Volume 1| Issue 1| March 2013
Anime Reign Before you Begin‌
Greetings Otakus AKA Anime lovers!!! First of all, we would like to congratulate you on buying this awesome magazine, 'Anime Reign'. Anime Reign is an attempt of the World Anime Club (WAC) to provide you the best from Anime and Japan as a whole.
Manager - Manish Prasad Editorial Team Executive Editor - Mukesh Kumar Associate Editors - Aditya Verma, Sam V, Rohan A Michigan,
The World Anime Club (WAC) is a global organization, striving to promote anime culture around the globe and to integrate all anime lovers into one single global group that can be a resource for all of your Anime needs. Be it an Anime from the past, present or yet to be released, we will make sure that you come to know about it, and some of them with reviews. Additionally, WAC is trying to make people aware about Japanese culture as a whole - lifestyle, cuisine or anything else. WAC manages the entire platform; integrating content, determining strategic implementation and developing the design, producing and promoting creativity.
Reviewer- Mohd Sarosh Lodi Design and Concept Creative Director - M. Chandra Cover Designer - Paras Designers: Nikhita Dimri, Ajay Solanki, Abhishek Dixit, Arun Samuel, Rhythm Gandhi Brand Business Lead Gorav Online Managers Akash Tushar, Catherine Contributors Ayushi Vats, Arun Wadhwa, Jessica Wallace, Pax, Jin Xiang, Ankit Singh, Nischal Lakhchaura, Lehri Malik, Aron Truce, Ioana Andreea, Anamika Rathore, Shubhankan Singh
The magazine you have in your hand, 'Anime Reign' is soon going to be your ultimate guide and resource for most of your anime needs. It will also provide you with complete information about the story-lines, characters, reviews, and many more insights into different anime series. Very soon, you will be a hardcore anime lover with in-depth information. Still not good enough? Here's the deal‌ It's not just about anime. It's also a digest about Japanese food and culture, with a pinch of gaming reviews and updates, and events and anime conventions happening around the globe. And to add to this, it gives you a perfect opportunity to showcase yourself as a Manga writer or an anime artist. Thus we hope that it will provide a perfect platform for amateurs to become professionals or for people to simply showcase their talent. Seems like a good recipe to me! We are sure that Anime Reign is going to be a part of your life from now on and we at WAC are continuously working hard to make sure that it happens. At the same time we hope that all of you passionate anime fans out there will enjoy joining WAC- a creative organization with a diverse portfolio- anime, manga, games and much more.
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So, what are you waiting for? Turn the page and let the Anime Reign begin! The WAC Team
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Character description: She is sometimes rude and sometimes nice. She is very strong. Though she has a small amount of magic, it also makes her uncomfortable. She likes to have a balanced life and so she always has a balance in the colour of her clothes. She never gets jealous of anyone, but after meeting Imaiya, she gets to know that jealousy. Because she always maintains a balance in her life, she tries to understand that feeling. She is always nice to Willa and treats her as her real little sister. Like Garu, she can sometimes be a hot-head, and gets mad easily when people comment about her appearance. As a consequence, she may even injure that person in rage. She also gets annoyed easily when she's with Leaf. Physical description: She is a slim-built girl who has light green hair and eyes. She often seems to be a 14- year old girl because of her slightly smaller body compared to her age. She's still taller than Mai and much lighter in weight. She is the only one who is light-weighted and that makes Mavia jealous of her. In her first appearance, she has black, long and wavy hair, fair skin and blue eyes. She is just like a normal student because she wears a school uniform. After her magic runs out, she becomes her normal self with green hair. She may be small but has the strength of a thousand men. She is better in 'hand-tohand' combat than as a magician. Background: A 17- year old girl comes to Garu's village to take magic lessons to strengthen her magic. Another motive of hers is to search for her real family.
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Nikhita Dimri
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WAC Exclusive INTERVIEW WITH JAZYL HOMAVAZIR FOR ANIME REIGN Read on for an exclusive interview by one of our team with Jazyl Homavazir, the author of the first Indian Manga, “The Beast Legion”. Jazyl is a 26 year old freelance 2D Animator, Illustrator & Character Concept artist from Mumbai, India
Manish: Before we start, I'd like to thank you for the opportunity to interview you. The first thing that I'd like to ask you is – when and how did you become interested in Comics, manga and anime? Jazyl: Thanks for conducting this interview. Well to be honest I've always been more influenced by animation than comics starting with shows like HE-man & Thundercats in the '80s. It was only when I started watching Naruto did I take interest in reading the manga & then subsequently caught on to Bleach. The rest is history. Manish: What inspired and influenced you to become an artist? Jazyl: Actually I was always fascinated by animation & had a dream to one day create my own story in some form. My friends were familiar with the fact that I'd grab a pen & start drawing the moment we had a free period in school. My brother's art motivated me to a great extent. He's the one who actually has a fine arts degree. But I really took up art very seriously back in 2007 after watching Naruto & Fullmetal Alchemist on TV. I did quite a few commissions even during my BSC in I.T. & then did my diploma from Arena, Fort, Mumbai. Manish: You have a unique illustration style that makes your characters easily recognizable thanks to their characteristics .How did you develop this style? And how would you describe it? Jazyl: Although a lot of people say they like my style, I actually feel I can mould my style on a character to character basis. There's a certain style I apply to drawing creatures & monsters & a very different one when it comes to humans. Developing a style for Beast Legion was the hardest part as it contains a combination of both, as well as the manga influence which I've come to love so much. For Beast Legion, I kind of decided to have something between Kishimoto sensei & Kubo sensei's art. I'd say it's still evolving actually & I try to get better with ever issue.
