able to use their missing parts to bridge the gap separating them from this god-like being, and thus transmute seemingly at will. <S> Alphonse, not having a physical body at all with which to form a bridge, is unable to skip the "hard formula" at first, but upon re-visiting the experience in his own mind, he forces himself to build this "bridge" and can transmute naturally from then on. <A> Those circles are, in fact, like "spells", or more accurately "mathematical formulas", so in order to make what they want, they have to write the correct formula. <S> Those alchemists who don't do that, just a few, can bypass that formulas because they have them "inside", but that's very rare, and as far as I know, wasn't explained in the series. <A> The symbolic meaning is in the cycle of energy and life, where Equivalent Exchange ensures that objects are never created nor destroyed, but changed into different forms. <S> My interpretation is that this embodiment of a principle of Alchemy helps the transmutation take place, but it is unnecessary if the alchemist has been to The Gate, thus embodying the principle of Alchemy by himself. <S> As for function, the transmutation circle harnesses the energy from the earth or substrate that the circle is drawn on (compare the energy sources of Amestris [SPOILER] and Xing ). <S> the geometric symbols (triangles, squares and other polygons) represent various elements (water/earth/fire/air), and other symbol-like runes which direct and manipulate the energies in more specific ways. <S> So in the functional aspect, the diagrams and symbols in the transmutation circle serve as an "energy manipulation chamber" to harness for specific alchemical uses. <A> I think the idea from Merlin (with Sam Neill) helps here: there there are different types of Magic (== <S> Alchemy == <S> Sufficiently-Advanced Technology): <S> hand-magic, word-magic, and thought-magic. <S> The gestures or words are used to induce the necessary thought-form which actually performs the action of the magic. <S> Note that the ability to read silently is a relatively recent acquisition. <S> Historically, St. Augustine is the first human to have done this. <S> Here's a description of the concept of logos in talismanic magic in Magical Egypt .

According to the Fullmetal Alchemist Wiki , transmutation circles have a symbolic and functional aspect.

What happened at the end of Fate/Zero? At the end of Fate/Zero , why did the Holy Grail materialize for Kiritsugu (Episode 24, 23:30) when Saber, Matou Kariya, Kotomine Kirei and Gilgamesh were still alive? Kirei should still have been alive because he was merely unconscious and watching Kiritsugu's visions within the Grail. According to what Kirei explained to Gilgamesh in order to "plead for his life" (Episode 17, 23:30), all seven servants must be "sacrificed" before the Grail can be activated. <Q> At some point in the Fate/Stay Night game, it's revealed that the holy grail can be summoned without having sacrificed all of the necessary servants. <S> The grail won't be all-powerful, but it should still be plenty powerful for most wishes. <S> (the only wish it is able to grant in its current corrupted form) is less than what it could be. <S> Spoilers for F/SN game: <S> The fact that the grail wasn't all-powerful and yet still caused so much destruction is why Kotomine sets in motion the events of the 5th grail war. <S> By keeping Gilgamesh and beating the newly summoned servants, Kotomine would be able to see the grail at full power. <S> In fact, six servants would be sufficient for any wish "within the limits of this world" (whatever that means), but Kotomine wants to know what would happen with all seven. <S> This is also important for at least one F/SN route: <S> On the UBW good end, the grail is summoned while both Saber and Archer are present. <S> The fact that Archer is still alive is not known at the time, even to Gilgamesh. <S> In this case, the grail was summoned into an impure vessel as well, because Gilgamesh believes that the more corrupt the vessel, the greater the destruction it can bring. <A> It's explained that the grail will materialize before it's fully "filled", but it's only complete once all 7 heroic spirits are dead. <S> From the Novel when Kariya hands over Irisviel to Kirei: <S> “To be precise, it is this homunculus. <S> If one or two more Servants are finished, then it will probably show its true form… I will prepare the ritual to receive the Grail as it descends. <S> Until that time, let this woman also be temporarily under my protection.” <S> And later, while Kirei and Kiritsu duel: <S> Directly above the big prop warehouse where the two men were, Irisviel’s already-cold corpse was placed upon the raised stage of the music hall. <S> [...] <S> After Archer’s victory, this vessel had finally absorbed the soul of the fourth Servant. <S> [...] <S> The corpse of the beautiful homunculus was completely consumed by the heat in the blink of an eye, and was reduced to ashes. <S> That was not all. <S> The golden cup that had contacted the outside air charred the floor and the curtains, and roaring flames enveloped the completely empty stage. <S> On the stage where the fire was raging ever wilder, the golden cup floated in the air as if it was upheld by a pair of invisible hands. <S> The ceremony of the descent of the Holy Grail, which the Three Noble Families of the Beginning had desired so much, had begun silently even without the presence of a priest <A> The ending of FZ was a result of the Holy Grail not being complete due to the sacrifice of less than the necessary number of servants. <S> It was still considerably powerful and able to destroy half of the city and reincarnate Gilgamesh and resurrect Kotome Kerie.

Because the grail was activated while some of the servants were still alive, it was not at full power, hence the destruction

In the Fate/Stay Night Visual Novel, why is Rider listed as Chaotic Good? The in-game encyclopedia entry for Rider in Fate/Stay night lists her as chaotic good. This is true regardless of what route you are on and who is her master. However, at several points in the story she is noted as being evil, and it's said that the only reason she (along with a few other servants) could be summoned is because the holy grail was corrupted. These seem to pretty strongly contradict each other. Am I missing something subtle (maybe a translation issue, or maybe I'm misunderstanding alignment) or is this a mistake by TYPE-MOON and Rider should be listed as evil in the encyclopedia? <Q> Fundamentally, Rider doesn't seem to shy away from evil deeds - most notably her actions at the school. <S> She doesn't perform them with glee, but unlike, say, Saber, she doesn't resist her Master's commands when they lead her in that direction. <S> I tried to obtain a full transcript of the game to analyze every time she is mentioned as "evil"; however I couldn't find any. <S> The following is from my memory: Most narration is made from the standpoint of another character, usually Emiya Shirou. <S> And you can't blame him, or his compatriots, for labeling Rider as evil; however, most of this is more due to her Master's orders. <S> In Heaven's Feel, Rider's true goal is revealed - and it is, in fact, a noble one. <S> All of the previous events are implied to have been because of her loyalty to Sakura - disobeying Zouken or Shinji would have had direct repercussions on her. <S> In fact, Rider is significantly more powerful in Heaven's Feel than in any other path - this is most likely due to a reluctance and half-heartedness when obeying Shinji; in other words, she was faking it and not giving her all in hopes of being defeated. <A> Chaotic Good basically means you´ll do whatever it takes to complete a noble goal. <S> Gilgamesh´s Chaotic Good is what he was for the most of his life, where he was at first a massive jerk and a tyrant, but after befriending Enkidu he became a fair king with a habit of using force against anything hostile with a pulse, hence the Chaotic bit. <S> But due to the depression from Enkidu´s death and the craziness he got from the Grail (he wasn´t corrupted by it, but it did, according to Nasu, make him alot less sane), He´s more akin to Lawful Evil in Zero (pre-grail bath) and Chaotic Evil in Stay/Night. <A> I shouldn't reply to an old post, but I will leave this here for people who may end up here like me. <S> In the Nasuverse, or at least in the Fate series, the usage of "traditional D&D alignement" isn't precise. <S> Well, it is precise but in a different interpretation. <S> The Good vs Evil <S> axis regards not the moral of the person but his personality. <S> Good and Evil are personality types, good means open, brave, honest and magnimonious. <S> Evil means selfish, cowardly, sly and focused on self-gratification. <S> It also regards how, even unconsciously, a person see himself. <S> For example: Medea knows that what she is doing is bad/evil (harming people for her own good), and she does so following a selfish desire. <S> Meanwhile, Gilgamesh, who want to fuck up the entire world is doing this on a honest proposal to save humanity. <S> In his own way, but that's his objective. <S> Law and Chaos are principals- <S> Law means you care about some likely very abstract concept to the point of total self-denial. <S> Chaos means you feel no obligation towards anything but your own whims. <S> This is shown, again, in Gilgamesh and Medea, with a little bit of Cu and Saber. <S> Gilgamesh (chaotic) <S> even if he is working to improve humanity, he does so without any consideration for little lives but an eye on the general condition of the race. <S> Killing something like 90% of humanity is good, if it helps the remaining 10% to reach a better condition. <S> Medea is evil indeed, but not without any consideration. <S> Just watch how she harms people, but avoid kills and has a particular hate for harming children. <S> She isn't complitely without any moral lines. <S> While Lawful sees a perfect example in Saber <S> and I guess that it is enough. <S> Moral, putting oneself in danger for a greater good, following a (strict) code of behaviour and so one. <S> But she is Good. <S> Cu is an example of the same thing, but on a neutral level.

Basically, Rider means well but is willing to do things that could be considered evil for her goal. A Lawful-Nasu character, also, follows more rigid and generally good (in our traditional interpretation) morals, while Chaotics are generally connected to no-morals whatsoever, only thinking about their true desire, and so are more "evil" in a traditional way.

Where do I find a table / listing of all currently airing anime series? Is there a website or any kind of document that shows all currently airing series in Japan? Airing dates and times would be great too. <Q> I use http://countdown.mandragon.info/ <S> which shows the day and time of the next episode for currently airing shows and dates for shows that will be broadcast soon. <S> Edit: This site is now down, so I'll recommend another one I use often: http://anichart.net/ <A> <A> There's a MAL Group that updates with the season, has airing dates for all the anime airing during that time and such. <S> It's right here. <A> I always use Mahou.org , which not only tells you what is airing, but gives you up-to-the-minute information on precisely when it is airing. <S> However, you'll need to cross-check the listed shows with some other site like MAL , <S> AniDB <S> (note the convenient links to the right of the table), or ANN's Encyclopedia if you want descriptions. <A> There is also the Fansub Wiki which separates out each season, includes the time/date/channel, is updated (at least regularly enough these days) to show which shows get picked up by which groups that aren't licensed by U.S. distributors. <S> Crunchyroll, Funimation, and Sentai pick up large handfuls of shows each season these days so the actual fansub groups are less relevant now. <S> EDIT: <S> I just noticed today that ANN has an upcoming anime list . <A> Neregate also has charts of all animes, OVAs/movies <S> /whatever else will be airing the next season. <S> (So you can check what was the "next season" of last season, i.e. this season.) <S> Note that while the charts on Neregate are family-friendly, other elements of the website may contain NSFW content. <A> Wikipedia has listings of anime per year. <S> For example: Anime Television Series of 2012 .

There's AnimeCalendar , which, when you make an account and are logged in, lets you filter the series and also convert to your local timezone.

Why did the anime stop having ending songs since episode 279? Since episode 279, the One Piece anime doesn't have ending songs. Instead, it has long openings: almost 3 minutes, instead of the usual 1:30 openings. What was the reason for this change? <Q> I don't think any official explanations were given (I tried to search but there are only speculations). <S> I think the most probable reason is the fact that when you're watching broadcasts on TV, as soon as the ending theme song pops up you change to another channel. <S> Almost nobody watches the ending credits/openings and this is true also for other things. <S> Think about when you go to the movies: when the credits starts rolling, is there someone that will stay sit there? <S> Maybe, but that's quite rare. <S> Same for movies on TV, you usually change it because... you really don't care, unless you need to look up some actor/character in those rare occasions. <S> For this reason, and I'm quite convinced this is the case, they cut the ending theme song, made the opening longer and put the credits there instead. <S> More people are likely to watch it, not just those that like the song, but also once you get to the channel, you're less likely to change it just because it hasn't started yet. <S> Along with the recap, this makes the "opening part" much longer, even cutting from the usual ~24 minutes of actual episode time. <A> <A> It's to increase ads revenue and reduce production cost at the same time. <S> Historically, this happened at the same time when the timeslot for One Piece on Fuji TV was moved from Sunday 19:00 JST (Golden Time, the Japanese equivalent to prime time ) to Sunday 9:30 JST (Local Sales Time -- timeslot for procuring program sponsors at each broadcast stations [ Japanese Wikipedia ] ) on October 2006. <S> The reason for moving the timeslot was said due to the removal of anime timeslot during Golden Time and replaced by variety shows instead (in-effect until now). <S> It also went into some structural changes: <S> Before episode 279 : OP (1:50) - sponsor (10s) <S> - CM - A part - CM - B part <S> - ED <S> (1:10) - preview (30s) - sponsor (10s). <S> Total time beside main content and CM = <S> 3:50 minutes Episode 279 <S> -283 (morning timeslot, no ED) : OP (1:50) - sponsor (10s) <S> - CM - A part - CM - sponsor (10s) - B part - Mugiwara Gekijou (extra from manga, 2:45-4:25) - preview (30s) - end card (5s). <S> Total time beside main content and CM = <S> 2:45 + <S> extra = 5:30++ minutes <S> Episode 284-now : OP (2:30) - sponsor (10s) <S> - CM - A part - CM - sponsor (10s) - B part - preview (30s) - end card (5s). <S> Total time beside main content and CM = <S> 3:25 minutes <S> However, since the duration of the main content (A & B part) didn't change, the remaining time was added for CM. <S> Also, since the ED removal, the main part starts around 9:35:40, so there were around 3:10 minutes of CM (minus the OP) before the viewers can enjoy the story. <S> It's also said that the CM between A & B part was also lengthened to more than 3 minutes. <S> The reason why the duration of the CM was increased was said that it's harder to receive sponsorship on morning timeslot compared to Golden Time (less viewer → fewer ads revenue) <S> Source: <S> Japanese Wikipedia Yahoo! <S> Chiebukuro (Japanese): 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 <A> The theme songs are meant to be catchy little jingles by famous artists in Japan. <S> One Piece had basically surpassed a whole generation of people, so there is really no need for two anymore. <S> They need a longer opening sequence to either re-familiarize long term viewers or new ones who hadn't seen the first 500 episodes. <S> One Piece started simulcasting around "Thriller Bark" arc, as mentioned most people don't sit around to watch. <S> Maybe if it was on actual Japanese TV where there's another show they want to watch next, but not with simulcasting. <S> And finally, there had been too much filler, so they tested out a huge anniversary opening before making this change. <S> During this anniversary event, they remade the classic "We Are" song, animated all the cover stories. <S> This marked the beginning of the change and there hasn't been an ED since. <S> The way opening and ending credits are handled is also 100% artistic. <S> Take Supernatural for instance, whose opening credits basically consist of what happened so far mixed with music in a huge montage of previous episodes then throwing you right into the action, or sleepy hollow whose opening credits don't happen until 15 minutes into the episode. <S> The whole thing is practicality and art. <S> There's no actual rules that say this is how OP and ED should go. <S> As long as the actors are credited, that's all that matters. <S> I suggest you look up some different shows and see how OP and ED are handled, like some different ones. <S> You'd be surprised how versatile it all is, especially in other countries (such as Korean dramas, which don't technically have OP and ED as far as i can tell)

They simply wanted to change things up because One Piece had been on the air for so long. There could be lots of reasons they did that, the most logical being that it was a production decision, they'll rather pay royalties or have one song made than two, less time and money spent on one 3 min song than two shorter ones.

