Thought Experiment: Tensai Shoujo Hero

That's right, it's "Tensai Shoujo Hero"!

In romanization that is, "Terrible-Strength Girl Hero"

There's no such thing in anime though. As Chansu says in his One Punch Man review, we kind of root against a hero who has everything easy and shows no effort to win. Though "One Punch Man" is more of a Millenial generation Shounen Hero because he's sarcastic about all of the enemies he beats by using no emotional attachment to them. The whole anime game is changing so...

There are already some old anime like Blood+, Birdy, Haruhi, FLCL, Evangelion, Gundam, and maybe Gintama where there are strong and terrifying female characters that kick ass and pose formidable threats to the main characters, if they are not already. That's how formidable they are in the anime world that there are so few of them starring in their own anime and in the ones that they only co-star they always manage to hurt the main character. If they didn't cartoonize those blows, the main character guy would usually sure die, such as Gintama or FLCL where Ginoki takes ninja knives to the head and FLCL where the boy takes guitars to the face so that he can finally transform again.

It's not a new thing out there. Maybe it causes guys and guy otaku some anxiety to want more anime like it but it shouldn't because they're anime and the real world is much different. It would cause thousands of tons of anxiety for a real life human man to undergo such anxiety! (LOL) So it's best that these kinds of themes are seen more in anime than in real life, right?

That's no cause for otaku to fear. We're already pretty nerdy people who deal with daily hassles already. For those of us who like shounen anime, we maybe already love the "Tensai Shoujo Hero"!

Top 3 Anticipated (AND CONFIRMED) Sequels of All Time!

Welcome back, fellow Otaku! Have you ever finished a series, with a non-canon ending that diverges from the manga, or ending on the 20th chapter of what will seem to be 100s of volumes, and felt the sheer sadness of losing your weekly source of enjoyment? We feel your pain, so we grabbed the top 3 most anticipated sequels of all time to satiate your hunger pangs for anime goodness! Let's look toward the future, together!

Without further ado, here they are!





1. Blue Exorcist (SEASON TWO!)
Release Date: Estimated Summer 2017

The new Blue Exorcist (Ao no Exorcist)sequel (Kyoto Impure King Arc) will focus on the two brothers Rin and Yukio Okamura as they battles the spawn of Gehenna and Satan himself to keep the human world (Assiah) safe. Their goal this time? To keep the Impure King from being revived!

I am not the only one who is glad that Blue Exorcist is getting back to the manga plot. With the success of the story line, driven by shounen action and family bonds similar to Full Metal Alchemist, it is a no-brainer to bring the exorcist crew back to our TVs. Expect to see this demon-slaying series back sometime in 2017~!




2. My Hero Academia (SEASON TWO!)
Release Date: TBD

Who has not fallen in love with My Hero Academia (Boku no Hero Academia) earlier this year? If not, then you've missed the story of Izuku Midoriya and his foray into the world of Heores! He lives in a world where a large percent of the population is born with a "Quirk" which is basically a super power that evolves as kids age. Poor Izuku, who wished to be a hero more than anyone else, was not born with a "Quirk" and was devastated, until he was given a chance to reach Heroic levels and impress the greatest hero of all time, "All Might"

Season two was confirmed shortly after the series ended, and was met with overwhelming joy by fans of the series! While there is no news of the actual release date or season, we should keep our fingers crossed that it will be back sometime in 2017! PLUS ULTRA!





3. Attack on Titan (SEASON TWO!)
Release Date: Spring 2017

Sie sind das Essen und wir sind die Jäger!

Attack on Titan (Shingeki no Kyojin) has taken the world by storm as a household name among anime fans, and even those who would normally watch anime have gotten a glimpse of the show. Everyone knows the premise - a world where freakish-looking giants who feed on human flesh have driven humanity  to hide behind giant walls for safety (*Trump approved!*). Eren Jaeger, a teen and resident of this world, has sworn to kill every last titan on earth to avenge his losses. But things soon get complicated as Eren himself is wrapped up in a plot much large than most titans...

Without spoiling much for those who have somehow survived this long without watching the show, Season 2 will kick off where they last left off, jumping into the voluminous manga chapters that have been coming nonstop since the anime finished back in 2013. Will humans finally gain salvation over their situation, or will the largest threat of the Colossal Titan bring us to our demise?! We can only find out in Spring 2017! (or reading the manga)

-chansu

2nd Prime Time: Hero --> ULtd.

2 n d   P r i m e   T i m e

H e r o   U n - l i m i t e d!

What's your idea of a hero? Most people think of Superman, Batman, Green Lantern, Aquaman, The Living Flash, Spiderman, Cyclops, Jean Grey, Rogue, Storm and the list goes on and on. In American culture, these are the best of the best. They fight the bad guys, and win. They "kick ass and take names", as they say in North America. They're the unlimited heroes of comics.

Through communication with aliens, the mangaka in Japan have created a newer kind of hero, a better one. Referring to the early process of creating animation where Looney Toons was the standard cartoon. After that, around the time of Toonami, anime took over in pop culture and the fires of anime are still churning for bad guys to go right into. Though this is just the humble opinion of a random RPG loving otaku. That new hero, that burns baddies slowly is actually, maybe a weaker hero compared to the superheroes of the west, right?