Manish: Talking about your creation, Beast Legion is India's first manga. What inspired you to start the Beast Legion? Jazyl: Beast Legion simply started as a script entry for the Animax Pan Asia contest held in 2007. I had created 4 episode scripts for the contest but things didn't work out. After that I went back & forth with the script till 2008 & overcame the shortcomings. Later a thought dawned to me that if I ever wanted to pitch Beast Legion at some point an amateur script wouldn't do…a script in a comic format however, is a different story. Though, after being in the industry for 3 years I realized even that would not be enough. I'd rather have 20 solid episodes ready before thinking of seeing it animated. From the period of 2008-2010 I began scripting the issues & I have compiled around 36 out of the 52 chapters I have planned. I want people to experience the stories first hand & I didn't want Beast Legion to be limited to a particular audience. Hence I made it a web comic. Manish: Since when have you been working on your own manga? Jazyl: I started the manga in early 2010. Had no idea about the style I was going to go with back then & if you notice, the first 2 issues are more of an experiment in nailing the art style. I launched the comic back in July 2010 on the web Issue 1 | March 2013 |Page 7
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Manish: What are your views upon manga and anime fans of India? Jazyl: Working on the series forced me to explore the anime fan base in India in early 2011. Ever since then, I have met so many amazing people, including yourself, who are so passionate towards this medium & have so much in common with me. I got to connect with some amazing manga styled artits like the Xong bros, Varsha Chakera, Dann Rie to name just a few as well as a plethora of Anime lovers over the last year. It's been a thrilling experience without a doubt. I never expected Beast Legion to become this big in India, but every year at comic con, I see people actually coming back & inquiring about the second volume & I do feel that it has made its mark in a certain way. In fact, I almost completely sold out at The Delhi Comic Con this Feb. Manish: 8 chapters of Beast Legion are already out. Do you have any future plans of having it made into an animated series? Jazyl: Not at the moment. But it is definitely a dream goal to someday see it turned into an Anime series. But when it's done I honestly would not want any compromises. That's why I'd rather wait a few years, churn out more issues & have a solid series guide to prepare for an anime styled approach. Hopefully, by that time, I'll have a lot more contacts both in India &, with God's grace, in Japan as well. Manish:What's the best thing about being an artist? Jazyl: That's easy. You can try to get everything in your head onto paper. I'm thankful to God that I have a gift that I can create a character from the slightest of description either given to me or wandering somewhere in the confides of my brain. I'm very happy being an artist & the profession is something I really love Manish: Are there any characters in beast legion who are inspired from real people? Tell us if you have any favorite character, and what made it your favorite. Jazyl: None. One of my main principles is never to involve real life characters or inspirations in my series. I want this world of Lithopia to be completely unique with larger than life personalities. That being said, there's always certain stuff that creeps in during conceptualization since I both write & draw the comic. Dragos is definitely my fave. Funny story is he was the first Beast Legion character I conceptualized. Xeus actually came after him. I have a bad habit of creating a villain first & then go on to the world-building. I always wanted to create a villain who could transform into a dragon & the very early design for Dragos was something completely different & more reptile- like. However, when I started the series, the design changed drastically, as did his personality. Manish:Give our readers a brief about the Beast Legion? Jazyl: Beast Legion (www.thebeastlegion.com) is an absolutely free to read web manga series that explores the journey of a prince, Xeus's quest to save his homeland from the clutches of the dreaded Dragos & Shadow Nexus. However in order to do that he must first master his beast form which is extremely aggressive. The series extends as he makes new friends & faces a plethora of villains each having their own beast forms. You can read the manga on our website & also follow our facebook page at www.facebook.com/TheBeastLegion for all the latest updates. Manish:So lately we've heard the 'Age of Lions' buzz going around? Can you enlighten us a bit more on that & your involvement with the project? Jazyl: Definitely. Age of Lions is going to be an anime-esque series which I'm working on as an Art Director for a company called Anitracks Media. I handle the character designs & animatics. It's going to be a historic fantasy set towards a 13+ audience & based in the epic Mauryan period of Indian history. The series in brief is going to revolve around two kids & their coming of age in a war torn Mauryan Empire. The story is told from their perspective & how their fate intertwines with the rise of the empire. We are aiming to create a very high benchmark for this series in collaboration with the production house. Manish: Lastly, any words of advice for aspiring designers/artists? Would you like to share anything you learned from your experiences in the manga and comics field? Jazyl: I think every artist should first have a clear goal in mind that they want to achieve, be it big or small, & then slowly move their way towards it. Be persistent & acknowledge your shortcomings as an artist. Focus on your strong points but also try working around your weaknesses. But most importantly don't expect short term gains. Several people start taking up art & instantly want to work on a commissions & freelance project. Join sites like Deviantart & C G tantra to showcase your best works & try to promote yourselves through social media. Your art style is something that takes 1 or 2 years to nurture. Give it time. If you get commissions along the way, grab them, but do not keep high expectations in the budding years. Do not expect people to share their contacts as the art industry in India is still very small. Most importantly, do it for the love of the profession. Once you achieve that, everything will fall into place.
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There are many things which differentiate J-POP from other genres in music, but one specific group of artists take the limelight in this debate, VOCALOID. The Vocaloid series now spans 3 generations, thanks to the overwhelming popularity of “SINGERS” like Hatsune Miku, Megurine Luka and the Kagamine twins. But Vocaloid is much more than what meets the eyes....
The foundation stones of the software was laid by Kenmochi Hideki at the Pompeu Fabra University in Spain in 2000, where he started a research on the initial phase of the voice synthesiser which was not intended to be a full commercial project. Later it was backed by Yamaha Corporation. The software was developed into a commercial product, which we now know as 'VOCALOID.’
vocaloid voice synthesiser .This surprisingly contradicts the popular belief that Hatsune Miku was the first one to come to existence. In fact, Hatsune Miku was developed much later in 2007, using the generation 2 vocaloid voice synthesiser, by Crypton media. Hatsune Miku also marked the beginning of the GENERATION-2 of Vocaloid singers. The Gen 2: Crypton Future Media, with the creation of Hatsune Miku, started the most popular line-up of Vocaloid singers That's all cool, but how did Vocaloid come to be the Singers we see? The Japanese endeavour started with the ever created. The GENERATION-2 Before we answer this, here is a fun fact: GENERATION-1 Vocaloid singers Meiko lasted from the year 2007 to 2011, when it VOCALOID WAS NOT DEVELOPED IN and Kaito, using the first developed came to the end with the introduction of GENERATION-3. JAPAN. version of the commercial version
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This generation included the 4 of the big 6 of all timesMiku, Kagamine Rin, Kagamine Len, Megurine Luka Others who attained great fame are Gumi Megipod, Gakupo and Lily.
Vocaloid Spotlight We kickoff our Spotlight section with the most loved vocaloid all time~ Hatsune MikuEveryone's beloved 16 year old, cheerful girl with a crystal clear voice. Her name carries the meaning 'the first sound of the future'. Her singing style is flamboyant and her songs range from light hearted anime songs to intense alternate. Her “birth” was in 2007. Her personality is very cheery and lovely, she is very fond of her friends, and loves Kaito. She is currently a high school first year student. The Kagamine twinsThe lovely 14 year old twins, who reflect each other like a mirror. The names, Rin and Len Kagamine carry the meaning, 'left (rin) or right (len) side of a mirror of sound'. As their name suggests, they represent images in a mirror. Various theories exist that try to justify the relationship between the two, some say they are twins, others say they are a couple. Their music mostly consists of a light anime style. Megurine LukaWith pink hair, a gentle soul, and a soothing voice, Megurine Luka is the third member of the vocaloid family. She is the eldest among the big 6, along with Keito. Her surname “Megurine” carries the meaning 'circulating sound'. Her singing style includes soft music and ballads. Her personality is based upon a well mannered young Japanese woman. She seems to be interested in Gakupo.
Vocaloid in popular media Vocaloid has made way into various other media other than music. Games, compilations, fan books, figurines, even short mangas are famous all over the world. Crypton future media created a series of games for the playstation platform, which featured a variety of official and fan made GENERATION-2 vocaloids. This series was named 'Hatsune Miku- PROJECT DIVA'. It is a musical/ pattern based game in which the player can choose a song and control the avatar as he tries to “sing” the song perfectly, by using correct button strikes. Another popular series of merchandise is the NENROID figure series, which features many vocaloids, including Miku and her different forms.