What does the fist bump mean in Naruto? At first I thought Killer Bee only used it as a rap gesture. Later on it was shown as a way to compare and equalize forces between two people. Even later, Naruto was shown doing it with Kurama, to fuse their chakra together. Does the fist bump have any special meaning? I doubt it originated in Japanese culture or mythology, so where did it come from? <Q> I think there isn't a single meaning, and sometimes it might be a simple brofist , showing respect to one another. <S> But there's also to consider that Bee, in a way, uses fist bumps to read the other person's mind/heart/soul, to feel the other person; he does it with the Raikage. <S> But for example When Naruto exchanges fist bump with Kurama (The Nine-tailed fox beast): <S> There happens that the two chakra meld/connect, as a sort of energy transfer. <S> Perhaps it's also more than that, but that's basically to show that we don't simply have brofists in Naruto. <S> I think I found the chapter <S> but it's not flat-out stated. <S> When Bee first exchanges fist bumps with Naruto, he says he won't train him to control his beast: first because he "made a fool out of his rap", but also because when they exchange the fist bumps, Bee feels the Dark Naruto inside Naruto himself, through them. <S> So unless Naruto solves this problem, he won't be able to proceed to the next stage, i.e. the training with Bee. <S> After the first meeting with Bee (when Naruto uses the Erotic Jutsu), Motoi does ask him whether they exchanged fist bumps. <S> I think this is a hint to that, because when Naruto confirms, Motoi takes him and Yamato to the waterfalls. <S> They ask whether that's the place <S> but Motoi says that that's just the first step <S> : Naruto needs to see the truth first, which is where the Dark Naruto is revealed. <S> Naruto will help save Motoi from the Squid attack that happens then and Bee trusts Naruto can defeat the Dark one. <S> Hope that helps. <A> which can be seen when he trains naruto to control the tailed beast <A> Bumping fists to naruto is the form of highest respect, in the the anime bumping fists is a way to read someones heart and soul without exchanging fists in a fight, when kurama and naruto bump fists it symbolizes acknowledgement between the two who at one point despised each other <S> it's a brothers in arms bond between them now, bumping fists even in culture and reality symbolize respect and acknowledgement.

It's mainly a character trait of Killer Bee, he uses it kind of as a symbol of frienship, greeting or mutual respect; however he also uses this gesture to sense other people's chakra and channel his chakra to the other person.

In Fullmetal Alchemist, what does a State Alchemist's pocket watch do? In Fullmetal Alchemist, it is stated a number of times that a state alchemist's pocket watch increases their power, but there doesn't seem to be a clear mechanism for that. How does that work, and what does increasing the power of an alchemist mean? <Q> As stated in this wiki , ...each State Alchemist is given a silver pocketwatch to hold as identification. <S> This watch is engraved with the symbol of the State Alchemist program - the Amestrian Dragon circumscribed in a hexagram (though both anime series alter the hexagram to a nondescript polygram, presumably so as not to invoke Judaism). <S> The 2003 anime also depicts the watch's silver chain as extendable, as in the instance when the Strong Arm Alchemist, Major Alex Louis Armstrong uses it to tie up a target. <S> So, according to the 2003 anime, the watch amplifies the alchemist's powers. <S> However, both manga and FMA:Brotherhood shows that the watch is simply a form of identification, much like a police badge. <S> Also note that in the anime the watch is the indicator which people use to recognize Edward as a State Alchemist. <S> I believe that unless the State Alchemist himself tells you who he is, the presence of the watch is the only other way to know it (they also get a certificate, but I doubt they carry it around). <A> They never explained it because it is a development of the first anime adaptation that was never expounded upon. <S> The watches were merely forms of identification as state alchemists in Brotherhood, which follows the manga more closely. <A> They actually showed this in one episode when Ed got his watched repaired, that it contained red rocks in the back of it and that was how they amplified their alchemic powers. <A> The Silver Pocketwatches amplify the State Alchemist's power, but besides that, the only thing they really do is prove that you're a State Alchemist, and perhaps to tell the time. <A> They tell time but mainly symbolize being a state alchemist and part of the country's government and army if necessary.

Although the manga does not describe the pocketwatch as anything more than official proof that the carrier is a State Alchemist , the 2003 anime suggests that each pocketwatch is an alchemical amplifier .

What is the connection between the Cowboy Bebop anime and the movie? According to Wikipedia , the movie is a midquel that takes place between episodes 22 and 23 of the anime. Having seen both the movie and the anime, I don't recall any connection that made it essential for it to be viewed in this order. I don't recall anything that had happened in the anime to be vital for the movie, and I don't remember anything that happened in the movie to be vital for episodes 23 onwards. Am I missing something? Or does it fit between episodes 22 and 23 simply because the authors thought about it like that (maybe the authors thought about the timeline like that, although it may be irrelevant?)? <Q> In fact, the movie came out over 2 years after the series was finished, so there wasn't really room to add more plot before the ending. <S> Since the ending of Cowboy Bebop is deliberately ambiguous , there was no room for a movie after the events of episode 23 began, so putting it before episode 23 was necessary and the simplest choice is between 22 and 23. <S> I would argue that the placement of the movie in the chronology isn't all that important, though. <S> Cowboy Bebop is pretty episodic for most of its run, and the stories could be reordered without seriously affecting the feel of the show. <S> Chronological order is mostly irrelevant for the series as a whole (with a few notable exceptions). <S> Likewise, the placement of the movie doesn't make a big difference. <S> There are a number of places it could be placed in the chronology consistently, but putting it before episode 23 was the simplest. <S> In fact, a few people I know watched the movie after episode 24, which obviously doesn't work chronologically, but they didn't think they missed anything by viewing it in that order. <A> Episode 23 has the cancellation of the bounty hunter TV show Big Shot, even though it was featured in the movie. <S> That's about the only thing to tie it into the continuity, it has to be sometime before episode 23, and <S> after getting Faye, Ed, and Ein as part of the crew. <A> In the film, the Big Shot bounty hunters show is still airing. <S> In episode 23, it is cancelled. <S> Also, in episode 23 "Brain Scratch", we see Jobim (of the series' three reoccurring old men: Antonio, Carlos, and Jobim) dead after apparently trying and failing to get the bounty on Dr. Londes. <S> All three are alive in the movie (and I believe one of them claims they are bounty hunters as a "half-joke"). <S> All that to say, plus the fact that the film's soundtrack has the movie tracks labeled 22.5, it's fairly evident where the movie sits in chronology. <S> Again, it doesn't really matter too much. <S> As long as Edward is in the crew (so after ep. 9) and before ep. <S> 23, it can take place anywhere. <S> Some theorize the film takes place after the show, as it appears Spike may or may not be dreaming the entirety of the film. <S> But this is speculation at best.

Nothing that happens in the movie is essential to what happens in episodes 23 and 24.

What are the plants in Trigun? I know that they generate energy and they're used like power plants but there's also a person or creature of some sort inside. What are the plants exactly and how is it that Vash can communicate with them? <Q> In the Trigun Universe, Plants are constructions, built by humans, to hold and house powerful beings that can create energy, food, and even water. <S> Not much else is revealed about the beings themselves in either the manga or anime that gives away where they came from, how humans learned to harness their power, or what they truly are. <S> As for why Vash can communicate with them: Both Vash and Knives are "products" of the plant. <S> It is unknown if they were born by the plant on the ship, or how they came to be, as it is said that they were found near the plant itself. <S> Vash and Knives both show many characteristics like the plant, and also many dissimilarities. <S> For example, both show increased control over their powers, including being able to generate guns at will, and both have a far longer life-span than humans, <S> while aging to the mid-30's look faster. <S> They are also able to communicate with the plants, as Vash demonstrates on a few occasions. <S> However, unlike plants, they do not need to be contained in a special environment to survive, and they are male, where as every plant form that can be seen is female. <A> This is in Wikipedia in Spanish <S> and I just translated it for the question: <S> In the future, Earth has been overpopulated and natural resources and environment are in a state to disappear soon. <S> In this situation they create the project "Seeds", in which, to ensure the survival of the species they sent into space a fleet of spacecrafts in which a great number of people are contained in suspended animation. <S> These ships used as feed system a technology called "Plants", a power generator housed in an entity whose core is almost pure energy and serves as a source of power to the ship. <S> In one of these ships, a small crew is responsible for guiding and find a planet that can accommodate the human race. <S> One day, an anomaly leads to the reactor to discover there that not only the Plant has given birth two newborns, but unlike the rest of their species, they look more human and can survive outside the reactor. <A> The humans in this series do not seem to have a complete understanding of the plant entities. <S> Vash can communicate with other plants, since he is a plant (or as the anime suggests a possible plant-human hybrid). <S> Note that a crew member dies in the ship's engines just prior to the appearance of Vash and Knives.

From what I can tell, the plants were not created by humans, they were harnessed by humans as an energy source.

What was Kakuzu's original chakra nature element? Kakuzu, an Akatsuki member who works with Hidan as a pair, has a unique ability. His body is full of black strings that he can use to steal the organs of his opponents. He uses this ability in order to steal his enemies' hearts, which gives him two important advantages: 1) Provides a type of "immortality". He can have a maximum of 4 hearts but this means he needs to be killed 4 times without him replacing the lost hearts in the mean time. 2) Allows him to use the chakra nature elements of the stolen hearts. For example, if he steals a heart from someone who possessed the wind chakra nature element, he'd be able to use that. Is it known what Kakuzu's own original chakra nature element was? <Q> Being originally from the Waterfall village plus using the only element without having an embodiment, I'll have to take an educated guess and call Water on Kakazu. <A> The Official Character Data book provides no info on this. <S> I'd say that any answer other than this without any strong sources is mere speculation, or some educated guess (as MadaraUchiha's answer). <A> He had masks for Water, Fire, Wind, and Lightning. <S> So I'd say that was probably his natural affinity, or at least what he was most comfortable with/most practiced with in his original body. <S> Ref: http://naruto.wikia.com/wiki/Earth_Grudge_Fear

While impossible to know since many shinobi use multiple chakra elements, Earth Style was the only type he used without a mask ( http://naruto.wikia.com/wiki/Earth_Release:_Earth_Spear ) --

How did Nagato gain his Rinnegan? How was it exactly that Nagato came upon his Rinnegan? Madara states that it was his, and that he gave it to him: how did he do that? Did he transplant it into Nagato, or did he transfer it otherwise? Note: I do not recall whether this was explained in the manga or not. <Q> When or how isn't stated, one can only speculate that Madara used White Zetsu or some other Zetsu for it. <A> Like you said, it certainly was not mentioned. <S> The best guess is that he used Zetsu to do it, since he was chained to the Gedo Mazo. <S> Apparently he knew he could use it in the distant future to revive himself again. <A> In Chapter 606, In Obito's flashback, Madara mentions that he did indeed transplant it into Nagato without him (Nagato) realising it. <S> How exactly he did <S> it is not explained, though it is likely he used a Gedo Mazo/Senju cells based technique similar to the one he used to "repair" Obito's body (without Obito realising it as well).

Well, Black Zetsu, which is the embodiment of Madara's willpower and thought (Yin), stated that he had indeed transplanted these eyes into him when he was a boy.

Why do Kenshin's eyes change color? When Kenshin is content and in his normal, day-to-day state, his eyes are purple. Yet, when he is incensed or when he must resume his Hitokiri Battousai persona, his eyes turn yellow: Why do Kenshin's eyes change color? <Q> In this Wiki , it is stated that: Kenshin's eyes, too, are unusual, being a deep violet. <A> It's just artistic style especially used in the earlier days of manga/anime to show a different, more serious state rather than the character's usual jovial self. <S> Many animes did this before the millennia and everyone just sort of accepted it. <S> As they evolved fewer Anime's do this now except the ones aiming to parody earlier works. <S> I personally prefer this to when he would glow red in Season 1 to show his angry state. <S> What didn't make even more sense <S> was he went into the glowing state in the Requiem movie which takes place after he learned Amakakeru ryu no hirameki (which was supposed to suppress his hitokiri side since he came to terms with it). <A> It isn't a split personality, something which we now believe doesn't exist and isn't used as a diagnosis anymore. <S> I believe that his eyes change color for artistic/symbolic effect. <S> His soul is fractured so he must shed parts of himself in order to become a better fighter. <S> When he is truly in danger he reverts back to the man slayer, a killer above all others. <S> After he finishes his training with his master his soul is mostly at peace and he doesn't need to bury himself to become stronger and can thus reach a higher potential then he ever could as a man slayer. <S> "It's said that eyes are the window to the soul, and in fiction, their color is often the first way to hint at a character's true nature. <S> In particular, characters who have gold and yellow-colored eyes tend to have some form of supernatural origin or powers that place them above normal humans."

In the anime series, when Kenshin's eyes change to reflect his psychological reversion to Hitokiri Battōsai , their color shifts from violet to gold.