They are the limited heroes. That, or Comic-con doesn't need NYAF to keep their attendance records (or do they?). The limited heroes are the shounen heroes of manga. They come from humble beginnings and are made fun of daily, before they actually become heroes. Even after that, they're always self-conscious about who they're fighting and why...

Short answer:  Because they were made fun of.

Long answer:  Because they are the limited hero which actually means that they're NOT heroes.

That's summed up best by Monkey D. Luffy: "Heroes have to share the meat..."

And began with Goku, Sailor Moon, Inuyasha, Yusuke Yurameshi. They all don't want to share the meat... Especially Inuyasha (gomenasai) (^^;)

Being that they're not heroes, makes them limited heroes. That's why they don't always have the "great power" that vanquishes all enemies no matter how strong or terrorfying. That's because they're gonna have to fight over dinner, over a hotpot or yakiniku preferably (It's Japan...). They need friends, unlike Superman in his Arctic Fortress of Might where he longs for friends (though that would make anyone very good... or evil).

When they're on their way to the top, they fall down. The stronger ones, get back up only to fall again and again. See they're only as strong as their mangaka (hehe). In explanation, they're always either getting into it with villains or actively seeking villains to make congruent to goodness (kick their butt). We should all know that, especially since most of us are always getting into it. The limited hero is cooler than because they would save you or me, given the choice. And the limited hero would probably get older while doing it, as opposed to being immortal like Superman or Batman.

The question is:  

Are you a limited or a unlimited hero? 

Are you an Otaku for life?

Shounen Hero Diaries pt 5: Speculation

That was so long ago, maybe before summer vacation. Those things really make you think. So I trained as hard as I could and entered a battle royal run by a self-proclaimed, "Circus-Villainy Act" that goes by the name, "Dissent". It seemed like some kind of joke and a fun summer wasted. Most of all of the candidates at the arena were either muscular golems or boyish kids my age, all guys.

They sneered at me and leered at me. The boys sneered and the muscle-heads kept looking at me funny like their necks were loose. I waved at them all.

Before the event opened we all had to go into a virtual sim and get our "specs" read. As soon as I put on the thing, I was in a fight with an alien. So I just used the buster whatever that "The Kiran" taught me and it was over... And then I was kicked out of the tournament, by the manager-dude.

"We can't have people here, like you, that can hurt my feelings" The manager said.

He was this really old guy, I think his name was Mr. Rane. But he gave me a copy of my specs data... and cried profusely.

Shounen Hero Diaries pt 4: Jinny Rummy

It didn't go so bad. All he did was make us talk and hug it out... again. Then he went on and on about how important it is to feel great and enjoy friendship. The guy, principal, was a loser in person but I heard that he once fell into the school's cellar which is under the school. Then cried down there until he had to be rescued by some girls. Then they all fought a serial killer that lived there or something, going by the code name "Jive Turkey". As if he couldn't have called himself a, "Kickin' Chicken"!

All in all, the principal wasn't timid at all for someone with a fake right arm. After it was all over, he opened the desk drawer and gave me a gold pin then proceeded to get on both his knees and bowed face down to the shag carpet floor.

"Please take this pin! Wear it always!" He exclaimed.

So I put it on, no big deal. Then the Vice opened the door, walked right in, and grabbed the principal by the hair and pulled him off the ground.

"The pins are for V.I.P students, right? And all students get one if they're V.I.P?" The Principal said, kind of seeming like he was making up all of that in a flustered rush of emotions.

"It's new..." The Vice said sternly, looking at both me and the principal.

I looked at Principal Acer. The principal was crying. He had tears in his eyes. He was holding back a grin. As I left, and I looked back once, he was slapped by the Vice Principal.

Difference Between

American Cartoons and Japanese Anime

1. Invincible superheroes vs. Training day in and day out heroes

In American cartoons:  Superheroes are practically invincible. Their powers are limitless or at least they cannot be exhausted. To be defeated, a superhero has to be caught, trapped, or totally annihilated in one shot or something.

In Japanese cartoons: Heroes have to train hard day in and day out to get strong but once they do, they are clearly portrayed as having more strength than an average human, even with the constant reminders of the such. They can be defeated, but most likely by either a baddie who's trained just as much or is practically invincible, like the kind of hero mentioned above ^

2. Senseless violence vs. Senseless flashing

In American cartoons:  Looney toons, the first contemporary cartoons had more violence than ever and the characters recovered easily. The trend, became less extreme as people realized that they could actually be hurt by the same things but there is still the sense in comedy toons that the character can recover from any weird injury.
In Japanese anime:  Japanese anime contains a lot of flashing, a trend that started in old anime but is starting to be only reserved for ecchi and hentai. But in the late 90's, early 2000's most anime had at least some scenes where a character (usually a female) might be a bit more naked than expected for a cartoon...hehe.