The vocaloid playlist of the monthYou may be new or old to the world of vocaloid, but there are some songs which are a must hear. Here are our top fifteen recommendations which should be on your playlist. 1. The world is mine- Hatsune Miku 2. Kokoro- Kagamine Rin 3. Love is war- Hatsune Miku 4. Ten faced – Gumi 5. Romeo and Cinderella- Hatsune miku 6. Just be friends- Merguine Luka 7. Magnet- Merguine luka 8. Kyodai shoujo- Hatsune miku 9. Honey- Meiko 10. Triple baka- Hatsune miku 11. Kocchi muite baby- Hatsune miku 12. Sorry to you- Gumi 13. Rolling girl- Hatsune miku 14 Alice human sacrifice- various artists 15 I like you, I love you- Kagamine rin
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Issue 1 | March 2013 |Page 10
Aditya Raghuvanshi
Anime and Manga: Bleach #Bleach Top 5 Theme Songs: Asterisk~by Orange Range Rolling Star~by YUI Alones~by Aqua Timez Sen no Yoru wo Koete~by Orange Range On The Precipice Of Defeat~by Shiro Sagisu
INTRODUCTION: Ichigo Kurosaki is a 15-year-old boy with the ability to see spirits, something that he considers more of a bother than a gift. One day he meets a Shinigami (Death God) named Rukia, who's on the run from a Hollow—a destructive spirit with unfinished business on Earth. As a last-minute measure, Rukia transfers her powers to Ichigo, whose abundant supply of spirit energy makes him a far more potent Shinigami than she ever was! Soon Ichigo is vanquishing Hollows left and right, and meeting other friends at school with similar abilities. However, Rukia's transfer of power is forbidden by the Soul Society (the official name of the spirit world), and when their agents come to Earth to dish out the consequences, Ichigo finds that he might have to challenge the entire world of the dead to save her. REVIEW: Anyone who has ever watched or heard about Naruto, DBZ, etc. has surely heard of Bleach. Till date there are 366 anime episodes & 524 manga chapters. Since the anime ended last march I'm sure you won't mind if i just talk about the manga; supposedly the current arc is the last arc (sob-sob). Still lets refresh our memory, after rescuing Rukia & Aizen's betrayal several Arrancars(hollows with shinigami powers & broken masks) came to the Human World, they turned out to be Aizen's experiment from the Hogyoku crystal hidden in Rukia's soul by Urahara. Ichigo & his allies then infiltrate Hueco Mundo, the Land of the Hollows to save the kidnapped Orihime & defeat Aizen. After some of the best fights ever in Bleach history with Ulquiorra & Grimmjow(arrancars), Ichigo manages to gather all his strength for one final attack on Aizen. By using all his shinigami powers in one attack, the Final Getsuga Tenshou, Ichigo loses his powers. He regains those powers an year & a half later again by the help of Rukia. We've seen a lot of supernatural characters: shinigamis, hollows, arrancars, quincies(Ishida & Ryugen), vizards(Shinji & his crew) & fullbringers(Ginjo Kugo & his XCUTION team) but the fully hollowfied Vasto Lorde Ichigo will always be the most fearsome creature ever in Bleach universe. Although i understand many of us Bleach fans feel the story should've ended peacefully with the last episode of 'Aizen Arc', unfortunately all we can do is bear with it. I'm just waiting for Isshin's past to be revealed!
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Those of you still following the manga surely know how irritating it is to wait a week & read cliffhangers after cliffhangers, specially with the return of '#6'. The current arc focuses on a group of quincies, the Vandenreich, who's leader Juha Bach was supposed to be dead 1000 years ago. Ichigo discovers newly found powers within himself & some secrets about his mother's past is revealed. To those of you who've yet to start watching the anime: WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?! P.S., a friendly advice: skip the 'Bount Arc' (you'll thank me later!).
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F
All caught up to the
The Grand Magic Games arc is
manga,the anime began with
the thirteenth story arc of the Fairy Tail
a filler arc. The Key of the Starry Sky arc is an
series. The arc details the events during the X791 Grand Magic Games.
anime-only story arc of the Fairy Tail series.
In the newly rambunctious Fairy Tail guild, the returned Tenrou
A mysterious girl name Michelle suddenly comes looking for Lucy,
Island members discover that Fairy Tail currently holds the title of
delivering a clock key as her inheritance from her father. However a
the worst guild in Fiore, whilst a guild called Sabertooth has
militia like church is likewise after the key and the clock pieces of
claimed first during their disappearance. Almost all of the members
which it unlocks, forcing the Fairy Tail members to search for the
are distraught over this, save for Natsu, who sees it as an
pieces before they do and try to stop their plan.
opportunity to rise to number one again.
The Fairy Tail teams have located the scattered clock parts, but keeping them out of the hands of the Legion is another thing
Grand Magic Games - a competition created in the last seven years
entirely.
where the winner is considered the strongest guild in Fiore, also
Byro states that he cannot let anyone leave here alive. Erza and the
getting a 30,000,000 prize. This motivates the missing Fairy Tail
rest of the Fairy Tail attack Byro simultaneously, but Byro nullifies all
members with the group excitedly deciding to enter the competition
their attacks. Byro tells them that he can handle 50 people in a
and regain their former glory. Having decided that they will
physical match. Then, all the clock pieces start to glow, and Lucy
compete in the upcoming Grand Magic Games, the returning
sees her father and a mysterious girl. Meanwhile, Kinana starts
members of Fairy Tail decide to use their remaining time to train in
laughing hysterically, and Makarov feels a disturbance in the force.
order make up for being absent during the last seven years. The
The clock pieces assemble to create the Infinity Clock. At Zentopia,
members of guild - Natsu, Erza, Gray, Juvia, Wendy, Carla and
the bishops are in confusion, and the Archbishop notices the
Team Shadow Gear go to the beach to train, whilst other groups of
ominous feeling. Back to Natsu's location, the Oracion Seis makes
Fairy Tail head to separate locations to train as well.
their appearance under the Infinity Clock.
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The Punk Hazard Arc is the twenty-sixth story arc in the series, and the first in the New World Saga of the One Piece series, continuing on from the Fishman Island Arc and the Fishman Island Saga. Upon finally entering the New World, the Straw Hat Pirates immediately receive a distress call from a group of people on an island called Punk Hazard, stating that they are being attacked by a samurai. Without hesitation, Luffy sets out to the blazing island, with Vice Admiral Smoker hot on his tail. On the supposedly death-ridden and empty island, the Straw Hats soon learn that they are not alone, meeting many new and old foes as they explore the purpose of the island. Punk Hazard is the first island the Straw Hats encounter in the New World, and is made up of a frozen side and a burning side. The isle also contains the abandoned research laboratories of Dr. Vegapunk. The location of Akainu and Aokiji's duel to the death for the position of Fleet Admiral is revealed to be Punk Hazard, which had resulted in turning the island into ice and fire, changing its whole climate. More information on Dr. Vegapunk is revealed. He used Punk Hazard as a research facility until an experiment went wrong. More of his creations are revealed also, as he created artificial beings such as Dragons that inhabit Punk Hazard. Caesar Clown was also his former colleague and the pair had a bitter rivalry and Caesar attempted to prove that he was better than him in his creation of mass-murder weapons. More of the World Government's secret experiments are shown Caesar Clown has experimented on children and grown them larger to make them giants. As stated by Law, the World Government has been doing human growth projects for hundreds of years as a method of creating an army of super soldiers. More of the Eleven Supernova's status after the time skip is revealed according to Brownbeard, they have been causing anarchy in the New World and have been labelled along with Blackbeard as the "Worst Generation" of pirates. Trafalgar Law appears for the first time after the time skip, and is revealed to have become a Shichibukai, and gained a former bounty of 440,000,000. His Devil Fruit is also revealed to be the Ope Ope no Mi. He is also revealed to be a former subordinate of Donquixote Doflamingo. Brownbeard is also seen for the first time after the time skip, and his bounty of 80,060,000 is revealed. He has become an alligator centaur, with the power of Trafalgar Law's Devil Fruit abilities. More information about the G-5 branch of the Marines is revealed. Their head members include Vice Admiral Smoker, Commodore Yarisugi, and Vice Admiral Vergo, who is revealed to know at least three forms of Rokushiki. Trafalgar Law proposes an alliance with the Straw Hat Pirates to dethrone one of the Yonko. Donquixote Doflamingo is revealed to be a very powerful criminal underworld broker, utilizing the alias of Joker and a major part of an illegal trading web of powerful figures in the New World. Vice Admiral Vergo is also revealed to be a mole for Doflamingo. Also, more of Doflamingo's subordinates are revealed and his base of operations is a location named Dressrosa.