What is the proper romanization of the wolf-girl's name? There is a debate between fans as to the romanization of the name of the wolf-girl character in Spice and Wolf. Some claim it should be romanized as Holo, whilst others say Horo. Is there official word on which is correct? <Q> According to Yen Press (the English publisher of the Spice and Wolf novels), they were instructed by the Japanese licensor to use "Holo". <S> Source: <S> This comment at Yenpress.com <S> There was also a scene in the anime, season 2 episode 4, showing a hand-written letter that included "Holo". <S> Poor writing, <S> but I think it's obvious that it's an L not an R. <A> According to one episode in 2nd season and official translation of light novels it is Holo. <S> But Horo has been used for so long, that it is hard to fans to accept the official romanization. <S> Also, in many languages, the official japanese dubbing too sounds more like Horo than Holo. <A> This indeed splits Spice and Wolf fans into two as ホロ is "Horo" in romaji, but in official English translation it's "Holo". <S> For Japanese viewers, the name is "Horo" (ホロ). <S> Which of the names came first? <S> You know the answer to that already. <S> In the end, both are official and valid names for wolf-girl protagonist <S> It's also known that HorribleSubs used term "Horo".

For English viewers, the name is "Holo".

Does Tobi control his teleportation consciously? When Tobi uses his selective teleportation power that causes objects to pass through him, does he have to think about it when he does it, or is it automatic? I'm trying to find out if he is vulnerable to a sneak attack. I know he is able to teleport at will, but I'm wondering more about his "ghost" ability that causes objects to pass through him. <Q> I'm thinking that it is voluntary, since he uses his Magekyou to do it, and it is the same technique as Kakashi's. <S> Also because he is able to quickly change between using (to dodge an attack) and not using it (to attack someone). <S> Furthermore, Naruto headbutted him and he did not dodge it. <S> Later, Naruto hits him with a rasengan, breaking his mask and revealing his identity as Obito. <S> Although he was 'trapped' (because of the Bijuu-dama) on the other dimension, if it were automatic, I'm guessing he wouldn't have been able to not dodge it, being fried by the Bijuu-dama ' <S> back here'. <S> EDIT: <S> However, I think it is triggered by his will, and not entirely automatic. <A> I think it's somewhat semi-automatic. <S> When he wanted to touch Rin, he forgot to undo his jutsu, and went through her. <S> This tells us he doesn't necessarily consciously control which parts of himself he is sending to the other dimension. <S> He can however activate and deactivate it on will, like a master switch. <A> To complete the answer of JNat, I think a better example could be the fight Tobi (or Masked Man) <S> VS Minato, while Kyûbi is attacking Konoha. <S> If I remember well, as the final move of the fight, Minato throws a Kunai on Tobi's face and runs to Tobi directly after : to counter it, Tobi wants to let the Kunai pass through his head with his jutsu, then come back "real" and attack Minato. <S> But at the exact time the Kunai has finished to pass through his head and he becomes "real" again to attack Minato, Minato uses Hiraishin - Level 2 (teleports instantly over Tobi and hits him with Rasengan). <S> If it was automatic, Tobi would have dodged it, but the thing that it was so fast that it hit him, proves that he consciously uses it .

Although I say voluntary, it may be seen as semi-automatic (or even automatic, for that matter), in the sense that he does not actually think about it, but rather acts instinctively .

Is No Face from Spirited Away based on any traditional Japanese legends? Spirited Away borrows a lot of its side characters from various Japanese legends, although many are also original. One of the most mysterious such characters is No Face, who is perhaps slightly antagonistic, and comes off as a spirit of greed or something to that effect. The concept for No Face is very unique with a collection of strange powers that I don't know of in any other mythological spirit, suggesting to me that he might be a unique creation of Miyazaki. Are there any comments by Miyazaki on the origin of No Face? Barring that, is there a clear origin in some Japanese mythology, or is he an original creation? <Q> This interview was originally in the French movie magazine "POSITIF" ( <S> April 2002 volume). <S> It was translated into Japanese by a Japanese blogger , and I've translated relevant parts into English. <S> Some things may have been lost in the double translation, but hopefully the main points are the same. <S> Interviewer: By the way, where did Kaonashi, the creature who swallows everything, come from? <S> Also, I noticed in this movie that Kaonashi, Boh, and Chihiro's parents are all obsessed with overeating. <S> Miyazaki Hayao: <S> That's true. <S> These characters' personalities are full of faults. <S> I made this movie for my friend's two daughters. <S> Like Chihiro, they are also 10 years old. <S> I didn't want to show them something like "the struggle between good and evil. <S> " I wanted to show them the truth about the world. <S> If young girls don't really see "good and evil" as something as simple as dualism, then it's something they must discover for themselves in the world. <S> Regarding the overeating, in the past I saw " Babette's Feast ". <S> It's a very beautiful and enjoyable movie. <S> In that movie, the characters also eat a lot. <S> Even when directly asked, he didn't give a very specific answer it seems. <S> Though I suppose Babette's Feast was an important inspiration. <S> "Kaonashi is inside of everyone. <S> " Those are Miyazaki Hayao's own words. <S> Kaonashi can't buy people's attention with money. <S> In addition, he doesn't know how to hold on to people's hearts. <S> Kaonashi is irritated by Chihiro's lack of desires and tells her to want. <S> This is also a necessity of capitalism. <S> There is a contrast those who swarm around Kaonashi when he gives out money and Chihiro's enlightened lack of desire for gold or food. <S> Her resolution in this is so strong that it can even seem cold. <S> There was no reasoning behind saving Haku. <S> He clearly says to Kaonashi, "I won't give you what I want." <A> You can actually also relate the character of No-face (kaonashi) to a similar supernatural entity from Inu Yasha (S1 EP. <S> 11). <S> There was an episode where a demon Noh Mask was featured. <S> This entity ate all the people it encountered; even though it's goal was to search for "a body that will not rot away, the concept is very similar to the character of No-face from Spirited Away. <S> I guess they're based from a certain concept then manipulated to suit the storyline - :p <A> <A> You can google "Noh Drama" for more info. <S> xx

From my opinion, I suppose that No Face might someway originated from Japanese Theatre Ritual called "No" or "Noh" as the character, Shite, a supernatural character like ghost or god is wearing a similar white mask as No Face in Spirited Away. I thought that No-Face was a newly formed Spirit of Empathy, with no control over his abilities or understanding of the Spirit's Bath House, he took on the characteristics of the strongest emotions around him.

How do Gai's Gates work? During the Chunin exam, when Lee fights Gaara, Kakashi says that as you open more Gates, the risk of death rises. Well, when Guy fights Kisame, Guy has already opened several Gates (up to 6) before the final attack, and they have been open for quite a lot of time (relatively) before the seventh Gate is opened. And of course as he opens more Gates, with his stamina rate supposedly decreasing exponentially, I'm pretty sure he was supposed to be " pretty exhausted ". But still, when he opened the seventh Gate, he still had enough time to talk and stop Kisame from escaping. Shouldn't this be too much for him? <Q> No, you're not quite right about it. <S> There are eight gates at total. <S> Each gate is a special point in the body that limits the flow of chakra. <S> This is done in order for the body to live longer (more chakra flowing = <S> the body is expiring faster). <S> Each gate gives a boost in a special power, e.g. the first gate removes the restrains on the muscles, the second improves physical strength and re-energizes the body, and so on. <S> Now, opening the gates is very dangerous by itself, and it's becoming more dangerous the more gates you open <S> , that's right. <S> The reason for that is that the body simply can't stand the chakra, and gets damaged by it. <S> That's why it's hard to open the gates, and it requires a lot of training to use them. <S> Guy has gone through a lot of training to learn to use that much gates though. <S> As for the side effects, the seventh gate (which Guy used) causes the user's muscle fibres to be ripped to shreds, causing intense pain if anything or anyone touches them and finally the last, 8th gate gives the user some tremendous power, but costs him his life. <S> So, to summarize: since Guy has gone through a lot of training to learn to open the gates and use their power, he can use them in the battle. <S> Of course, there are side-effects, even for him, but they usually happen after the battle when he closes the gates once again. <S> Nevertheless, opening the last gate would cost him (or anyone else, for that matter) his life. <S> source: <S> Naruto Wikia - Eight Gates . <S> Edit : it's wrong to say that guy doesn't suffer from opening the gates, he does , though not immediately <S> , that's probably why you were confused. <S> It happens in chapter 512 of the manga, after Kisame uses water prison and kills himself. <S> Here's a screenshot with Guy starting to suffer from the Gate opening (not sure if it's a spoiler, but I'll mark it as one just in case): <A> No, although opening the six and seventh gate is extremely dangerous, Guy Sensei has gone through extensive training as can be seen whenever he makes an appearance, he's almost always pushing himself to his limits which allows him to withstand the effects of the eight gates and use the technique with minor repercussions. <A> Each Gate requires immense Physical strength, this is why Lee and Gai train their body without using chakra but using weights, punching logs/trees. <S> This training increases the strength of their bones and muscle so when they do open the gates the limit release that comes with the increase chakra does not rip them apart. <S> Every gate once opens releases a restrain in the physical body along with immense chakra. <S> Any ninja besides Gai, Lee or the Raikage opening the gates would be rip apart because instead of using 10-30% of there max muscle/bones they are using 100% thus breaking. <S> Tsunade/Sakura power comes from perfect chakra control not actual physical training <S> this is why Sakura goes from being not able to lift anything at 12 years old to breaking dozens of meters of ground in just 2 years. <S> The difference in this is that Gai and lee posses more durability, defense, endurance, stamina, than both Tsunade and Sakura because they tain their body but they don't posses anywhere close to the amount of chakra control they do, no one in the series does. <S> while it may seem like chakra strength vs physical training strength is no difference in reality <S> it is, if Gai and lee run out of chakra they still posses their superhuman like physique to somehow get away, but if Sakura losses chakra/runs out she would become fodder and would be kill easily, because 100% of her power comes from chakra. <S> If you read any Wuxia/Xinxia novel a physical refinement character using weights/gravity/water pressure can increase his strength in bones, muscle, flesh, organs to reach a degree where his skin is hard as diamond. <S> No ninja in the series besides the Raikage has anywhere close to even having skin/bones as hard as a rock as majority of the ninja can be hurt by normal sharp kunais, there are ninjutsu that increases the body defenses like Kakuzu earth ninjutsu and sage mode <S> but these are once again chakra depended, while the body is 24/7 on, requires no chakra and requires no energy to sustain besides food.

Opening a gate lets chakra flow freely through it, giving the shinobi a boost in his powers, but as a price his body is suffering from that power greatly.

Where do Kekkei Genkai abilities (genetic abilities) originate from? In Naruto there is a group of abilities called Kekkei Genkai (血継限界). They are told to be "genetic" abilities which are (usually) passed down genetically within specific clans. Notably, the eye techniques (Dōjutsu, 瞳術), such as sharingan, are also a subset of those. How did those abilities first appear? Did they appear naturally, or were they made on purpose as a result of experiments? <Q> Sharingan: I'm guessing this would've appeared naturally, as with other Doujutsu (Byakugan and Rinnegan). <S> Legend has it that these clans descended from the Rikudou's eldest son, who received his father's "eyes": his powerful chakra and spiritual energy. <S> Kekkei Genkai Ninjutsu <S> : I think these were developed by ninja who possessed special abilities and chakra nature affiliations. <S> They were, later on, passed down on the next generations. <S> According to this Leaf Ninja 's page, they are creations indeed. <S> Potential Bloodlines and Genetic Advantages: <S> There are also Potential Bloodlines and Genetic Advantages, which also seem to be passable down onto the next generation, such as Suigetsu's and Mangetsu's body, which is unique to them and gives them a genetic advantage (I think these could've been the basis for the development of some Kekkei Genkai in the early stages of clans, though not in Suigetsu's and Mangetsu's case). <S> I don't think they are considered Kekkei Genkai, but they could've been linked in early stages of development of a clan's special technique. <S> I found out about these in this Leaf Ninja's page . <A> The Sharingan itself originated from the Ten Tails, he had what I like to call a "Sharinnegan", a Rinngean rippled eye, with Sharingan marks on each ripple. <S> The Sage of Six Paths inherited that power when he became the Ten Tails' Jinchuuriki, which was then genetically passed to his eldest son. <S> From my understanding, Sharingan is considered the Yin, while the Senju vitality and life force is considered the Yang. <S> They are two halfs of the same whole, which is why a combination of the two can achieve the ultimate power. <S> Aside from that, "normal" elemental Kekkei Genkai is the result of a specific bloodline being born with <S> two (or more in some cases) elements. <S> This results easy manipulation and fusion of both elements, into the new Kekkei Genkai. <S> These aren't explained in much detail, but they are probably some sort of genetic mutation which enabled their chakra to preform these techniques. <S> Because it's a genetic mutation, only those bloodline members can use it. <S> There were expirments in Kekkei Genkai transfer and the results were inconclousive. <S> It was seen that the Sharingan and even the Rinnegan can be succesfully transplanted and operated in the new host quite easily. <S> However, when Orochimaru attempted to transplant Hashirama's cells into newborns, only one out of fifty survived and accepted the cells. <A> It seems that the first Kekkei Genkai was the rinnegan of Rikudo Sennin. <S> Because he was the first ninja, I don't think that the Kekkei Genkai was an experiment, he literally "just had it". <S> Other Kekkai Genkais like the Sharingan are mutations of Kekkei Genkais (compare JNat's answer). <S> Maybe combinations (like Hakus Hyoton) are just mutations, suddenly appearing somewhere in the world. <A> I think they just appear. <S> The reason why I say that is because of Kimimaro. <S> Kimimaro came from a clan where no one had his kekkai genkai. <S> (It was so vicious that his own tribe was afraid of him.) <S> His kekkai genkai just appeared. <S> It's probably how most kekkai genkai appeared. <S> I can't imagine someone "came up" with the Byakkugan or the Rinnegan. <S> They're just genetic, like being really tall or really smart. <S> They just are genetic combinations that run in bloodlines. <A> Kekkei Genkai is not something that is solely related to a technique, it is something that limits the other users to use the same technique to its full potential. <S> You could use a Kekkei Genkai, but it will not be as strong and effective as it would be when done by a member of that particular clan <S> " Kakashi had a sharingan but could not defeat Itachi as he did not possess Kekkei Genkai.