3. Seeing yourself in a good light vs. Showing all of your flaws!

In American cartoons:  The main character is always the best, no questions asked (usually). Usually when watching an American toon, you know that you should like the main character because they're always seen in a good light.
In Japanese cartoons: Flaws are advertised to humanize the character and gain popularity with the fans. Most Japanese anime run polls for the fans to rank their favorite characters and the more human and relatable a character, the higher they are ranked. Often the less excellent the character, the higher they rank.

4. One sided baddies vs. Multi-dimensional multi-tasking enemies

In American cartoons:  The main bad guy is always 100 percent bad or evil. They devote most of their evil plan to getting the good guys for good (i.e. forever), and often fail because they're too perfectionistic. But they are quite persistent for being all bad, right?
In Japanese cartoons: The main bad guy has lots of stuff going on, including an agenda that includes the demise of the main character, along with some other scheme for money or power. Often, the demise of the main character is a side project which is often a tragic flaw of a lot of Japanese bad guys. Side projects must be some kind of big thing in Japan...

5. Being the best vs. Doing the best things

In American cartoons:  The most liked character is also the best character. If a viewer would be asked, who is their favorite character they most always say the main character. If there is a trio, it's always the main character of the trio. Unless the show is watched by more than one person, then one person might choose another character and try to justify why they are the best even if they are just a foil (or reflective of the greatness of the main character), often to their frustration with the creators.
In Japanese cartoons:  The most liked character might not be the main character. If there is a special moment in the story where a side character does something amazing that evoked emotions, then that character might be more well-liked and considered the best by the majority of anime fans. Possibly Alphonse Elric (FMA brotherhood), Gohan (DBZ), Kagome (Inuyasha) are some examples.

6. Telling jokes vs. Being the jokes (the Old Deal you struggle with...)

The Western Toon:  Characters have a repitoire of great jokes, and often a recurring joke that makes the viewer like the cartoon and the character. The characters have something great to say all the time and make the viewer feel like they have a lot to live for, at least in a group when someone is always stealing the attention. A punchline is key and usually punchlines that can be quoted during everyday life are numerous. This makes American cartoons surprisingly relatable, their quotability.

The Eastern Series:  Characters do things in anime that are funny, but only in relation to the other characters. It's hard to laugh AT a character in an anime, without actually laughing about something that might have actually happened in your life. Anime makes normal life events that have already happened, seem more funny when the characters do them. It must be the mystique of anime, that romanticizes everyday life.

...Tell Your Jokes!

Shounen Hero Diaries pt 3: Misha, Misha, Misha!

There's this guy at school, and he's always being so annoying. He's so loud and weird. He goes on and on about being the coolest person at school. His last name is Rando and I just want to break his shins. All of a sudden, he walked right up to me and said,

"I know you're in... Dissent"

"That sounds like a weird name for a group of losers"

"That's IT! We're taking this OUTSIDE! We're gonna fight!" is his loud comeback, like always.

"Nope"

"Good answer" The guy changes his whole point of view, and just as the principal came over. He was dressed really well today, with his hair slicked back as usual.

"Both of you in my office!" Said Principal Acer.

...We were gonna reply...

"Nope, not today" The vice-principal came closer, reprimanding Principal Acer.

"Misha, Misha, Misha!" The principal exclaimed weirdly.

The vice-principal always defeats the principal!

Shonen Hero Diaries pt 2: The Timid Chimera

*   *   *   *   *   *   *   *

So, at first, I was scared so I buried the guy on the playground and then turned around to run back home... I sensed that, "The Kiran", could fix everything. As I was turning to run back home, there was this big hand on my shoulder.

"I'll handle that!"

There was an old guy with a blonde mustache and a crew cut who seemed to pop out of nowhere.

"But wait, punch my arm!", The man exclaimed.

So, without thinking I punched his fist, right on the knuckles, and a bright orange light appeared at impact, knocking the man into a slide. That ended up turning the whole thing into dust. I had to run over to him to see if he was OK. He was lying on his back.

"Give.. me a.. high five" The guy said.

So I bent down and I high fived him. He smiled at me happily.

"Go find, the Timid Chimera" He whispered.

"Who?"

"..." The man was silent, he passed out because his head tilted over and touched the ground softly.

...And there was an eerie silence, unlike any other.

I was alone again.

Shounen Hero Diaries pt 1: The Ferocious

They say, there is a ferocious eel that lives in the Ocean... It eats whole ships and uses its tongue to pierce the hearts of all the shipmates. That's not all, it breathes out, Land! That is the monster I, Aurora, tamed! My power, in adition to the "Buster Punch", is the Aurora Bomb!

I'm 5'2, my hair color is (a mystery), I wear glasses, favorite number is 42, my favorite food is pizza, and my birthday is July 16th. I was once the nerdiest person in my class. Since I went to regular, private school, I thought there wasn't a way out. Then one night, when I was walking, looking up at the stars. A guy jumped out of the bushes and said, "give me your purse", in a very brash voice!


I got so scared, my mind went blank, and the next thing I knew he was lying in a pool of blood!


"You KO'd this guy" was all I heard, from an intuition deep inside. Then the next thing I heard was even crazier...

"You are the successor of the Kiran!"

Now I'm a Shounen Hero!!!

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