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The Straw Hat Pirates finally head for Fishman Island after their two year hiatus. But many surprises await them as they head for their undersea destination and even more so once they reach it. Fishman Island is the eleventh island that the Straw Hats encounter on the Grand Line. This arc shows all the Straw Hats' new techniques they have gained over their two year training: Luffy has gained control over all three forms of Haki and mastered his Devil Fruit powers to a greater extent. Zoro has gained more mastery over his Santoryu fighting style and speed. He is also aware of Haki, and the following arc would reveal that he is capable of using Busoshoku Haki. Nami has a new Clima-Tact called the Sorcery Clima-Tact and more control over her fighting style. Usopp has developed his Kabuto to the Kuro Kabuto and learned how to use Pop Greens for his fighting style and is now much braver in combat. Sanji has developed better control over his Diable Jambe and learned a technique similar to the CP9 technique Geppo has his own methods. He is also aware of Haki and the following arc would reveal that he is capable of using Kenbushoku Haki. Chopper has more control over his Hito Hito no Mi, allowing him to enter his Monster Point with control after just one Rumble Ball and the rest of his forms at will. Robin has more mastery over her Hana Hana no Mi and overall fighting style. She is now able to sprout entire copies of herself, to sprout over a thousand fluers, and to combine her fluers into giant arms and legs. She is also aware of Haki. Franky has developed his cyborg body to the point he can fire lasers similar to Kizaru and the Pacifistas. Also, he has also added several weapons to the ship which he can combine into a transforming robot. Brook has developed new found control over his Yomi Yomi no Mi which allows him, in the form of his soul, to leave his skeletal body. He has also improved his fencing style and can now use his music skills to hypnotize his victims. Once hated humans were now welcomed with open arms by the people of Fishman Island. Seeing the actions of the Straw Hat Pirates to save Fishman Island from Hody Jones has made them open their hearts to humans. Robin reveals that there are three ancient weapons, the third being called Uranus. After the Arlong Park Arc, this arc further showed the racism towards fishmen and their reasons behind their hatred towards humans.
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Issue 1 | March 2013 |Page 14
Year of Production:
2012
Animation
Episodes:
25
It's almost factual that nobody can complain
The series' first arc succeeds despite its
about the artistic and musical aspects of
writing rather than because of it. The details
Genres:
Action, Adventure,
Fantasy, Game, Romance My Anime List Rating:
8.52
Recommendation
Sword Art Online. The impacting action
do flounder in many places, but the broad
scenes did themselves justice with some
story themes and arcs – two youths finding
Synopsis:
intense atmospheres. Character designs
supportive love in the midst of a life-or-
In the near future, a Virtual Reality Massive
transported from the light novels comprised
death game, a young man growing to care
Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game
of nice details and it is overall fitting.
about others rather than just look out for
(VRMMORPG) called Sword Art Online has
Noticeably, the background in some of the
himself, people building lives for
been released where players control their
scenes portrays a vivid, limitless sky, which
themselves in an artificial environment
avatars with their bodies using a piece of
soothingly befits the floating island setting.
when they cannot access the real world –
technology called Nerve Gear. One day,
The Original Sound Tracks from the anime
join the exhilarating key battles and
players discover they cannot log out, as the
are heart- warming. Both the openings
exploration of game mechanics in carrying
game creator is holding them captive unless
consisted of scores beautifully done by the
the series, and without having to depend on
they reach the 100th floor of the game's
artist; Yuki Kajiura strikes the mood
bloody violence or extensive fan service,
tower and defeat the final boss. However, if
perfectly yet again. Each voice acting role
too.
they die in the game, they die in real life.
also resembled their character's traits
Their struggle for survival starts now...
surprisingly well.
Issue 1 | March 2013 |Page 15
Aditya Raghuvanshi
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Aditya Raghuvanshi
Asuna is the main female protagonist of Sword Art Online, the beloved
Kazuto or Kirito (game name,
wife of Kirito in game and his to
made from parts of his real name
be girlfriend in real life. She is the
“KIRIgaya kazuTO”), is the main protagonist
sub-leader of the Knights of the Blood
of the series. He was chosen as one of the 1000
guild. Asuna is a beautiful and smart player
beta testers for the first VRMMORPG game Sword Art
with immense will power and love towards
Online. Kirito is an excellent Game Player, and he is the one who
Kirito. She swiftly makes her way to the top players
defeats the first boss of the Game. He is a brave young man who wills
of the game. Often called as the “Flash” due to her
to defeat all the 100 levels of SAO even after facing real death during the Play.
high speed fighting style, Asuna is the perfect match for Kirito. In the Alfheim Online arc, she is a hostage.
Kirito falls in love with Asuna inside the game and later saves her from Alfheim Online. The story is a prose of their romantic adventures inside VRMMORPGs.
The brain behind the VRMMORPG Sword Art Online, Kayaba Akihiko is a visionary genius. He created the biggest technological leap for human history because he sought a world that he could control and rule, The Infamous Iron Castle floating in the air- Aincrad. The fun this man seeks is unworldly; he traps the players and then disguises himself as the leader of a major player guild, acting to
Suguha or Leafa (game name) is another protagonist of the series. She is also the
help them end the Game, his true
stepsister of Kirito, the main Protagonist. A splendid Kendo player, with
intention being to closely observe
determination and will similar to her stepbrother's, Suguha is an intelligent,
his world. Later, he reveals
aggressive and focused Game Player. She is good at healing magic as she tags team
himself to be the 100th Boss.
with Kirito to heal him during fights. Aside from the ally that she turns out to be for
Kayaba is assumed to have died
Kirito, Sugu is a great sister. She has a brother complex for Kirito but still helps him
but during the final stages of SAO,
climb the World Tree in Alfheim Online, so that he can save his girlfriend, Asuna.
he transfers his consciousness to a digital program.
Anime Reign
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Year of production: 2102 Number of episode: Ongoing Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy My anime list rating: 8.5 Summary This story is about the flow of fate and the battle to keep the world on the right path. Aladdin is a boy who has set out to explore the world after being trapped in a room for most of his life. His best friend is a flute with a djinn in it named Ugo. Soon enough, Aladdin discovers he is a Magi, a magician who chooses kings, and he was born to choose kings who will follow the righteous path, battling against those who want to destroy fate. Follow his adventures as he meets others from 1000 Arabian Nights, like Ali Baba and Sinbad, and fights to keep the balance of the world in check.
Animation The art style is new and fresh and tallies with the amazing soundtrack. Koji Masunari is a director who prefers mobility to precision. His fights are cogent and effective, but rely as much on the force of the story as the thrill of their visuals for impact. Characters express themselves less subtly and less with movement than with how they're drawn. Instead, Magi is most memorable when spectacle is its focus. The top floor of the Dungeon is an eye-opener, the settings of all three arcs beautifully realized, and the magic flashy and fun. Ugo's emergences—flowing impossibly from Aladdin's flute like some sentient mass of congealing blue taffy—are particularly impressive. As are his Djinn comrades, whose frightening,
elaborate beauty puts the human designs to shame. The opening VIP by SID and ending Matataku Hoshi no Shita de by Porno Graffitti has the requisite faux MiddleEastern flair, and enough rock fire and classical introspection to cover all the series' basic moods. Recommendation The Labyrinth of Magic – Magi is a very mystical fantasy, and a supernatural filled with lots of action and comedy. There is a lot of “good vs evil” and the story is very well written. The animation of the anime is excellent though it fails to put up the same show as its manga counterpart. A good and fun watch, but I would recommend that you should read the manga before watching. Aditya Raghuvanshi
Issue 1 | March 2013 |Page 17
Anime Reign
Shubhankan singh
Sinbad is an renowned and honorable king who is respected and trusted by his subjects, all of whom he considers as an extended family. He is a fun loving and laid back man who is also famous for doing outrageous yet comic deeds when drunk. He is clever and handsome and unintentionally hits on girls and ends up getting stuck in lecherous scandals. Despite all this, he can be serious when the need arises – he is a battlehardened warrior known to have captured 7dungeons.