There are also other Kekkei Genkai, like Kimimaro's bone jutsu, and Suigetsu liquefaction jutsu. These were probably learned/created early in the bloodline, and then taught to new members when they came of age. We can say that it is the affinity of a clan to do the technique better and to improve it to further extent.

Why are there so many fillers in long-running animes? The most obvious answer everyone over the Internet is giving to this question is "Because anime is produced much faster compared to manga, they need to put in fillers in order to slow down the anime series". However, that shouldn't be the only reason. For example, consider One Piece. The show is going on for more than 500 episodes, and less than 10% are fillers. Comparing that to Naruto, the show has almost the same number of episodes (original and Shippuuden combined), but almost 50% of its episodes are fillers. Needless to say, the manga of Naruto is so far ahead that the anime won't be able to catch up even if they produce 100+ episodes without any fillers. <Q> There are lots of possible explanations to that: As you said, the anime catching up to the manga, so they have more time. <S> Special events, as anniversaries, movie-related specials or so. <S> Also, the narratives are different and that depends on the production team. <S> In your example, Naruto (as Bleach did) commonly makes battles really fast-paced, so they tend to catch-up with the manga quickly. <S> Whereas One Piece, while having lots of battle too, tends to make them less dynamic, so in the end, they are longer and don't catch up to manga as easily. <A> An anime is typically adapted from another source material. <S> Usually it's either a manga, a light novel series (like Haruhi), or even visual novel/computer game (Little Busters!, <S> the <S> When They Cry series). <S> Some parts maybe cut, changed, rearranges, and sometimes new content is added all together scenes completely. <S> While some changes are welcomed by fans, most are not. <S> One most unwelcome additions are the so called filler episodes. <S> A filler episode can be as short as 1 episode, or as long as an entire season of the anime. <S> These episodes were not a part of the original source content's story, and usually serve absolutely no purpose in furthering the main story. <S> One of the two main reasons that we see fillers because they are meant to buy time for the anime when the content catches up to the pace the source material. <S> This delay give the authors some time to adapt more material for the anime. <S> After all, you can't really adapt something that doesn't exist yet. <S> The other reason for fillers to exist is greed. <S> (so fan buy n+1 discs instead of n ). <S> Anime productions usually make the bulk of their money in disc sales. <S> Generally, fans don't like fillers for the following reasons: <S> They are pointless, and don't add to the plot of character development in any menaingful way. <S> Sometimes it takes away from the action and go on bizarre tangets only to end up exactly where they began (it's was all a dream!). <S> They sometimes add plotholes or other contradictions to storyline and a considered non-canonical. <S> They (usually) aren't written by the same author as the original source material, so the quality and vision of the story might not be up to standards. <A> That is mainly because battle centered animes, like Naruto or Bleach have a lot of battle scenes. <S> Battle scenes are much much faster in Anime than it is in Manga. <S> Plot centered animes, like One Piece or Death Note, can afford not to produce as many fillers, because they can leave the gap far enough apart, as plot events unfold not as much faster in Anime. <S> As for Naruto specific answer, the upcoming saga is filled with battles, in order to compensate for the fast-pace anime, a sufficient gap needs to be opened. <S> I don't have exact numbers or calculations, but I'd like to think that the anime producers do have some sort of plan, and that they would keep the upcoming battle saga intact. <S> Otherwise, guess who'll be delivering meteors to their houses

Some productions like to milk an anime for more money by making a few episodes of filler in a season, to add to disc sales

How involved was Akira Toriyama in the production of Dragon Ball GT? I always had this doubt about whether Dragon Ball GT was an official, canonical sequel of Dragon Ball Z or not. I know that Akira Toriyama helped in the development, but did he write any of it? <Q> Dragonball GT was not made by fans. <S> It was made by Toei Animation with involvement from Akira Toriyama. <S> According to this wiki, his involvement is outlined as: <S> Akira Toriyama is credited as author in the ending credits of Dragon Ball GT; he oversaw the series' production, this was the same process that was used during the production of the anime series Dragon Ball and <S> Dragon Ball Z. He drew a rough design for the GT logo, he designed the GT appearance of the series main cast, and he designed the appearances of Giru and the GT spaceship used in the Black Star Dragon Ball Saga. <S> He also drew at least three color pictures of Goku, Pan, and Trunks adventuring on various planets (Monmaasu, Rudeeze, and an area in Hell). <S> Toriyama seems to have positive feelings towards his works' continuation, as he drew his own version of Super Saiyan 4 Goku (which was originally designed by Katsuyoshi Nakatsuru) exclusively for the Dragon Box GT. <S> Characters and events from GT have also been included in more recent Dragon Ball video games. <A> Dragon Ball GT was produced by Toei Animation , one of the anime companies used to produce Dragon Ball Z. <S> Akira Toriyama did not write any of the episodes though, that's true. <S> They're all fillers. <A> Dragon Ball GT was produced by the same companies as Dragon Ball Z, so technically it can be considered a sequel. <S> However, there is one 'but': this is more of an OVA than an adaption of the manga; in fact, Dragon Ball GT was never a manga. <S> So in anime terms: yes, Dragon Ball GT is the official sequel, but not in manga terms. <A> Even though the GT series was non canon, and its not in the manga. <S> I still think the GT series did okay <S> (even though it has some flaws here and there), and of course its a sequel to Dragon Ball Z. <S> Now we are on Dragon Ball Super, and I just have to wonder if the DBS series is going to go pass the end of DBZ (age 784), and go straight to the GT timeline (age 785-790). <A> Akira toriyama never said dbgt was non cannon remember besides with all the universes and timelines dbgt could be considered as a path the z fighters could end up on by making certain choices therefore creating an alternate timeline and a new universe the same with db super it is a result of another timeline created by the choices of the z fighters. <S> The choices they make effect the timeline like when trunks came back in time and made an alternate timeline his still exists as does theirs <S> so there are 3 alternate futures trunk's future,the dbgt future,as well as the db super furure. <S> Besides will all these movies and television series and manga and comics idk who can tell what the heck is cannon anyway just say it's an alternate future that exists in an alternate timeline

Dragon Ball GT was done by Toei Animation and Akira Toriyama was involved with the drawings of the main characters (Goku, Trunks, Pan, Vegeta, Bulma, Gohan, Chi Chi, etc), the planets (Monmaasu, Rudeeze, Planet M2), and even the spaceship.

Why was The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya broadcast out of sequence? When I watched The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya on DVD, the episodes were shown out of order. It was somewhat funny, since in the previews, Haruhi and Kyon argue about which episode number comes next, but other than that, I didn't see the point of it. It didn't have interwoven plot threads, or any in-universe reason to be shown out of order. It looks like in other releases, the episodes were arranged in chronological order, so it must not have been essential to the viewing of the series. Put simply: Why did The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya have a version that was not in chronological order? <Q> As far as I can tell (and admittedly this is a bit speculative), the reason was to spread out the plot to avoid having the second half be entirely episodic. <S> However, these 6 episodes don't leave much room for breaks, and equally importantly they would rather use canon content from the light novels than make up their own. <S> So the creators used content from future light novels. <S> This let them intersperse the plot with the episodic material. <S> The 6 plot-related episodes are all in order among themselves, and the others are placed in whatever order the director thought was best (e.g. in terms of character development). <S> I'm looking for something official to confirm this, but I've had no luck so far. <S> Barring that, this seems to be at least the prevailing opinion of most people on the internet. <A> According to asosbrigade.com , the ASOS Brigade site run by Bandai: <S> The Regular Edition DVDs contain the exact same episode order as released in Japan on the R2 DVDs. <S> [...] Due to pre-existing contractual obligations, the regular edition MUST contain the R2 DVD ordering of episodes. <S> This was set in stone, there were no exceptions. <S> [...] <S> After deeply intense negotiations to try and please the existing fan-base, we are able to release a Special Bonus DVD in the TV Broadcast order as an extra. <S> According to a DVD 1 review by ANN (May 31st, 2007): Another oddity came in the fourth broadcast episode, which originally jumped ahead to episode 7. <S> This DVD release does not do this, however, instead opting to release the episodes in chronological rather than the scrambled broadcast order <S> According to the episodes list on ANN , the broadcast order against chronological order is: Broadcast 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14Chronological <S> 11 <S> 1 <S> 2 <S> 7 <S> 3 <S> 9 <S> 8 <S> 10 14 <S> 4 <S> 13 12 5 <S> 6 <S> This order is reported in the episodes list on Wikipedia as well, with DVD release following the chronological order with the only exception being the first episode. <S> asosbrigade.com reports the chronological order (C) as Haruhi's order, and the broadcast, "scrambled" order as Kyon's order (B). <S> The Regular Edition DVD order is Haruhi's order, with the exception of the first episode. <S> Regular edition was and ever <S> was in the right order because of "contractual obligation": <S> Bandai was pressured by fans to release the "scrambled" version. <S> Why did they have to, back in 2006-2007? <S> I cannot find evidence of requests by fans to do so, so we have to trust Bandai's words in the meanwhile. <A> Good question! <S> As far as I can tell, the broadcast was released in that order to improve the flow of the season's episodes, best establish the relationship between Haruhi and Kyon, and to best appeal to Haruhi's existing fanbase. <S> This ties in with Logan M's entirely correct point about spreading out the plot. <S> The broadcast then leaps backwards in time to begin the story proper. <S> The rest of the episodes build the relationship between Haruhi and Kyon, culminating in Kyon's realization about Haruhi's first act of selflessness, just after the school festival. <A> From a writer's standpoint, showing the episodes in the order in which they originally aired was almost certainly a move to improve the flow of the story. <S> If you read the books, although the idea behind Vol. 1 is fascinating, it's mostly the protagonist talking to various characters who explain the situation to him, and there's only one real action scene (or possibly two). <S> Vol. 2 has lots of action, since it's made up of short stories, but no real overarching plot. <S> By breaking up both volumes and scrambling them, they made the overarching plot of Vol. 1 cover the whole season, while using the short stories in Vol. 2 to provide the "action" episodes that Vol. 1 was lacking, and the discrepancies between the volumes (Why does that one character wear glasses in Vol. 1 but not in Vol. <S> 2? <S> Where did that other character go? <S> etc.) helped to keep audiences interested and guessing. <S> In my opinion, putting the movie first was a genius move: It actually tells you a whole lot about the main story and the principal characters, but there's no way to know that or understand how deeply ironic it is until Yuki starts explaining the actual world <S> a few episodes later. <S> If the writers had put it near the end of the anime, the brilliant penny-drop moment when you realize that all the crazy stuff that you snorted at in the movie is actually happening in real life (well, sort of) wouldn't have existed.

The creators knew that the main plot (episodes 1-6 in chronological order) would not take a full season (14 episodes), but the next major storyline was not for a while, so they had to insert some episodic content. The broadcast begins with The Adventures of Mikuru Asahina , which I believe was a fan-favorite storyline, to both satisfy fans and establish the weirdness of the Haruhi universe. Region 2 DVD (Japan) must apparently have the same content of Region 1 DVD (USA). From here on, speculations: because fanbase watched the fansubbed version from the broadcast (2006-04-02 ~ 2006-07-02) and ask for that order.

How did Goten and Trunks become Super Saiyan so easily? Most Saiyan (Goku, Vegeta, Gohan, etc.) who evolved into Super Saiyan had trouble fulfilling one of the requirements to evolve: Their rage or other emotions had to be extreme. However, there are two exceptions: Goten and Trunks (not the Trunks from the future). How did they achieve it? They hadn't seen or done anything that could drive them to such a level of rage/intense emotion to allow them to turn into Super Saiyan. <Q> According to this Yahoo answer : Because by the time they were born Goku and Vegeta had already been Super Saiyan and with the higher power level thus when trunks and goten where born their levels were also higher. <S> Think about it this way Vegeta (Fut Trunks timeline) was weaker at SSj Level so Future Trunks took longer to become ssj <S> (i think he was 13) while Vegeta (regular DBz timeline) had trained harder by knowing the androids arrival 3 yrs prior to <S> chibi trunks being born thus more powerful ssj1 vegeta. <S> And Goten being born around some time near end of the Cell Games <S> saga <S> Goku had became already full power ssj. <S> Thus as children their power levels were already exponentially higher than the latter of gohan who was born back when goku was weaker in power level. <S> Basically Chi-Chi gave birth to a Demigod. <A> Genetically speaking, Saiyans aren't human. <S> So it's hard to say that by becoming Super Saiyans, Goku and Vegeta have altered the DNA in their sperm to be able to pass along those traits. <S> I think the traits have been their all along, or maybe they are just traits that lay dormant in every Saiyan ultimately but most just never realize the potential. <S> Even though supposedly legend spoke of their being only one true Super Saiyan, every culture has it's lore. <S> That being said, children are definitely more susceptible to believing anything is possible. <S> Goten and Trunks are brought into a universe different from the one their fathers grew up in. <S> For them, Super Saiyans are no longer these "mythical beings" legends had everyone believe. <S> Psychologically, achieving Super Sayian status was completely plausible in their young minds, and mentality did seem to carry a lot of weight in pushing Sayians to that super status. <A> This has been directly addressed by Akira Toriyama in an interview. <S> Links to the translated interview can be found in this Kotaku article . <S> He addresses the case of Goten and Trunks here: <S> It's not like anyone can become a Super Saiyan through training and anger. <S> In order to become a Super Saiyan, one's body must contain something called "S-Cells". <S> Once these S-Cells reach a certain amount, a trigger such as anger will explosively increase the S-Cells and cause a change in the body: that's Super Saiyan. <S> He goes on to say: Having a gentle spirit is the best way to increase one's S-Cells, but most Saiyans have trouble with this, which I think is why no Super Saiyans appeared for such a long time and they became the stuff of legend. <S> However, one can't reach the quantity necessary for becoming a Super Saiyan simply by having a gentle spirit, so a certain amount of battle power is indeed necessary. <S> Looked at in this light, it's easy to see why becoming a Super Saiyan came easy for Goku. <S> So, it seems that having a gentle spirit along with a high power level increases the "S-Cells" in a Saiyan's body, and allows their children to become Super Saiyan more easily. <S> This also explains why Goten was able to become a Super Saiyan even more easily than Gohan - when Goten was conceived, Goku's power level was far higher and he had already become a Super Saiyan. <S> In the case of Gohan, Goku was far weaker at the time of conception. <A> There doesn't seem to be an official reference, but I suppose there are three possible explanations (well, except the "the author wanted it this way" one): Heritage : When they had them, their fathers already had managed to reach the SSJ stage. <S> So they sort of passed the ability on and made it easier. <S> This is true for Goku > <S> Gohan <S> > Goten and also for Vegeta <S> > Trunks. <S> This might mean that the base power level of their sons is higher than their. <S> Generations : <S> The more you go on, the stronger they are. <S> Gohan is stronger than Goku and Vegeta. <S> He gets weak only because he doesn't train enough. <S> Goten and Trunks are even stronger. <S> Blood purity : It is unclear, but it seems that hybrids are stronger than pure-blood Saiyans. <S> Apparently, hybrids lack the will of combat these have, though. <S> And indeed, Gohan doesn't train as much in peace time. <A> A different view from what was already posted: because Saiyans get stronger the stronger their opponents are. <S> Goku, Vegeta and Gohan didn't fight Super Saiyan level opponents in their childhood. <S> Gohan became a Super Saiyan while training with his father in the time chamber, and both Goten and Trunks trained with Gohan and Vegeta, who were already on Super Saiyan level at the time, so that could have made the kids gain more experience than their parents could. <A>

Most Saiyans have some S-Cells, although not a great quantity. The reason why Goku and Vegeta's children can become Super Saiyan relatively easily is probably because to a certain extent they inherited a lot of S-Cells, and also because Earth's environment is gentler and easier to live in than Planet Vegeta. They were born with there parents blood and got to train with there parents Trunks with Vegeta with the gravity ship and Goten with Gohan training together while he was also learning how to fly. While it could be caused by anger or any other strong powerful emotion, for them it was just youthful passion for strength and an absence of doubt.