Alibaba is a cunning young prince who had initially chosen to be a
Morgiana is a strong fighter who used
servant to amend for his sins.
to be a slave, before Alibaba gave her,
Noble and determined as he can
her freedom. She is mostly quiet and
be, Alibaba is also reckless and
barely talks. She belongs to the Dark
naive, as he trusts people easily
Continent and presents her people's
and takes decisions as his heart
prowess in her tough kicks. She wants
commands. Alibaba is close
to help Alibaba and Aladdin in their
friends with Aladdin and
ventures. Morgiana is an innocent girl,
Morgiana, a loyal warrior who
much like Aladdin, when it comes to
puts his life on the line for his
relationships and understanding other
beliefs. Alibaba captures his first
people. She still has some emotional
dungeon “Amon” with the help of
wounds from her hellish past, which
Aladdin and wins Morgiana's
result in her insecurity and simple-
respect during his venture. He is a
minded goals. Morgiana does have a
brave young man who has
cute feminine side, as she puffs her
s u f fe re d b a d l y d u r i n g h i s
cheeks when complimented and
childhood and has grown into a
sometimes shows feelings towards
good guy because of it. He wants
Alibaba.
to transform his home kingdom, where he is actually a prince, into a better place for people. All his endeavors are towards that goal. Aladdin is an honest little kid who has been blessed with the powers of a Magi. He is kind hearted and makes friends easily despite the fact that he doesn't know much about the World around him. He may not be the type to hold grudges, but he certainly cares for his friend and looks out for them. Sheer innocence and determination is what I would use to describe him. Aladdin is an adventurer, who wants to make friends and explore the world, as seen when he frequently asks others about his role as a Magi. He is innocent, but also a huge pervert for his age, as he is often shown groping women with “large breasts”.
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TONARI NO KAIBUTSU-KUN
Pax Alquiza
NO ARI TON SUKUN UT IB A K
Year of production: 2012 Number of episode: Ongoing Genre: comedy, drama, romance My anime list rating: 8.38 Summary Shizuku Mizutani has only one goal in life- to secure a lucrative career- and to that end, she dedicates her life to studying to get good grades. She is bribed by her teacher to deliver homework handouts to Haru Yoshida, a boy who should have been seated next to her but was suspended due to injuring another student in a fight on the first day of school. Because of the favor, Yoshida now considers Mizutani a friend, and she also learns that Yoshida is in fact a very nice, gentle guy who has no social skills and who is prone to violence at the drop of a hat. Mizutani has to decide if she will let Yoshida into her life to be friends, or perhaps more than friends.
designs, and the animations make this romcom quite a relaxing spectacle. The character designs are well made. The soundtrack is moderately appealing and has all the music a shoujo anime these days is required to have. The opening Q&A Recital! By Haruka Tomatsu and the ending White Wishes by 9nine fit the fun yet dwelling mood of the anime very well. They're the romantic underdogs, the neglected misfits, the characters that are Recommendation unutterably satisfying to see in lead This romantic comedy is the tip of the best and roles—the kind we root for because, for all a must watch for every shoujo fan. The story is their exaggerated eccentricity, they are us: Animation much more character based than plot based strange and imperfect and clumsy. This love Brains Base did a spectacular job in but it still manages to fill your heart with story balances everything -fun, cute, producing this anime. The art is marvellous warmth. Shizuku and Haru are not the kind of intelligent, emotionally satisfying— and that in all respects. The scenery, the character people who are naturally suited to romance. is the main characteristic of the show. Issue 1 | March 2013 |Page 19
Anime Reign
Aron Truce
Sasahara is a protagonist of the story who is a first year high school student at
NatsumeShe is
Syoko High School. He has dark brown
a n o t h e r
spikey hair and dark green eyes in the
protagonist of the
anime with a small stature. He is in the
story and is in the same
same class as Shizuku and Haru, and is a
class as Shizuku and Haru.
very popular member of the softball
AShe is a beautiful,
club. He is a very popular kid in the club
unintelligent girl who gets bad
and is often referred to as “Sasayan”.
grades in class and doesn't have any
and due to his popularity; he is often
friends apart from the ones on the
envied by Shizuku and Haru as people
internet but later on, she becomes best
easily become friends with him.
friends with Shizuku and Haru. She had a
Sometimes he will be too harsh and
lonely middle school life as all the boys
blunt and will speak the bitter truth
would fall for her making girls hate her
when helping his friends out, but his
even though she never meant it to happen
intentions are always noble
and thus she got scared to get close to people butso she is comfortable with online friends as she doesn't have to show her face to anyone. She is really close to Shizuku and calls her “Mitty”.
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Zetsuen no Tempest year of production: 2102 number of episode: Ongoing genre: Action, Mystery, Drama, Fantasy, Shounen, Psychological my anime list rating: 7.92 Summary The story revolves around Mahiro Fuwa, a teenager whose family was mysteriously murdered one year before and his friend Yoshino Takigawa. Mahiro is contacted by Hakase Kusaribe, the leader of the Kusaribe clan who was left stranded on an unknown desert island by her followers, and agrees to help Hakase in exchange for her help to find out the culprit for the death of his family. Upon learning of his friend's intentions, Yoshino joins him on his quest to stand against the Kusaribe clan who intend to awake the "Tree of Zetsuen" whose power can bring ruin to the entire world. Animation The animation is pretty decent. The fighting scenes and magic effects are nicely done. The expressions also come off well. The present feels vivid but the flashbacks have a distant feel to them. It's easy to immediately differentiate between Issue 1 | March 2013 |Page 21
them. And the quality of the animation is the same for all episodes. Several dialogues and plot elements in Zetsuen no Tempest pay homage to the works of William Shakespeare. The opening "Spirit Inspiration" by Nothing's Carved in Stone suits the mood of the anime and is perfectly complimented by the ending "happy endings" by Kana Hanazawa. Recommendation The story is neither too fast paced, nor too slow. The show has a lot to offer, so it's definitely worth a shot. It has a dramatic feel to it, but that is also not overdone. The story is original, the characters are great, and the artwork is good. There is quite a bit of action in Zetsuen no Tempest but it's the dialogue that will keep you on the edge of your seat. There is no real "bad guy" and both sides are desperately fighting for what they truly and honestly believe is right. This anime is the kind that tends to keep the viewers in the dark. The facts are clearly explained. The magic system is not very complicated, but doesn't seem to be created halfway through either. Along with the amazing music, this anime is worth a watch.
Anime Reign
By: Jin Xiang
Paras D Singh
Mahiro is a guy who lives only for vengeance and nothing else. He is close friends with Yoshino, d es p ite t h eir co nf lic t in g personalities. He claims to not care about the World, and only wants to make sense of his life and restore logic to it by killing Aika's murderer. Mahiro has a perceptive and dominating nature, but like a little kid, he only accepts things that tend to be in his favor. Unlike Yoshino,
Yoshino has a calm and controlled personality. Just like Mahiro, he too cannot overcome Aika's death,
he is irrational and destructive.
but he is seemingly way more rational about it than Mahiro. He is reluctant in pursuing vengeance. As
Externally, Mahiro has a “care
composed as he may seem, Yoshino can resort to deceit and manipulation when the need arises. He is
for nothing � and selfish
completely capable of turning the tides into his favor even in the worst of scenarios, which also makes
attitude, as he'd rather kill
him the prime suspect of being the Mage of Exodus. As Aika comments on his personality, he is the type
Aika's murderer than save the
of person who can lie with a straight face.
world, but from the inside, he is a kind and caring guy who has a tough time accepting his love for Aika.
Hakaze is the princess of the Kusaribe clan, whom the Tree of Genesis protects. She has immense prowess when it comes to magic but she is like a little girl when it comes to love. She falls in love with Yoshino upon meeting him and realizes it much later. She is rude sometimes and does not even act like a princess, but she is a responsible and determined person who sticks to her promises. Hakaze is cunning but a pure simpleton when love-struck. She is quite capable of taking decisions and often goes against Samon since both of them have conflicting opinions.
Aika is the girl whose death ends up being the reason for all the Chaos. She has a superiority complex, as she acts all serious around everyone except Yoshino. She always has a smart remark to offer, which may be a result of her judgmental and controlling nature, but as she is sly and cunning in her speech, she gets by with this attitude. She calls Yoshino to be her perfect match because of his submissive and innocent nature. For all her attitude, she really loves Yoshino and secretly dates him without her brother Mahiro ever coming to know of it. She is a fan of Shakespeare's works, and often quotes from Hamlet and The Tempest.
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by: Pax Alquiza Issue 1 | March 2013 |Page 23
Anime Reign
Paras D Singh
Rikka Takanashi is a "chūnibyō patient" even being a high school student; she is in the same high school as Yuuta Togashi. She believes she is a sorceress possessed by a "Tyrant's Eye" that will reveal destinies. She wears an eye patch over her right eye to seal her "Tyrant's Eye", and signs a contract with those who she allows to see that eye. She lives with her elder sister and easily gets in fights with her. Rikka has a mysterious attraction towards Yuuta initially because she once sees him acting as the dark flame master, but later, it develops into love when Yuuta tries to understand her past and supports her
Shinka is the freshman representative of Togashi Yuuta's class. She is one of the beauty queens in her class and is admired by others. Shinka is a responsible and noble beauty with crazy temper issues. She was once a "chūnibyō patient" herself and used to call herself "Mori Summer". Her current sweet personality in public is an act to hide her embarrassing past. She often quarrels around with Dekomori because dekomori labels her as a fake Mori Summer. Later, she helps Rikka and Yuuta realize what they have for each other and helps them in all sorts of ways, while dealing with Dekomori and Kumin on the sidelines.
Yuuta Togashi, a high school freshman who used to be a "chūnibyō patient", an overly self-conscious middle school student (Evil Eye-Type) who named himself Dark Flame Master. After a state of realization, he felt extremely embarrassed Makoto Isshiki is the first friend Yuuta Togashi makes in high school. He is friendly and sits behind Yuuta. He often makes profiles of other girls in
about his past and tried hard to forget it. So, he enrolls into a different high school than everyone else from his junior high where he is befriended by a girl named Rikka Takanashi, which he quickly regrets due to her embarrassing chūnibyō antics. She also turns out to be his new neighbor so they end up going home together, thus making both fall for each other.
the class. He later joins the Light Music Club to get attention from girls until he meets Kumin Tsuyuri, who is an airheaded beauty. So, Isshiki joins her club too, and tries to ask her several times but fails. He overthinks a lot when alone with Kumin and always calls Yuuta for advice.
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by: Jin Xiang
Year of Production: 2011 Episodes: 26 Status: Finished Airing Aired: Oct 9, 2011 to Apr 15, 2012 Within 90days, the contestants have to Genres: Action, Mystery, Shounen, battle it out with one another to become Supernatural, Psychological, Thriller the last person standing. The winner will My Anime List Rating: 8.33 become the next God of Time and Space. Synopsis: The protagonist, Yukiteru Amano, is a loner who is not on good terms with others and prefers to write a diary on his cell phone and talk to his imaginary friend, Deus Ex Machina – The God of Time and Space. Things begin to change when Yukiteru realises that Deus is much more than a figment of his imagination; Deus makes Yuki participate in a battle Royale with eleven other players, all of whom are given a “special diary” that can predict the future. Each and every different diary possesses different characteristic and unique features, which give the user both advantages and disadvantages.
Issue 1 | March 2013 |Page 25
However, the production, as a whole, is a winner. The opening and ending themes are fantastic, and go along perfectly with the anime. The first opening theme, Kūsō Mythology by Yōsei Teikoku, is my favourite song of all of them and does a perfect job of maintaining the desperate feel of the anime. The music generally goes very well with the scenes that it is Animation played over, especially when Yuno, the The stylish visuals help this series shine, show's catalyst, does something with a rich colour palette (check out the awesome. moody sunset lighting when Yukiteru and the killer meet) and striking character Recommendation designs (being faithful to the style of the The show is recommended for yandere manga helps). The ominous appearance and romance genre of Otakus. The power of Deus and his imaginary realm, as well of having the ability to be able to predict as the tense, eclectic soundtrack, also add and change the future by just a cell phone to the series' distinctive, edgy vibe. The is wonderful to imagine. Mirai Nikki is a only gripe? The animation is a bit on the great and unique story, the characters are choppy side, with the characters stuttering excellent, especially Yuno, who is one of from one dramatic pose to the next. the most unique characters I've ever seen in an anime. Mirai Nikki is certainly worth giving a shot.
Anime Reign
Nischal Lakhchaura
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Anime Reign
Anime Reign
by: Ayushi Vats
Year of production: 2102
Number of episode: 12
Type: Shounen
My anime list rating: 7.79
Genre: Action, Sci-Fi, Psychological, Seinen
Summary In the blink of the mind's eye, Ryouta Sakamoto suddenly finds himself transported from playing the hit Btoom! video game to being stranded on a mysterious island, equipped with a day's worth of provisions, a bag of bombs, a strange crystal embedded in his left hand and a huge gaping hole in his memory. But it doesn't take long to figure out what's going on, especially after the first person Ryouta meets tries to kill him. Someone is attempting to recreate the ultra-violent Btoom! game in real life, and the island has been filled with an army of other unwilling players, each armed with one of the multiple variants of explosive weapons called BIM. Fortunately, Ryouta's an ace Btoom! player, but this insane version of the game has no reset switch or second lives, and there's only one way off the island: kill seven other people before they can kill you! Can Ryouta repurpose his game based skills fast enough to survive? Animation Kotono Watanabe, in her lead directorial debut and with the backing of a Madhouse Studio team, delivers a spirited, well-drawn production which takes full advantage of skilful shot selections, quality CG and lighting effects, and good animation to develop a distinctive visual style which is just as effective at being appealing as it is at being deliberately repulsive. Character designs are generally distinctive and effective, too; Ryota does bear more than a passing resemblance to Death Note's Light Yagami. The soundtrack of the series is presented with its action paced OST. In most scenes involving action, there is a good rhythm. The opening, "No pain, No game" by Nano is a classic for this series. On the other hand, the ending, "Aozora " by May'n is presented in a more soft paced style. Recommendation Btooom! is a survival horror themed anime series. It doesn't take long for the characters in the series to realize their lives have changed forever to be quite honest. The series takes off from the very beginning and presents a game scenario where, in order to survive, you must kill seven other people before they can kill you. It's survival of the fittest and it's an “everyone for oneself�. As the first half progresses, the series rises above being just another forgettable death game by consistently delivering thrilling action and providing at least some development for its lead protagonist. Its effectiveness at being intense and dramatic without going too far overboard, combined with its good technical merits makes it worth a watch.