Is there any way to kill Alucard? I'm pretty sure that people have tried every way possible to try it , but still he remained alive and kicking. In Hellsing Ultimate: Episode 2 , when Luke Valentine says he will prove that Alucard's immortality is a myth, Alucard replies that there is no such thing as immortality. I did not really understand whether there are any limits to his so-called immortality, or maybe nobody knew whether there were any? Is there a way to permanently 'kill' Alucard? <Q> After the final episode, when Alucard returns after consuming Schrodinger and killing every other soul in his consciousness, he is, as described by Schrodinger, everywhere and nowhere, both alive and dead but at the same time neither. <S> He can exist wherever he wishes, and thus theoretically speaking, he could exist inter-dimensionally, as well physically and consciously, implying that no, he cannot ever be killed. <S> He will exist forever. <A> This wiki has the following note about Alucard's immortality (may contain some spoilers): <S> Immortality: <S> This ability is rather ambiguous, as Alucard, himself has stated that immortality is a myth. <S> However, what it most likely refers to is the human souls inside Alucard; it has been speculated that, when damaged by blow that would have killed or incapacitated him such as exceedingly holy weapons, the damage is instead directed to his reservoir of souls. <S> Because this ability does not really grant him true immortality, it can be considered as pseudo-immortality. <S> However, after "Monster of God" Anderson destroyed the rest of Level 0, Alucard was still able to regenerate on par with him. <S> (This was on par with Alucard before releasing Level 0). <S> However, the "soul count" theory is just a fan theory, and has never been definitively proven. <S> It was also specualted by Anderson that this was the reason for him not being able to kill Alucard. <S> Alucard may have kept at least a few souls in his body to use for regeneration after releasing level 0. <S> Since there is no official answer to this, I would describe ALucard, as the wikipedia page does: Alucard is the closest thing to immortal. <S> This is a perfect description that suits him well, until it is revealed is he really immortal, or not. <A> While people believe that Alucard is immortal, he says that he isn't, and we are later shown that this is because the only reason he is back from the dead is because he uses the enormous supply of souls he has absorbed throughout his unlife. <S> However, at the end, he may have gained the ability to revive freely thanks to Schrodinger's powers . <S> By saying that he is not immortal, he may have meant that a being that is immortal doesn't mean it would be capable of handling such a fate and would wish to be killed. <S> This side is greatly shown in the series where even Alucard himself wishes to be killed though by a person he sees as worthy. <S> However, this happened before he gained Schrodinger's powers. <S> So unless more information is shown, the best guess is that Alucard can revive without limit now (like how Schrodinger did when he was shot 2 times but didn't die and reappeared fully healed, only to die when he willingly sacrificed himself in an effort to kill Alucard). <S> To know more please check the wiki. <S> I am assuming all of this based on the information given and my own ideas. <S> However, I believe this is the best description of Alucard's immortality as of yet. <A> Alucard sounds semi-immortal, unlike true immortals, who will never ever die, Alucard can indeed die, so long as he wishes it, or if he is killed by some kind of immortal slaying weapon (for example, supernatural weapons specifically designed to kill semi-immortal beings). <S> However, while Alucard, an omnipresence being, can be sealed, it would require extensive planning. <A> Based on my knowledge of watching Hellsing Ultimate remember so many people try to kill him like Luke Valentine, polices, Walter and many other but the only one exceeded was the Major. <S> Anyways he returned 30 years later. <S> Just because Alucard is immortal doesn't mean these no way to kill him <S> and he said " Only a human can kill me. <S> " I believe the only person can kill Alucard is his own master Sir Integra, this is my opinion but everyone has different opinions about is there ways to kill Alucard. <A> Except he already lost his identity when he first consumed schrodinger? <S> He wasn't aware that he existed yet he still came back. <S> Which leads me to believe Alucard is definitely immortal as long as he wishes to be. <S> He can not be killed. <S> On the higher being part when Anderson absorbed the helena nail that's almost like the power of God <S> yet he won still. <S> This leads me to believe Alucard is immortal.

Based on the current information, the only time Alucard was said to be mortal was when he released every soul inside him as an army, which made it impossible for him to use them to revive himself. The best way to defeat an immortal is by sealing them, basically separating them from the physical world, either by magic, or by placing in a burial chamber which they cannot escape from.

If there's only one of each fruit, how could Blackbeard recognize the "Dark Dark" fruit? If someone had seen it before you'd think it would have been eaten. And I also thought I remember a segment about no one knowing their fruit before they ate it. (I think it was with the CP9 arc) <Q> I can't recall exactly when this was said during the series, but as the WIKI says here, when the user dies, the fruit he ate simply regenerates inside the closest appropriate fruit the same place where the user died and their ability is reborn into another fruit of the same kind instead of growing from a plant. <S> It's only my assumption but <S> maybe CP9 did not know what the capabilities of their new fruit were because they were not so rare. <S> I think Blackbeard followed the progress of the user of Dark Fruit, so he knew when and where it is. <A> As Hashirama Senju said, Devil Fruits regenerate when its user dies (it's shown for the first time during the Punk Hazard arc), so more than one person can have the same Devil Fruit ability (not at the same time, of course). <S> ; that's why he wanted it so much. <S> During the Thriller Bark arc, Sanji also mentions reading in a book about the Suke-Suke (Clear-Clear) fruit. <S> As for why the CP9 didn't know what the fruits Kaku and Kalifa ate were, that's because even though some fruits are known from previous users, not all of them are. <A> It has been established by now that Devil Fruits respawn . <S> Therefore when a Devil Fruit is eaten, their shapes and powers are recorded and passed on mouth-to-mouth as mentioned at this question . <S> Seeing humanity has been around for a while, it would make sense that the shape and powers of most fruits are recorded by now. <S> To come back to your question how Blackbeard in particular knew about the shape and the power of the Dark Fruit, it was mentioned in chapter 440, during his fight with Ace, that Blackbeard had memorized the shape of the Dark Fruit. <S> He memorized its every curve and point. <S> He must have read or heard about its powers and shape, wanting the power for himself. <S> He did <S> not follow the progress of the Dark Fruit as mentioned in the answer by Hashirama Senju . <S> Instead, he joined the Whitebeard crew and spent decades on his ship, because Blackbeard thought his chances of finding the Dark Fruit would be the best. <S> In the end, he was correct in thinking so and despite giving up, the fruit appeared.

In the One Piece world there are some books that give details into some Devil Fruits, so that's how Blackbeard knew just by looking at it that the fruit Thatch found was the Dark-Dark fruit, and also about its powers

Why can't Pan go Super Saiyan? As the title states, why can't Pan go to Super Saiyan Mode? We see in the last episode of Pan's grandson turning Super Saiyan while he fights a descendant of Vegeta. Are female Saiyans not able to turn Super Saiyan? <Q> According to this wiki pan never did have to go super saiyan mode. <S> [...] basically it's because the creator of Dragonball, Akira Toriyama claims that Pan never had a reason or situation to turn super saiyan. <S> Her debut is at the end of dragonball z, as a little kid, and since Dragonball GT is not based off actual manga, Toriyama only envisioned Pan as a little girl in a time of peace, so there would be no reason for her to become super saiyan. <S> Toriyama has also said that he doesnt exactly know how he would draw a female super-saiyan [...] <A> Well, according to this Pan's trivia section , the in-real-world reason seems to be that Akira Toriyama couldn't figure out how to draw a female SSJ. <S> One of the possible reasons, in the DB universe , is that Pan never really trained to become a more powerful warrior. <S> The other kids, through the generations, managed to reach that level quite quickly yes, but they trained a lot too. <S> Pan simply didn't feel that need that much. <S> The female SSJ appear in the videogames only. <S> Just for completeness, I discovered that according to an italian collection on the DB franchise, one of the fundamental requirements to become SSJ is to be a male. <S> That would explain why Goku Jr and Vegeta Jr can still become SSJ regardless of the blood being diluted. <S> This has been said across the internet, but there's nothing official about this. <A> Pan has never done any hard training in the Dragon Ball series. <S> Pan may have her father's (Gohan) saiyan blood in her body, but she is not a full blooded saiyan like her grandfather (Goku). <S> In Dragon Ball MMO (Online) <S> the DB online game (created by Akira Toriyama), states that female saiyans are able to transform into a super saiyan. <S> In Dragon Ball GT Perfect Files, states that Pan would have a great potential to become a super saiyan. <S> In the first ever canon Dragon Ball movie, Battle of Gods <S> (that came out earlier this year in theaters in Japan), Shenron said, "there are 6 pure saiyans that were able to let Goku to transform into a Super Saiyan God form. <S> " <S> These 6 saiyans are: Goku, Gohan, Vegeta, Trunks, Goten, and last but not least Pan (which of course Pan wasn't even born yet, and she still inside her mother's (Videl) stomach). <S> With the success of the brand new Dragon Ball movie, it's very unclear that there is a rumor about the new Dragon Ball series that was spreading across the internet this year. <S> I don't know if that's true or not, but I hope will definitely see Pan turn into a super saiyan, a female super saiyan for the first time ever in Dragon Ball history. <A> Since the potential seems to be passed down to the children, Bra and Pan both should be able to pull it off. <S> Again, the question of design gets in the way, and the fact that until some point in GT when things began to go south rapidly, starting with Baby's using of the Ultimate Dragonballs, they lived fairly peaceful lives. <S> Also, bear in mind that all Saiyan-blooded children shown are halfbreeds or, in Pan's case, only 1/4th Saiyan. <S> Taking Gohan as an example, the human blood inside him significantly dampened his drive to fight and the urge to train, which is why he preferred pursuing an education unlike his father and Vegeta who remain obsessed with improving their physical capabilities even in times of peace as if driven by instinct. <S> Since from the end of DBZ to the end of the first third of GT <S> the Earth has been peaceful, halfblooded Trunks, Goten and Bra have had no reason whatsoever to train and lacked the drive to do so because circumstances allowed them to live peaceful lives. <S> Pan only trained because of Goku and Mr. Satan's influence but seemed to take it more as a hobby. <S> In conclusion, given the right circumstances female Saiyans are all but impossible, except for the fact the species is nearly extinct. <A> I think it is because Pan, being female, was always in control of her emotions? <S> Like most woman their emotions area what they can control. <S> Unlike men who have a tendency to lose control and become angry as if it were a instinct. <S> Take Goku, he transformed because of the fact that his best friend was killed therefore losing control of his anger. <S> Vegeta transformed because he was angry that he couldn't surpass Goku and in the end just didn't care if he did. <S> Goten transformed because his Mother (Chichi) kept picking on him through constant sparring sessions. <S> Trunks transformed because of his Daddy issues, but whatever happened with Pan, she never got angry. <S> She got upset but never ever lost control of what she was doing. <S> Well that is my theory anyway.

As stated above, the main reason is Toriyama not knowing how to portray a female Super Saiyan, which might also be the reason while the entire offspring of both Goku and Vegeta until the very end of DBZ are exclusively male - and shown capable of transforming into Super Saiyans.

Why didn't Asuna die in real life when she died in the game? Asuna died near the end of Sword Art Online. However, judging by the rules, why didn't she die in real life? Did Kayaba Akihiko lie about dying in the game? <Q> If you read the light novel, after the battle teleported them to another place just to have a talk with them: <S> I firmly closed my eyes and allowed my tears to flow before asking: "... <S> What about those who died? <S> Both of us are already dead, yet we continue to exist here. <S> Doesn't that mean you can return the other four thousand dead to the original world as well?" <S> Kayaba's expression didn't change. <S> He closed the window, put his hands into his pockets, and then said: "Life can't be recovered so easily. <S> Their consciousness will never return. <S> The dead will disappear— this fact remains true in every world. <S> I created this place only because I wanted to talk with you two— one last time." <S> So everyone who died remains dead. <S> Kirito and Asuna didn't die, simply because Kayaba intentionally teleported them somewhere else instead of letting them die. <A> Not quite. <S> It's an issue of timing. <S> She died before the game was cleared, but her death timer didn't expire beforehand. <S> So, she was eligible to be logged out of the game, much like Kazuto would be. <S> Her mind was taken to a compatible server in ALFOnline, which is where she's trapped for that arc. <S> EDIT: <S> The source for this is Episode 14. <S> Both Kirito and Asuna have died, but neither of their death timers have expired. <S> It stands to reason that, if Kirito is eligible to be logged out despite having died, then so would Asuna. <A> Kirito asked Heathcliff (Kayaba) to promise to prevent Asuna from commiting suicide if Kirito were to lose. <S> But when Kirito was about to lose, she jumped in front of him, using her body to shield Kirito from the incoming strike and "killing" herself in the process. <S> Because Kirito lost after that, technically they are both dead. <S> However, Kirito won after that, and Kayaba agreed to make sure Asuna didn't kill herself, but she did. <S> The only resolution therefore was to keep her alive. <S> As for Kirito, it seems to be that Kayaba wanted him alive to talk. <A> Just like in episode one, where he made it so that people couldn't log out, and if they died in game they died in real life, he probably disabled this setting for Asuna in the GM console.

Asuna didn't die because Kayaba made it so that if Asuna die in game, she wouldn't die in real life, as promised to Kirito before the duel.

What are Holo's roots in Japanese tradition? The rich background of Holo: being a minor deity of harvest, her forms, shapeshifting, powers and limitations, likes and dislikes, traits character etc - how is it grounded in Japanese beliefs, myths, traditions, and legends? Is her lore entirely made-up for the needs of the show; did the authors take strong artistic license on some more or less common legends; or is she shaped closely after a character well known in Japanese culture? If it's one of the latter, could you give some sources or summaries of the original upon which she is based? <Q> I wasn't able to find any references that state that the exact background that Horo has originates from some exact legend or myth. <S> Animals play a significant role in Japanese folktales. <S> Two of them are also widely known to be able to transform into humans, and other objects: kitsune (狐) - fox, and tanuki (狸) - raccoon dog. <S> Also, the Wikipedia article "Japanese folklore" has this interesting fact: <S> Marriages between humans and non-humans <S> ( irui konin tan <S> ( 異類婚姻譚 "tales of heterotype marriages" )) comprise a major category or motif in Japanese folklore. <S> Japanese heterotype examples such as the crane story describes a sustained period of married life between the interspecies couple, in contrast to Western examples like Frog Prince or the Leda myth where the supernatural encounter is brief. <S> I believe we can say that all these definitely have some resemblance with Horo's background. <A> Okami written one way in Japan means 'wolf', but written another way means 'great god'. <S> If you look up Okami, Honshu wolf, and Hokkaido wolf you find references to wolves as being venerated in the Shinto beliefs and by the Ainu. <S> One reason they were venerated was for keeping the wild boar and deer populations down, which was great for farming societies. <S> They were revered in a respectable and down-to-earth manner. <S> While they did protect crops, they also ate horses, and possibly people who were out too late at night. <S> Japanese folklore referred to the Honshu wolves as Okami, Yama-inu (mountain dog), and Okuri-inu (escorting dog). <S> If a person walking alone after dark felt they were being watched, they were considered as protected. <S> If you tripped though, it was said Okami would attack you. <S> They started dying from rabies in the 1700s, and were hunted by people trying to bring in cattle in the 1800s. <S> Nowadays, in some parts of Japan, it is said some survived and studies are often done as to whether or not they are still out there. <S> The wolf as god is worshiped under the name of Ooguchi no Magami, or "Large-Mouthed Pure God". <S> The people who followed the Shinto beliefs had rites in small farming villages to honor it. <S> It is still worshiped at some shrines, like at the Mitsumine mountains. <S> The shrine guardians there are wolves, not foxes. <S> The Ainu felt that a white wolf came and mated with a human woman to create their people, similar to some of the British Columbia and Alaska native peoples who believe that the ancestors of men had been wolves. <S> The Ooguchi Magami Matsuri, or Wolf Deity Festival, takes place at the Musashi Mitake Jinja every January. <S> Takaru and his group got lost near Mitakesan when a demon shape-shifted into a white deer and obstructed the road. <S> The white wolf showed him the way and led his group to the correct path to where they were going. <S> You can find all of this information and more in library books, or on internet websites if you run searches. <A> For the most part, there is not much. <S> One particular story worth noting is that of the "corn-wolf" from the story of the Golden Bough. <S> That and a particular mention of a corn ritual parallels particular Pasloe rituals regarding the wheat harvest. <S> Note that while the word "corn" is mentioned, it does not refer to the maize crop of modern times, as it did not exist in the pre-Christian, medevial setting that the series is based on, since it was a New World crop. <S> During those times (even in Britian now), any staple cereal crop was referred to as 'corn.' <A> Horokew (Kamuy) is the Ainu word for wolf. <S> And probably where Horo's name comes from. <S> The r is important because unlike the Japanese language the Ainu language actually has the R-sound. <S> Inserting it this way will help you find more background on Ainu tradition and wolf deities that in part inspired the Horo you know and love from Spice & Wolf. <A> Pretty sure her origin is rather primarily the Germanic "Frau Holle", probably especially Holle's connections with the Greek/Roman "Diana/Artemis" and "Frau Gauden" and the wild hunt.

The author Isuna Hasekura herself mentioned in an interview that Holo is based off folklore from France, Germany, and Slavonic countries. There is also a Japanese myth of how a wolf deity, a white wolf, appeared to Yamato Takeru, son of Emperor Keikko. However, it is definitely not entirely made-up.

Why didn't the First and Second Hokage's fight with full power against the Third? When revived by Orochimaru, the First and Second were sent to fight the Third, however, we know today that: The First beat one of the most powerful ninjas in history (me), could heal himself without activating any special jutsu, could summon a freaking chakra sucking tree dragon. Moreover! The Second had known (invented!!) Edo Tensei (meaning he could have broken free of Orochimaru's control), he also knew space-time ninjutsu. With those abilities, plus immortality, they couldn't have possibly lost against the Third at their full power. So in that case, why didn't they use their full power against the Third? Their emotions should have been completely erased, and made into a strict killing machine, and nothing more. <Q> Revived or not, they're still not the real deal. <S> The Third was not fighting against the real Shodai and Nidaime. <S> That would have been perhaps a completely different fight. <S> Besides, the fact that Orochimaru's Edo Tensei might not have been that perfect and powerful (perhaps less perfect than Kabuto's), makes me (and not just me) think he used it for the sentimental effect it would have had on the Third, i.e. fighting against your predecessors, rather than actual relying on their (weakened) power only. <A> In the later part of the manga, the Second Hokage (Nidaime) thanked Orochimaru for making his jutsu more perfect because they were revived at their peak powers. <S> During the first time, Orochimaru's Edo Tensei was not perfect, due to which Sarutobi was able to seal them inside the Shinigami's belly. <A> I think they didn't fight at their full powers because Orochimaru controlled them. <S> Other than Kabuto, who lets the ninjas fight themselves (more or less). <S> Because he really controls them, they can't fight better than Orochimaru allowed them to do. <A> It's actually because the author (Kishimoto) did not plan out the entire story at that point. <S> They used to describe the Third as the strongest Hokage, but this all changed when we got to Shippuuden. <S> Don't bother trying to explain it within the Naruto universe <S> - it's simply an inconsistency in the story, even if Kishimoto writes in some details to patch this error up later on. <S> It's not a knock on the Naruto series though, as this show has been going on for over a decade. <A> I can think of two (2) theories about that: They could've kept some "free will" to avoid using full force against a friendly, even though they were being controlled into. <S> Perhaps their strength was enough to counter Orochimaru's control somewhat (but not enough to properly "release" themselves from his control). <S> You see that, when summoned, one of the first things they did was "ask for forgiveness" from Sarutobi, because they had to fight. <S> It might be linked to the "sacrificial bodies" Orochimaru used to summon them: <S> By law of conservation, the "package" cannot be forced to contain something that goes beyond their capacity, and thus limited the strength of First and Second. <S> Suspension of Disbelief aside <S> , it might be the reason "why" they fought below their grade. <S> That, or Sarutobi could manage both of them at once, but that's even more farfetched. <A> Towards the end of the manga, when Orochimaru summons all four dead Hokage with Edo Tensei after releasing their souls from the Death Reaper's stomach, it is stated that the first time around, all those years ago, when Orochimaru attacked the Hidden Leaf Village (Konohagakure) and failed, Orochimaru had purposely summoned the first and second Hokage without their full power, knowing full well that if he did so, he would not be able to control them.

It was not a hard limit (the ninjas used were far inferior ), but Orochimaru might be using THEIR full strength (but still be constraining First and Second's strength altogether).

Is Fullmetal Alchemist based on Nazi Germany? It may be because I'm Jewish (yes, Madara is Jewish), but I couldn't help but noticing the similarities between Fullmetal Alchemist to the German Nazi regime. German names (Edward, Alphonse, Olivier, Bradley) A Fuhrer "Dogs of the Army" Very militarized Blond hair and blue eyes Extermination (Ishvals) War on multiple fronts Human experimentation An obsession with the occult among high ranking officials Is it just me? Or is there a connection? Is there some written reference to that? Has the mangaka said anything about it? <Q> The FMA Wiki states that: When creating the fictional world of Fullmetal Alchemist, Arakawa was inspired after reading about Europe during the Industrial Revolution period; she was amazed by how different the people from different countries were, in terms of their culture, architecture and clothes. <S> She was especially interested in England during this period and "added to it her own original flavor to turn it into a fantasy world". <S> "Fullmetal Alchemist the Movie: Conqueror of Shamballa" — the movie that follows the first anime series — is set in 1923 Germany, and depicts the beginning of the Nazi Party within German politics, being only an extremist group at that point. <S> Other than that <S> , I know of no such inspirations. <S> But it may well be that Arakawa has said something more concrete about that. <A> People on the internet have noticed the same thing you have, and have come to the same conclusion. <S> But beyond that, there's little to go on (at least for the manga): <S> Manga/2009 anime <S> JNat's answer says Amestris was inspired by England, pointing to the FMA wiki. <S> There's a more nuanced explanation on another page of the wiki: <S> Arakawa has stated she didn't use any specific countries or cultures to create Amestris, but rather a combination of several European countries from several different periods between the 17th and 19th centuries and, more specifically, the changes that occurred in the Western Europe during the Industrial Revolution (with a greater inspiration in England). <S> According to her, however, there's no implied relation or comparison to any specific country, time, or government. <S> Do note that the wiki cites no source for either of these quotes from Arakawa (this one and the one cited by JNat). <S> 2003 anime <S> In this continuity, the Elrics' world is an alternate history of our own world (Christianity is mentioned as a dead religion), so regions of our world correspond with regions of theirs -- and here, Amestris is the parallel-world counterpart of Germany. <S> We know this because in Conqueror of Shamballa , we see that the parallel-world counterparts of several characters (Edward, Alphonse, King Bradley, Lust, Scar, Hughes and his wife) are residents of Germany. <S> Extra Note <S> While Amestris is roughly the correct shape to be the Weimar Republic, the rest of the continent is out of shape. <S> Drachma, which seems to be basically Russia, is along the wrong part of the border with Amestris to be Russia. <S> Also, there is no massive desert east of Germany. <S> Additionally, Xing, the country past the desert, has the culture of feudal Japan but is closer to the size of China. <S> So no, the geography (at least politically) doesn't match up. <S> Furthermore, Conqueror of Shamballa isn't cannon to the manga, and it's the manga that counts when it comes to what is or is not part of the universe. <A> Edward (or Ed), Roy and Alphonse are typical dutch names. <S> Riza is equivalent to Lisa, a Dutch name Breda is a Dutch city <S> Maes is the medieval Dutch spelling of "Maas" a dutch river witch was a common name at the time. <S> Winry is equivalent to Wendy, a Dutch name <S> Van Hohenheim is a mix of Dutch and German. ' <S> Van' means 'of' or 'of <S> the' (depending on the context) with 'von' being its German counterpart, and Hohenheim translates to high-house. <A> Look at the military trench coats, building styles, names and even loosely geographical location. <S> Look up Hitler's religious view and his theory of the "perfect human". <S> Xing is China and not Japan... <S> Almost everything Japanese comes from China (even sushi). <S> References here are that the emperor of Xing is looking for an elixir for immortality, so did the real emperor of China, and China also believed in alchemy (Yin Yang, Taoism, etc.). <S> The emperor of China ingested mercury (for those interested in world history) and died. <S> Ishval are the Arabs. <S> Alchemy was part of Islam too... <S> People in the desert... <S> And there were wars between Europe and the Arab world. <S> There are many other references.... <S> Nothing is truly original, although very entertaining nonetheless. <A> The governmental organization, architecture, and names suggest the setting is German-esque. <S> Likewise, the culture, architecture, minarets and desert suggest that the Ishvalans are an Arab-esque influence. <A> The ishvalans are gypsies.. <S> Obviously.. If FMA is connected to nazi Germany and you knew anything about the extermination of people in nazi germany. <S> It was estimated that 750,000-1,000,000 Romanis(gypsies) were killed during the war. <S> At the start of nazi Germany they were stripped of citizenship and slaughtered.. <S> I mean hell.. <S> They even look like gypsies.. <S> Also if we recall, Ed and Alphonse ran into a few at the little carnival.. <S> Dunno where the hell that guy got the Arab idea from..

Yes, it is Germany, "fuhrer" is German... There is a lot of Dutch in there as well though, this makes the "based on different cultures" more plausible than the "it's Nazi Germany". Notice that many stories are based on real life historical events, places and religion.