Issue 1 | March 2013 |Page 27
Anime Reign
Paras D Singh
Himiko Himiko is the main female protagonist of the story who suffers from Androphobia because of several attempts of rape by men on her. She started playing “BTOOOM!” because she was hated in her school and the online world gave her the attention she needed. She carried a gun when she just got on that god-forsaken island and used to quote that all men were her enemies until she met Ryota Sakamoto. It is later revealed that she is actually married to Ryota in her online game profile. Himiko sees no reason to go back to her life because of her traumatic past. She is a stressed out girl with trust issues and many resentments.
Ryōta Sakamoto Ryota is the main male protagonist who used to be a hardcore gamer. He was a NEET whose only significance was in the online world until he is abducted into a real life version of his favorite Survival Game. Ryota has a rough start in the game since he is clueless about the situation because of a temporary loss of memories. Nevertheless, after becoming aware of the situation, he shows great tactical skills and game sense. Ryota is a noble guy who in dire situations reaches a level of stress that unleashes his game sense. He is also quite brave and empathetic.
Kosuke is a young boy with an insane mind and sadistic nature. He was a delinquent in school and a pocket picker on the streets, mainly because of his abusive father whom he kills later with his own hands on the Island. He lacks empathy and cannot understand why lives of small animals are valuable. Kosuke has a twisted way of having fun, mostly in gory ways. Despite his age, Kosuke is a born killer with sharp intellect and game sense. He knows how exactly each BIM works and uses them with great efficiency and murderous intentions.
Kōsuke Kira
Nobutaka Oda Oda was Ryota's classmate in school who was good at most things. He has a cold and calculating personality. Oda is mostly found setting traps and mines to avoid confronting his subjects in person. His strategic use of bombs and improvised survival tactics heavily imply that he has experience-playing BTOOOM! Oda barely talks and is always the first one to catch the food supplies, and set-up a mine there for the runner-up. He is a clever survivalist and uses deception to hunt down his victims. Oda's only rival who survives a hostile encounter with him is Ryota, who evades it by tricking Oda into detonating his mine prematurely.
Anime Reign
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st
1
1st Annual Cosplay Con Mizoram invaded Aizwal City on the 28 t h December, 2012 and if you weren't there, you missed out on the awesomeness that took place in the city. The city was unruffled after the big Christmas celebration and deep stillness had filled the week until then. The event which took place in the heart of the city at Millennium Centre rooftop was attended by more than 5000 fans coming from all over the state. And for the record, all the tickets got sold out within 15 minutes! From the smallest of children to grown men and women, all crowded the venue. Needless to mention, there were countless cameras aimed at the stage. Mapuia Chawngthu, Director of “Khawnglung Run” graced his presence as the Chief Guest. Invitees Isaac Malsawmtluanga, Artist and Limitless Ink, 3D Animators all made it to the programme. And not to mention, Leon Weskar, the Indian Anime Club representative got into the action all the way from Mumbai. The Event Official Band performed Anime opening songs, which was followed by a competition and a quiz. Out of more than 190 cosplayers, 173 registered themselves for the competition and were Issue 1 | March 2013 |Page 29
divided into groups and categories – Panels found it hard to decide which Male, Female and Chibi (children under player deserved win. After much fret and 12 years). Everyone was thrilled by the fuss, the results were announced. As they performance and the level of the say, ladies first, the winner, coined Cosplayers. During the competition, the “Empress of The Fantasy Realm 2012” audience was entertained with the was Tier Haliber (Bleach) played by famous Japanese fan dance, J-Pop Marilyn. On second position was Vincent dance and our Official Band. Not only Valentine (Final Fantasy VII) played by Cosplay, but off-stage activities, Drawing Lalmuanfeli and third position went to competition and Guilty Gear XX Neliel (Bleach) played by Remruati. competition were also held at the venue. The winner in the male category and Speeches were “Emperor of The Fantasy Realm delivered by Not to blow one's trumpet, t h e C h i e f but this is a record for India so 2012” was Soge King (One Guest and far – more than 190 cosplayers P i e c e ) p l a y e d b y Lalramnghahmawia, second f r o m t h e attended the event! position Ikkaku - Bankai Version organizers, (Bleach) played by Chairman of Zothankhuma and third position Project Z.E.R.O. C.F. Lalhruaitluanga. went to Zero (Code Geass) played by Conceived from the Mizo heroes and Jessy. influenced by Anime, things would be Cast by thousand of voters from the incomplete without mentioning the audience, People's Choice was mascots Zoe and Phoenix. Man, they are awarded to Hyuuga Hinata (Naruto) so cool and unique! Still, the most colorful played by Gaexi. aspect of the Con remained the many And cutest of them all, the Chibi category cosplayers who attended, some of whom winner was Ichigo Hollow (Bleach) didn't participate in the competition but played by C Vanhlimpuia. Second posed for photographs among the crowd. position went to Bossun (Sket Dance) This genuinely was a lot of fun to cover, played by Laldawngkima and on the third with nothing but positive energies position was Switch (Sket Dance) played by Vanlalremsanga. prevailing throughout the day. Anime Reign
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Day 1 The day kicked off with an encouraging welcome by the directors of Marwah Studio and the inauguration of the Kids corner with the screening of “Chibi Maruko-chan”. Students from various schools from around the area visited and participated in the “Design a Toon' competition. The gaming booth was also declared open with a wide array of games to choose from. While the Anime dimesnsion of the convention focused on the various indie projects Japanese animators, the gaming dimension focused on “Metal Gear Solid” a very popular gaming series by Hideo Kojima. But the most attracting factor of the con was the descendent of samurai, Naohiro Tada-san, a hardcore Otaku who had travelled all the way from Japan to attend the convention. His Katanas had boys of all ages fanning over him like schoolgirls. And the highlight of the day was the merchandise. Anime merchandise is a rare sight in India and hence had each and every fan burning a hole in their pockets. From posters to wall Scrolls to phone straps to key rings to figures to bags, the merchandise stall was a delight. The day ended on a good note with lots of more action stored for the next day.
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Day 2 Early in the morning you could still see fans lingering over the merchandise stall procrastinating on what to buy and what not to buy. The gaming tournament was a success as players geared up to go all out on each other in the famous Tekken 6, a fighting game developed and published by Namco Bandai. Panel discussions were held on “Metal Gear Solid” and an exhibition on the development of the said game was put up. This day was mostly spent at the lawns of the venue chatting and laughing with Otakus from all over India. People from different cities bonded over their favorite anime and the distance was long forgotten. The registration for the cosplay competition as well as the treasure hunt finally came to a close and the day ended with bubbling excitement for the major events planned for the next day.
Anime Reign
Day 3 Finally the day of the cosplay! As soon as you entered the venue all you could see was cosplay, cosplay, and more cosplay! A straw hat here and a few swords there, the venue was budding with people walking around dressed as their favorite characters. The first highlight of the day was the Metal Gear Solid based Treasure Hunt. Participants had to answer questions regarding the game and submit their guesses at the designated checkpoints without getting caught by the patrolling sentries. In the end, the first one to solve the mystery and find the treasure won! And cosplayers were perfectly in character as a duo of Luffy (One Piece) and L (Death Note) worked together and found the treasure! As the evening began, people piled into the main auditorium to watch the cosplayers put on their act. From a perfect Gohan to a Luffy with meat to a Tobi performing Oppa Gangnam Style, the performances were mesmerizing and entertaining. But alas, the crown was won by Misa-Misa (Death Note) as she very promptly killed one of the audiences with her handy death note. Fiery (Card Captor Sakura), the fire spirit Clow Card took the second position and the Pirate Hunter Zoro was awarded the third prize.