Is Haku a man or a woman? In Naruto, Haku is a rogue Ninja that fights along Zabuza. He has a sad history of death and mistreatment that I won't treat here. In any case, the Haku's peculiarity is that although he looks/behaves/dresses like a woman, he is a man. But not all sources agree with this, so... Is Haku a man or a woman? Is there a reason for the first part in my spoiler? Or is it just a plot device? If your answer contains something that appears or is explained after the Bridge battle with Team 7 (as far as Haku is concerned), please use a spoiler. <Q> I do not think that Haku was considered as a woman is considered a spoiler. <S> After all, they discover that only 1 episode after Team 7 met him. <S> I can guarantee for sure that Haku is a man. <S> What I cannot tell you is what was the perspective of Zabuza for him (if he was just a Friend or something " <S> Else "). <S> I say this only because the one who told Naruto that significant detail was Haku himself, so there isn't a lot of room for mistakes. <A> Haku is a boy. <S> It's stated in the First Databook, page 91. <A> However, she tells Naruto she is a man (I think in chapter 21). <S> Whichever may be the case, I believe she does not care . <S> What she cares most about is being able to serve Zabuza (if she can serve him, she is wanted in this world). <S> For this, she sees herself as a tool, her only purpose being to see that Zabuza accomplishes his objectives <S> (I believe it is in chapter 29 that she explains this to Naruto). <S> She also tells Naruto that if she fails Zabuza she'd rather be dead, because she's lost her purpose. <S> To sum up, I believe that whichever may be the case, it is ultimately irrelevant to her/him, since: Tools do not have genders. <S> As such, Haku does not have a gender. <A> Haku is a man. <S> There are lot of manga that have in-common like that. <S> One good example is the Zoldyck Family in Hunter X Hunter. <S> All of Killua's siblings are boys. <S> Yet you can see them wearing Kimono's with make up and long hair. <S> Attractable beauty but stated as boys. <A> I agree that there are few characters in Naruto/Shippuden who look male in the manga but female in the anime. <S> example: Katsuyu <S> But Haku is a guy in both the anime and the manga. <S> No doubt about it. <S> Though just based on looks, Naruto (and even viewers) mistake him for a girl, he clarifies he is a guy! :) <A> I agree with JNat's answer based on the premise that I thought that Haku was a girl from day one. <S> Firstly, Haku portrays the physical and emotional traits of a female even though she tries hard to be a male (Zabuza's tool) . <S> Secondly, Naruto called her sir, keep in mind that they also call Tsunade sir so that does not really indicate gender. <S> My third reason is that as JNat also says, she does not care, when Zabuza found her, she was weak, being referred to as a boy or behaving like one no doubt made her seem stronger in his eyes.

I think Haku is actually a woman. Despite what other sources probably say, there are plenty of men in real life who look like women (Justin Bieber is good example).

How different are the manga and movie versions of Akira? After seeing the Akira movie (directed by Otomo Katsuhiro) I later found out about the existence of the manga series on which it had been based. Is the movie adaptation faithful to the manga, with only minor variations? Or will I get a lot more detail from the story by reading the manga (and if so, just how much more)? Basically, how different are the manga and movie versions of Akira ? <Q> The manga is totally more extensive. <S> The movie is generally based on the manga, and follows the same characters and themes, but severely shortens it (the end of the manga has "suffered" most). <S> The film's makers didn't have much choice though: the manga is over 2000 pages long, so of course the movie lost some background. <S> There is a discussion on this matter on myanimelist . <S> It is mentioned there that the movie covers the beginning and the very end of the manga, leaving behind some background and side-stories. <A> There are many differences, but the most important one I believe it's <S> Akira is alive and not a bunch of cryogenized body parts <A> Quite a lot of differences - Characters, events, motivations. <S> The two biggest character differences (of characters still included in the film) are <S> Akira is alive and a big part of the story, and Number 19 is actually important to the plot unlike in the movie.

The manga has a vaster range of characters, side-plots, and covers a larger timespan.

Why did Kurama choose to remain Human? Caution, contains spoilers. In episode 108 when Kurama fought Shigure, he decided to remain human even though his powers are far more limited. He said he does not want his friends and mother to treat him differently. But when Yomi asked him at the end of the fight if he decided to abandon the form of Yoko for eternity, he said he never abandons anything. Does this mean that he decided to never to transform into Yoko? And if so, why does he have conflicting identities in the first place? Yoko is Kurama's original form. Does he deny his past? I know this is a bit of a complex question, but if possible, I want clarifications on everything I asked. <Q> Very simple, he didn't want his friends/family to be affected by his change, but he wanted to still be able to tap into that power when he needed it. <S> Much like a super-hero's need to disguise himself so that people won't recognize him, they'd treat Peter Parker differently if everyone knew he was Spiderman. <A> It's because Kurama wanted to forget his past mistakes and continue living a new life as Shuuichi. <S> He never abandoned his original form because he just wanted to change his life, and he met most of his loved ones as Shuuichi, so he also decided to live on that form. <S> He won't abandon his original form. <S> He started living as Youko Kurama and is known for it. <S> He didn't enter in conflicting identities in the first place. <S> It was needed for him to combine his spirit with a human so he could regain his powers. <S> But everything changed because of what his human mother did for him. <S> He realized that his life changed and became better as he grew up as Shuuichi. <S> And for the last question, he's still using his demon form <S> but it's situational. <S> It doesn't mean that if he only rarely uses his demon form that he's denying his past. <S> He accepts all that he had done in the past <S> but he really wants to forget his past mistakes because the Kurama that most of the people in his life knew is not the Kurama in the past, but it's the Kurama who seeks his true self, the one he had when he began living as a human. <A> I have given this a lot a thought because well - he is my favorite character and the insinuation of his complexity and intellect attracts me and - at least in the anime- I believe they do a good job of telling you only enough about his “true self” and past to leave you wanting more. <S> Starting from the top:1.) <S> yes - at least that is his intention. <S> Never to take that form or borrow Yokos power again- <S> he wants his current self (Kurama - half human) to be strong enough - maybe even <S> stronger- to protect the ones he loves. <S> “I don’t need an operation; I just need greater discipline” - paraphrasing what he said.2. <S> I believe this was REALLY triggered after the demon tournament and the potion usage. <S> Never before does Yōko speak to “Suichi” in his umm... head. <S> The box reversed time on him so that these two identities could speak to one another. <S> Since this doesn’t happen after it leads me to believe that whatever his “current” mind is it’s a merging of souls and so only one voice in his head and that is just Kurama with the knowledge (complete) of his past but a greater attachment to his current life and body AND limitations. <S> As he increases power after the use of the potion - he is shown to have the ability to take on his past phisical form and use those greater “Yōko” powers but his mind is still “Kurama”.3.) <S> he does not deny or abandon his past- <S> he just wants to let his current state be his true identity without the guilt or shame of his past and his past strength. <S> Before he wanted power for power and for himself. <S> Now he wants power to protect- <S> and he wants to become just as powerful in his own way (Current state Kurama way)

That's his sole purpose why he'd put his spirit into that of Shuuichi.

Is it possible to duplicate eyes? This question contains spoilers for anime viewers and early manga viewers. When Nagato was revived with Edo Tensei, he had Madara's eyes. When Madara was revived, he had his original eyes too (Rinnegan, much like Nagato). Is this exploitable? Can I repeat this cycle of transplant and revive to duplicate strong eyes? How does that work really? <Q> Although never explicitly stated (till now), it seems Kabuto's upgraded Edo Tensei allows him to revive a shinobi with a mix of attributes from different portions of their lifetime. <S> Shortly after showing the last coffin to Tobi, Kabuto exclaims that he had surpassed the Second Hokage and Orochimaru. <S> It is very likely this is what he was referring to. <S> Both Itachi and Sasuke had Itachi's Sharingan at the same time. <S> If Itachi had not sealed Nagato, there would indeed be three copies of Madara's Rinnegan active at the same time. <S> The Madara's Rinnegan case shows how it could be exploited multiple times. <S> If Obito dies and is revived, while his Rinnegan is transplanted to someone else, you could then have four Rinnegan, which are all really Madara's Rinnegan. <A> I've found some information on this site why Madara got his eyes and his young body. <S> Due to the manner of his revival and the experiments done by Kabuto, Madara retained access to abilities he obtained late in life (like his Wood Release and Rinnegan), while at the same time retaining the youthful body of his prime. <S> So he hasn't been revived "normally" Since Nagato never lost his eyes he's revived with them too. <S> So Madara actually did duplicate his eyes with the help of Kabuto. <S> Since we don't know what would have happened if he would have been revived "normally" (at least not yet) <S> we can't say whether it is that easy to duplicate the eyes or it was a coincidence that the eyes are now duplicated. <S> Long answer short <S> : It is possible to duplicate the eyes. <A> As far as I understand it, let's say you reanimated Itachi. <S> Sasuke, for arguments sake, doesn't have an eternal mangekyou, so he needs to switch eyes with someone. <S> If he switched with Itachi, Sasuke would have good eyes, and Itachi, the worse ones. <S> I'm almost certain you can't reanimate a person twice at the same time, otherwise we'd have seen a lot more Kages in the fourth shinobi war. <S> This means, at a time, you can only have 4 eyes in existence <S> (Two in the reanimation, and two in the reanimated persons original body in a coffin, if they haven't rotted away already) .

It is possible to have multiple copies, and this has already been exploited with Itachi's Sharingan and Madara's Rinnegan. This means because you can only revive someone once at a time, and upon death/revival the reanimated body's eyes flake off and diminish, only four of a certain set of eyes can exist at a time because the eyes destroy themselves when the reanimation is destroyed. The revived Nagato and Tobi both have Madara's Rinnegan.

Why don't people utilize the Rinnegan to its fullest? This question contains spoilers for anime viewers and early manga readers. We've seen Nagato use his Rinnegan to the fullest, using the Rikudo technique (to control 6 bodies) As well as by fighting alone, as a reincarnated zombie. He utilized all 6 paths of the Rinnegan. So why don't Obito and Madara? Madara only used the Preta Path, to absorb incoming ninjutsu. Obito only tried to use the Human Path, to try and kill Naruto. Why don't they use any other realms? Their Rinnegan is supposedly perfect. I can't imagine they're holding back on purpose, the Rinnegan has some pretty scary abilities. <Q> We can be fairly certain Madara is just too strong without using the Rinnegan at all . <S> Although Madara's strength has never been explicitly discussed, we can infer it indirectly through other plot points. <S> Madara fought on par with the Senju Hashirama, who used to have the 9 bijuu as his "pets". <S> Other badass characters have had a lot of trouble dealing with just one. <S> It is heavily implied that the battle happened before Madara activated his Rinnegan. <S> During the fourth ninja world war, Madara effortlessly mopped the floor with the five Kages. <S> Obito has only implanted the Rinnegan (and not "earned" it, like Madara). <S> Maybe overusing Rinnegan drains his chakra rapidly (just like overusing Sharingan does to Kakashi), and hence he chose to not use it fully. <S> Alternately, Kishimoto-sensei wants to save it for the climax. <S> Nagato being able to use it could be because: <S> Being from the Uzumaki clan, he naturally has a huge amount of chakra. <S> Madara likely chose him to receive the Rinnegan for that reason. <S> Madara's plan involved getting himself revived through Rinne Tensei. <S> He had to pick someone who could reliably use the Outer Path without passing out. <S> Another key difference between the three: Nagato received his Rinnegan when he was a child, and must have learnt to use the full powers of Rinnegan through years of practice. <S> Madara awakened the Rinnegan shortly before he died, and Obito has had it for only a few weeks at most. <A> Unfortunately, There is no sure way to answer this question. <S> At this moment, The manga in chapter 613 <S> and they still did not revealed enough information exposed to enough information to establish the claim that shown in any way that you and Obito can not use these Abilities, So we can only guess. <S> We can assume that they did not have need to use them, Because they are (Obviously) still at advantage. <A> They didnt have both Rinnegan eyes. <S> Madara had the left Rinnegan and Obito had the right Rinnegan. <S> Thus they could not use all paths since I guess some reside on the left, some on the right and some are awakened when both eyes are used <A> Madara is like Akuma from street fighter. <S> He loves to fight, but he knows his power is too much for just about everyone. <S> So, in order to enjoy his fight, Madara holds back when going against the five kage. <S> When he does use his final susanoo to finish them, and it turns out that the five kage survived- <S> he flat out <S> says it is a matter of pride. <S> If he spams the Rinnegan, he'd be disgracing himself in his own eyes.

If Madara did use the Rinnegan, Kishimoto-sensei may have chosen to skip it to retain suspense over its powers.

Are people aware of who Naruto's parents are? Every villager in Konoha is aware that Naruto has the Kyuubi sealed inside of him. Is anyone in the village or elsewhere (other than Kakashi and Jiraiya, that I remember knew) aware that he is the son of Minato and Kushina? My main doubt being: do they know that he is the son of the Fourth Hokage ? <Q> Most of them didn't know. <S> It was a secret to protect Naruto. <S> I found proof on this site: <S> Suddenly orphaned, Naruto was left to grow up knowing nothing of his parents, receiving only his mother's last name because the Third Hokage thought that it was best that nobody knew that he was related to the Fourth Hokage. <S> They found it here: Naruto chapter 440, page 5 <A> You forgot the third Hokage (and some other Anbu's). <S> IMO they aren't. <S> After all you can see how everyone who knew that info treated him entirely different from the rest. <S> Edit: <S> As Madara said, It really was TABOO not to talk about it in the village (About the demon inside Naruto etc). <S> Nevertheless, I do not think it was so complicated inform those who need to know that. <A> Yes. <S> After their names were revealed, it seems as if "suddenly" everyone knew about it. <S> Even Gai, and even the Raikage mentioned his parents without them being mentioned earlier. <S> That leads me to believe that people knew, and it was part of the taboo not to speak of it (or Kishimoto still hadn't thought about it then :D) <A> Obviously they don't. <S> He was celebrated after defeating Pain, not because he's the Fourth's son, but rather because he became the hero of the village. <S> Btw, I think Naruto is happier to be acknowledged as a hero because of his acts and not because he's the son of a former Hokage. <A> Kakashi would have been one of the few who knew because one of his assignments as ANBU was to be a secret body guard for Minato's wife while she was pregnant. <S> As for why people who knew who Minato married didnt put two and two together when suddenly this boy who looks oddly similar to the fourth ended up being born in their village and happend to be the one cursed to carry the burden of the price that was paid to save the village.

The only persons that knew about the truth were: Jiraiya, Sarutobi, maybe Kakashi (we saw a lot of time that Kakashi imagines he's teacher and mentor in Naruto, maybe he realized the relationship, but he didn't know that from the beginning), and a few ANBU members who were at that place when Naruto was born. Just a few people knew it.

At which age are ninjas revived with Edo-Tensei? The question is easy: At which age are people, when they are revived using Edo-Tensei? Are they exactly of that age they died? Or can the user of Edo-Tensei decide, how old the ninjas are? <Q> According to the Naruto Wiki page on Edo Tensei, when summoning the reincarnated seem to retain any permanent body damage and physical limitations they received during their lifetime. <S> 1 <S> I think this means that normally they would be resurrected with the age they had upon their time of death, as well as physical conditions. <S> However, as we know, and the page describes in the enhancements part, (quote follows, as is on the site) <S> Kabuto can also modify his summoned fighters, as he did with Madara Uchiha. <S> While the technique usually reincarnates the deceased at the exact state they were in at the time of their deaths, Kabuto noted that he brought Madara back in a state that was "beyond his prime <S> " 2 and was reincarnated much younger than when he died an old man as well as instilling him with abilities he had acquired in his old age. <S> So, basically, I think that the user may perfect the Jutsu in order to obtain the results he wants, provided that he has enough skill and knowledge on the Jutsu to do it. <S> Or maybe only Kabuto can do it like that. <S> 1 <S> This piece of data is stated in the Wiki , but I do not recall if it was referenced in any manga chapter, so bear that in mind. <S> 2 <S> Naruto chapter 560, page 3. <A> Normally they were revived at the age of their dead. <S> But the summoner can modify this part. <S> As found on this site: Kabuto can also modify his summoned fighters, as he did with Madara Uchiha. <S> While the technique usually reincarnates the deceased at the exact state they were in at the time of their deaths, Kabuto noted that he brought Madara back in a state that was "beyond his prime" and was reincarnated much younger than when he died an old man as well as instilling him with abilities he had acquired in his old age. <A> They're just the age they were at the moment of death. <S> For example; when Asuma ( see here ) is revived by Kabuto, he looks exactly the same as when he died. <S> It might even be they still wear the same clothes, but I haven't checked for every revived.

As far as I know there haven't been cases of the revived being younger or older.

Why didn't the Saiyajins raise up their power energy? A Saiyajin can multiply his power if he takes great damage or is near death and is able to heal himself afterwards. With that ability alone, they could rinse and repeat countless times before the first encounter with the Androids (you can't be too safe). Goku and Vegeta have their pride and all, I get that. But Trunks and Gohan are much more rational (especially Future Trunks). So why didn't they do what Vegeta did on Namek with Dende for example? <Q> There are multiple things against this. <S> It needs a close death experience to gain power and they need to be healed afterwards, as Dende wasn't on earth at this time and they surely don't want to eat all the beans. <S> It would take a lot of time to regain their full strength and they could die trying of course. <S> Vegeta and Goku would never use something like that to gain power because of their pride. <S> They might have underestimated the cyborgs <S> Future Trunks was not in this timeline on that time Gohan was a kid at this time and he "had to study". <S> His mother would have never allowed him to be beaten half dead and recovered just to increase power. <S> 6. <S> Future Trunks might not be aware of this fact, since when he lived Goku and Vegeta were already dead and Gohan might never told him that. <S> As Exception from 2: Vegeta did this on Namek cause he hated Frieza, he destroyed the planet Vegeta and killed nearly all the Sajyans. <S> (As exception of 2.) <S> Those are the reasons against, it in my opinion. <S> There might be more, and some might not be right, but I hope you can use this answer. <A> First things first Goku use in the spaceship, while going to Namek. <S> (Seeds) <S> Vegeta ask Dende to help him with it in Namek. <S> (Heal) <S> Gohan get power up thanks to the Old Kai . <S> (Without getting damage, only releasing the hidden power) <S> Trunks and Goten never needed the power up (they used only the SSJ 3 form to do this) <S> The Androids appearance Three years have passed since the visit by the mysterious Future Trunks. <S> Goku, Piccolo and Gohan leave to go and face their destiny against enemies they have only heard about, but not seen. <S> They are as prepared as they could be, though Piccolo wishes they had more time to become stronger. <S> Source: <S> The Androids Appear - Summary (1st Paragraph) <S> The point that need to be considerate here is: You need to train your technique not only your power <S> (check out how boxers or others professional fighters train before a fight) <A>

There was also the possibility they could have died while trying this, so it's not such a good strategy.

Why wasn't Jiraiya brought back by Nagato? When Nagato used the Outer Path technique to revive the citizens of Konoha killed in the attack, why wasn't Jiraiya revived as well? It was revealed that the original plan was for Madara to be revived with the technique, so it's not like there was a time limit or anything. <Q> There are several reasons. <S> Jiraiya's body is buried beneath the ocean depth, so even if he would be revived there, well... it wouldn't really help him. <S> Outer Path probably is limited by either distance or time which has passed since death. <S> Otherwise, the technique would have revived people from the whole world. <S> the wiki says that "the individual souls are then able to leave even the crossroad between life and the afterlife". <S> Jiraiya should probably be in the afterlife already. <S> On the contrary, Kakashi was still in the path between life and afterlife when the technique brought him back. <S> The wiki also says that it happens because "their rejuvenated bodies [are] acting as an anchor", so looks like the body is required. <A> That's because Gedo: Rinne Tensei requires a body. <S> Rinne Tensei is practically a Yang-element technique. <S> It breathes life, into a dead body, healing any damage or injury done to it. <S> However, it is not Yin. <S> It cannot create form. <S> You need an actual body for it to work. <S> That is also the same reason why Kabuto couldn't revive him. <S> Even though only DNA is enough, Kabuto couldn't get any. <A> Also even if Jiraiya was revived he would have been a the bottom of the ocean by now <S> and I doubt he can breathe underwater <S> so even if he was revived he would die instantly anyways because of the lack of oxygen and the water pressure.

Since Jiraiya died and his body sank to the bottom of the ocean, he wasn't anywhere near the village when Nagato used Rinne Tensei.

What happens when Naruto is talking to the Kyuubi? When Naruto is talking to the Kyuubi is his mind or his spirit inside the Kyuubi? What happens while he is running? Does he have something like an autopilot? <Q> It's like thinking while running, or making a phone call. <S> His mind is there, but he's also aware of his surroundings, he's not gazing into space. <S> Also, it's very likely that these interactions happen much faster than we see them (in the real world), just like thoughts and dreams are experienced by the brain in a flash, while to us <S> it seems as if it took minutes (in reality it took less then a second). <A> Its more like when we talk to our Inner selves when we are hitting on a girl. <S> Is she looking at Me ? <S> Why is she looking ? <S> When you first learn to ride bicycle you have to think a lot <S> and then after sometime it becomes automatic. <A> It may be like shadow clones. <S> One of his shadow clone conscience talk to kuruma while other runs. <S> When talk is done he simply undo jutsu and know his little conversation with kuruma. <A> Sometimes Naruto is able to talk to the Kyuubi (Kurama) while not having to go inside his mind. <S> He usually goes inside his mind when he really has to, wants to, or just needs power. <S> But if hes not falling or standing still but he's actually running he wont really go into hi mind to see the Kyuubi or he will hit something. <S> He would have to stop if he wants to actaully see the fox. <S> That's why he can talk to the the Kyuubi or the Kyuubi talks to him without Naruto having to go inside his mind. <S> p.s: <S> The nine tailed fox's name is Kurama.

Naruto does not have to make conscious effort to talk to Kyuubi, he can simultaneously talk to Kyuubi and do other stuff, because its automatic now. During strong moments he cannot run and talk , since he had to concentrate all his chakra at one place.

What's the connection between Zangetsu and White Ichigo? This contains spoilers up to chapter 112 (not much of a spoiler, but still). White Ichigo (a.k.a. Hollow Ichigo) appeared in the Hollowfication process, when Urahara had cruelly thrown Ichigo into a pit, and he is the Hollow part of Ichigo's soul (and power). Now, take a look at this (this is from chapter 112, right after White Ichigo first appears and gets beaten by Ichigo): It shows not only that Zangetsu is acquainted with White Ichigo, but also is in apparently well relations with him ("sorry to have bothered you"), and is also apparently able to summon and unsummon him ("send me back already"). How and why is Zangetsu (a Zanpakutō!) able to summon the Hollow inside of Ichigo? Shouldn't a Zanpakutō spirit and a Hollow Spirit be natural enemies? <Q> Hence, they can freely communicate with each other. <S> The most important thing about Bleach power-ups is that they follow the basic principle of "know thyself" and thus, Ichigo himself is unaware of their true capabilities until he pays attention to them by training. <A> A Zanpakutō is born with a shinigami and is a part of its soul. <S> That's why a zanpakutō's personality and abilities differ among shinigamis as they are reflections of their inner being. <S> However the hollow, white ichigo, is not a natural part of ichigo or any shinigami, although it becomes a part of its soul, the hollowfication process is not a natural occurrence like the zanpakutō. <S> Their is a constant battle between these forces, as they each try to get the upper hand especially white ichigo who wants to control his body. <S> You can see that the inner world of ichigo changes when one or the other has dominance, for example when the hollow has dominance zangetsu has a white kimono and the inner world also changes accordingly. <S> When zangetsu is in control he is able to summon white ichigo to some extent, however in this specific case white ichigo is also willingly helpful because the inner battle happens at a crucial moment where ichigo is in a life and death battle with kenpachi, and neither of them can afford that ichigo dies as they are a part of him, hence white ichigo saying; "it would be problematic if he didn't win." <A> SPOILER ALERT!! <S> He is actually the real Zangetsu. <S> The old guy in black is the manifested version of the king of the Quincy. <S> They are basically like Zabimaru: they are two parts of the same soul. <S> They also fuse together in the anime, but at the time Ichigo was in his inner world and not fighting against an opponent so he could not use their combined power. <A> Well if you look at it, in the beginning Ichigo was saved by Rukia and when Zangetsu came in, the spirits didn't know each other. <S> He felt the hollow was a person who might just have ended up as a hollow and who needed help out. <S> Who knows why he did it? <S> I hope it was for the good or for the bad. <S> We don't know. <A> White Ichigo is Zangetsu. <S> He was originally known as White. <S> He was one of the very first attempted Vasto Lorde Arrancars by Aizen. <S> When he was shot in the head by Ichigo's mother, who was a Quincy, he self-destructed and infected her soul. <S> This caused her to go into a state called Soul Suicide. <S> She was eventually stabilized with the help of Kisuke. <S> And when Ichigo was born, White was genetically transferred over to Ichigo and took the form of his Zanpakutō spirit. <S> His appearance changed to that of Ichigo, but with inverted colors. <S> Whenever Ichigo turns into a hollow it is not actually a hollow form. <S> It is actually Zangetsu taking over to save his life and Ichigo's. <S> And White Ichigo's sole purpose isn't to devour Ichigo's body. <S> The author just didn't want to give his backstory away just yet.

Both White Ichigo and Zangetsu are a part of Ichigo's being or soul.

Why do the summoned Servants all belong to different classes? In the Fate universe, is there a reason why the Servants summoned in each Holy Grail War belong to different classes? Using relics and additional incantations during the summoning ritual, Masters have some degree of control over the Class (e.g. Matou Kariya's additional incantations to choose the Berserker Class) and exact identity of the Servant. What would happen if two Masters both tried the same Class using an incantation (e.g., Berserker), or even used (part of) the same relic to summon the same Servant? For example: What would happen if Waver Velvet had only stolen part of Rider's (Iskandar) cloak, unbeknownst to Kayneth Archibald, and both Masters tried to summon Rider? <Q> I think you answered this yourself: Using relics and additional incantations during the summoning ritual, Masters have some degree of control over the Class <S> The keyword here is "some". <S> The Servants are summoned by the Grail, even though the Masters have some sort of control of what they are trying to summon. <S> This wiki states <S> (it has a reference too, but the reference is in Japanese): <S> The Three Knight classes are the only Servants who will definitely be summoned according to the framework of the Holy Grail War, allowing for variation in the rest of the classes. <S> So apparently in this case, the Grail will summon a Servant based on it's compatibility with the concrete Master, much as it has happened with Caster's master Ryuunosuke Uryuu <A> Whoever summoned a class first will get it for certain. <S> If two Masters tried to get Saber, whoever summoned it first would get it and the other would get the hero their catalyst would summon in another role. <S> To give an in-universe example: Gilles de Rail (Caster) was summoned as his weakest possible class in his weakest state: after the death of Jeanne D´arc where he was a deranged serial killer who delved into magic. <S> Had Ryounosuke summoned Gilles earlier, he would´ve most likely gotten him as a Saber or Rider, the two classes he belongs to the best. <S> There´s never really a reason given as to why classes exist. <S> The best answer I can give you is variety in combatants. <S> If all 7 masters summoned a Hassan Sabbah (Assassin), the show would honestly suck. <A> The Servant System is a ritual with the purpose of summonning 7 Grand Servants in order to protect mankind from being wiped out, these are the 7 greatest heroes belonging into each of the classes and they are summoned in their strongest form, in their prime, as recorded in the Throne of Heroes. <S> This is a ritual done by the collective unconciousness of humanity, Alaya, and draws power from the Root itself, beyond human comprehension. <S> Then the Makiri (Matou) family designed the Servant summoning ritual for their Holy Grail War in imitation of this Grand Servant ritual, but the summoned Heroic Spirits are sort of shackled by the Classes in which they are materialized, so they are not the full forms of the Servants. <S> For example, Artoria when summoned to the Saber class has no access to her Holy Lance Rhongomyniad, and if she's summoned as Lancer she doesn't have Excalibur. <S> So the Class restrictions as are seen in Fate/stay night are completely due to it being an imitation of another higher ritual. <S> On the other hand there are instances of 2 Servants of the same class being summoned. <S> In the 3rd HGW, The Edelfelt sisters summoned 2 aspects of a single Saber Servant, so there were 2 Sabers during that war, but it had more to do with their family Magic Trait, Ore Scales, so it was a very unusual situation.

More than one version of the same class cannot be summoned, even if all the Masters were to use the variation in the summoning chant to get a Berserker-class Servant.