The J-culture wave around India has left no kind of otaku unmoved. Cosplayers are no different. With opportunities to dress up popping up everywhere, the dormant cosplay spirit in everyone has flared up. Recent years have seen remarkable development in the Indian cosplay scenario. But there are limits to what one can achieve alone. The Indian Cosplay Community, or ICC, was set up by the premier cosplayers of India, to bring together aspiring cosplayers and guide them to success. ICC marches on with the motto 'to form a cosplaying family and help each other out and have a heck of a time doing it' by bringing all kinds of people together who want to live the life of the characters they adore.' The club was first formed in 2012, before the Annual Anime con united cosplayers to get a better response at their cosplay event. The event saw high level of competition, as the cosplayers brought out the best in their arsenal in a rat race for victory. Since then, the club has been instrumental in achieving new goals and levels of cosplay. The interactions of the experienced cosplayers and the amateurs yielded during the Comic con '13, when anime lovers saw a complex level of cosplay, with vast spectrum of props
cosplayers are gearing up with all their might. Future events and plans by ICC include more photo shoots to familiarize members to professional levels of cosplay. Some major announcements are underway as well that will shape the future of ICC. The major points of focus for ICC will be the '13 Mizoram con and the Annual Anime con, as most cosplayers in the ICC family are animeinspired, making these the ideal events for participation. Our main objective through our history has been to introduce more and more people to the world of cosplay, and help them get their fantasy to life. Big or small, anyone who has a will to leave their ordinary life and embrace the one that exists in their fantasy, we are there to help, support and encourage them to get up and grasp it. That's what we say “we live multiple lives, leave yours, grasp theirs�. Want to get out of the ordinary? Want to live your fantasy? Join the family today.
and costumes of famous anime and comic characters. From Loki from the Avengers, to Erza Scarlet from Fairy Tail, each effort of cosplay was an eye candy. The cosplayers sharing wiles and wisdom and wisecracks with each other made the event a big success. Other successful events include meets for direct interaction and discussions among members. Professional photo shoots for cosplayers to show off their skills and collaboration events with other clubs have also been organized. The current endeavors include the FEEL J A PA N c o s p l a y s i n g l e s a n d d u o competition '13, in which we have seen a huge response and even better cosplay Shubhankan Singh than before. The Cool japan festival is also ICC DEVILS a big attraction that is coming up, for which Anime Reign
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Cosplay or Costume play is an art form where the person cosplaying, usually called 'Cosplayer', represents a character with the help of costumes, accessories and props. Usually characters from manga, anime, comics, games, films and persons, fictional or real, are chosen by cosplayers but almost anything may be cosplayed, even inanimate objects given human forms. Crossplay is also a popular form of Cosplay. Basically crossplay involves cosplaying a character of the opposite gender. Cosplay is different from other forms of 'dressing up' like fancy dress or for Halloween, Christmas, etc. in the sense that the goal of cosplay is not just fun or theatrics but to, as accurate as possible, both in looks and in demeanor, replicate the chosen character and to do justice to the same character. Cosplaying as a hobby has received such recognition that various manga, anime, gaming and cinematographic companies often hire professional cosplayers for promotion and awareness sake. Often cosplay is thought to be childish and only for kids but in reality it is practiced by people of all ages from parents dressing up as toddlers to working grown-ups cosplaying themselves.
Anime Reign
Issue 1 | March 2013 |Page 36
“Why do cosplayers cosplay?� is a question asked by many people and even cosplayers themselves, since most cosplayers don't understand why they themselves like it so much as to pay an arm and leg to be able to do it. The most appropriate answers given, range from entertainment to escapism. Cosplayers are involved in cosplay for various reasons. The most common reason is for fun. As a cosplayer myself, I must say that running around dressed as an anime, manga, comic or film character is quite fun and the more outrageous the costume, the more fun it is- from coloured hair to carrying around absurd props such as swords and staffs and the like. Another reason for it is escapism- basically the cosplayer version of taking a holiday and getting away from the real world and its problems for a day or two, maybe just to unwind. Yet another reason is ``competitions and prizes offered at various cons. Some cosplayers even take it to a professional level, as more and more companies are realising the value of promotion and public interest created by cosplay. Another frequently quoted reason, is that the cosplayer wants to spread awareness about a particular character or series or show and at the same time wants to appreciate the work of the makers of the same. Personally I like to cosplay as it gives a sense of community and support like no other, a feeling of belonging. At the end of the day, it's no different than say asking why people are into drama or why they're into music. There are various reasons for the same, from having fun to relaxing to making money. Issue 1 | March 2013 |Page 37
Anime Reign
Anime Reign
Issue 1 | March 2013 |Page 38
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Anime Reign
Anime Reign
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Anime Reign
Anime Reign
Issue 1 | March 2013 |Page 42
“Cosplay- a time when I can live in my own fantasy”
“Cosplaying is a thrilling experience for me. To become someone I've always watched and admired is a great feeling.
Issue 1 | March 2013 |Page 43
Anime Reign
“I love the creative idea of dressing up like an anime character and I find it totally fun
“It's my childhood dream to be able to cosplay, to act and play my favorite character”
Anime Reign
Issue 1 | March 2013 |Page 44
Pulkit Singh Tobi : Naruto “It is fun and a brilliantly awesome experience because when I cosplay at some cons, I make new friends, and also, because I love doing creative stuff.”
“I like cosplaying because it represents my passion towards anime and cosplaying. It's more like a hobby for me, which I love to do.”
Issue 1 | March 2013 |Page 45
Anime Reign
Anime Reign
Issue 1 | March 2013 |Page 46
“I cosplay because it's my hobby. In my first convention “chapter 7 cyberhood” was when I saw cosplayers for the first time. It was awesome. At that moment, I fell in love and thought- I must do it in the future, I must be a cosplayer. And I am.”
“I like to sew and dress up as my favourite and cute characters. It makes me happy and it's really fun. Some of the outfits are beautiful and I want to make them.”
Issue 1 | March 2013 |Page 47
Anime Reign
“well, I like the feeling when I can give a smile to people around me. Besides it being my hobby, I want to tell the world- look at me. I'm free and I can do whatever I want. Cosplay makes me feel free and it's really fun too.”
“It's fun when people look at you and say“Oh look…” or “Can I take a picture with you?”
Anime Reign
Issue 1 | March 2013 |Page 48
“Because I love making costumes, where you see my work (cosplay), but not myself. I love bringing some special characters alive.”
“I always love to imitate characters I like, and when I discovered cosplay (quite recently), I gave it a try. I'm not good at sewing, but I always try my best.”
Issue 1 | March 2013 |Page 49
Anime Reign
by:
Anime Reign
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Anime Reign
Anime Reign
Issue 1 | March 2013 |Page 52
The first person shooter, developed by Treyarch was released on Nov 18, 2012 for PS3, XBOX 360 and windows. The game features future warfare technology set in 2025 and is the first game in COD franchise to do so. It also offers a 3D display option and parallel storylines depending upon player choices in the game. In the single player mode the game revolves around in two storylines. One in 1986 to 1989 during the final years of cold war and other in 2025 during a new cold war which has common connection " Raul Menedez " the negative side of this whole plot who is a narco terrorist and leader of " Cordis Die " David Mason, the son of Alex Mason the protagonist of black ops along with his partner Harper chase down Raul who is on the verge of destroying major cities of us and China by taking over the deon fleet of US. The game also provides separate strike force missions where the player can control various war assets such as unmanned arial vehicles, jet fighters and robots. Zombies and multiplayers modes are also available to add varieties to the epic game. Issue 1 | March 2013 |Page 53
Anime Reign
Anime Reign
Issue 1 | March 2013 |Page 54
by: Lehri Malik
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Anime Reign
by:
Anime Reign
Issue 1 | March 2013 |Page 56
https://www.facebook.com/WorldAnimeClub