Anime News Letter Season 2

Season 2, Issue 11

Editor/Reviews/Battle Square: Sephiroth/Seanma *dressed up as Alan Shezzar from Vision of Escaflowne*
Tea Wench/Rumiko Takahashi Correspondent: Shampoo *dressed up as a kitty girl*
Lowly Reporter/Asst. Editor: Purin/Bryoga/Eevee/Jiggleevee *dressed up as Lawrence III*
Article Writer/Asst. Editor: Gatomon *dressed up as Happosai*
Engineer/Limited Goddess, 2nd class/Cocoa Wench: Skuld *dressed up as the Princess Mononoke (San)*
Secret Police: Cyber Kitty/=^o^= *dressed up as the Cheshire Cat*
Webmaster/Bounty Hunter: Fuji/Zell *dressed up like Ashitaka*

Sent to: Erika Lt./Lum/Ifurita, Jake, Mr. Saotoby, Happodan/Dr. Tofu, "The Secretary", Ami-chan, Melancholy, Ranma, Nighteyes, Aly/Mimi/Raisin, Kaitou Ace, Tasuki, Lucifer Morningstar, Neo, Am0s M0ses, Makato/Oddichu, Lain The Typhoon, Mikon/Moko-ohki, Ferio, Hojo, Ice Dragon #74, Vegeta’s in Maine, Jadeite, Deedlit, Storm Rose Kitchana, and Little~Sasami
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Warning: In the spirit of all that is animé, some of these scenes may be seen as lewd and/or violent. We also have a pervert on staff to fill in as an animé archetype. Viewer discretion is advised.

Dear reader,
      It has come to our attention that Halloween is once again upon us and in celebration, we decided to have a special issue!!! Now, you may say: “hey, Halloween is a Catholic holiday, what does it have to do with Japanese animé?” or “hey, Samhain (the Celtic holiday that Halloween originated from) doesn’t have anything to do with the Japanese...” Actually, in Shinto (the dominant religion of Japan), worshippers are to be polite (and clean) in the presence of spirits. Since Halloween and Samhain are the celebration of the dead for the Celtic/Wiccan and Christian religions, we thought that we’d make up some wild semi-acceptable excuse to celebrate. Happy Halloween and Samhain!!!
Sincerely,
Sephiroth (dressed up as Alan Shezzar from Escaflowne)

Movie review: Vampire Hunter D
Written by Sephiroth “Alan” and White Tiger “Locke”
Sephy “Alan”: **** White Tiger “Locke”: ****
This is a classic animé sci-fi thriller set far into the future with mutants, vampires, werewolves, and other evil spooky things. One day, this girl gets attacked by this nasty mutant, kills it (but not before it gets her horse), then gets attacked by a werewolf who just steals her crucifix and runs off to the night, leaving his vampire boss to take the girl. It was just one of those days for her. After a while, this vampire hunter named D comes to town, and the girl tries to kill him, and then enlists his services. D does not have an easy task before him. It turns out that the vampire antagonist is of the house Dracul (as in Vlad Dracul... as in Dracula). Will D overcome the noble house of Dracul? What sinister plans does the vampire have for the girl? Why should you take ‘talk to the hand’ literary? You’ll just have to watch it to find out!

Individual Card Analysis: Haunter from Pokémon Fossil Set
Written by Cyber Kitty “Cheshire Cat”
HP: 50, Evolves from Ghastly, Pokémon power: Transparency (whenever an attack is dealt to haunter, flip a coin. If heads, prevent all damage to haunter. Stops working when haunter is asleep, confused or paralyzed), Attack: Nightmare (one psychic and one colorless, 10 damage, defending pokémon is now asleep), resistance to fighting.
The fossil Haunter is arguably the most useful card in the Pokémon CCG. With his attack, you need only fear colorless pokémon with resistance to psychic, but even as such, they are now asleep. One second turn after haunter attacks, there is a mere 25% of haunter taking damage. If you’re lucky enough to duel someone with a fighting deck, you may never have to even dream of bringing out another pokémon to your bench. Its HP leaves something to be desired, but who needs high HP with those natural defenses? Hey, and he has no weakness either (another added plus). Even if you are forced to retreat, he doesn’t require any energy discard, which adds to its appeal. I would seriously suggest the use of the fossil haunter in any deck using psychic energy. If you want ghostly power, haunter’s the best choice out there.

Want to submit a review of one of your favorite cards from an animé CCG? Just tell us what it does and why you would want to use it, and it’ll be in an upcoming issue.

BATTLE SQUARE NEO
Sephy “Alan”: Welcome to a special addition of Battle Square as we send Vampire Hunter D against a mystery foe...
Shampoo: *dressed up as a kitty girl* Hiya!!! Seanma drink Shampoo tea now?
Sephy “Alan”: Oh, thank you. *sips tea* Oh, just to note something, when we say wench, we mean the definition of maid or maiden, and not anything that Gatomon would suggest.
Kitty Girl Shampoo: Dirty kitty!!! *throws a rock at Gatomon*
Gatomon “Happosai”: It is such a shame that such a beautiful lass can’t see my way of it. *starts looking through his underwear collection* Oh, here’s a nice bra...
Sephy “Alan”: *sweat drop* W-well, without any further adieu, D!!!
D: *walks into the arena* ...
Sephy “Alan”: Don’t you have anything to say?
D: ...where’s the vampire? *notices a mysterious outline*
Purin “Lawrence III”: It must be some new and rare type of pokémon. I must add it to my collection... I knew when I started my collection with that Ancient Mew card that I would encounter this rare and unique pokémon... *keeps rambling on*
Sephy “Alan”: Who’s that digimon?
Kitty Girl Shampoo: It Oddichu!!!
Purin “Lawrence III”: Ah... the rare Oddichu... I must also add that one to my collection...
Sephy “Alan”: Sorry, Gatomon, but I think Purin or “Lawrence III” has outdone even you.
Gatomon “Happosai”: *completely ignoring Sephy “Alan”* Oh no!!! I recognize that shape!!! It’s Myotismon!!!
Myotismon: *steps out of the shadows* Yes, it is me, Gatomon. I will do away with this so-called vampire hunter and then go after the digidestined, starting with you!!!
Sephy “Alan”: He is NOT Kari’s Gatomon!!! You’ve sooo got the wrong person!!!
Myotismon: Grizzly Wing!!! *shoots a wave of bats at D*
D: *cuts through the bats and charges at Myotismon*
Myotismon: You’re not bad... Crimson Lightning!!! *lashes out with a red lightning whip that slashes D*
Cyber Kitty “Cheshire Cat”: Hey... does anyone think that this is getting a little violent? Although... we’re all mad here... I’m mad, you’re mad... *fades into just a smile*
Skuld “San”: *talking to a kodama* I’ve seen a cat without a grin, but a grin without a cat?
Kodama: *just continuously clicks and spins his little head*
D: ... *forces his sword through Myotismon, making him disintegrate, then puts his sword away*
Sephy “Alan”: ...and the winner- Vampire Hunter D!!! Go vampy!!!
D: What did you call me?
Sephy: Hey, here’s a free gift- holy water! *throws it a D*
D: *is hit by the holy water and melts into a puddle* I’m melting, melting!!! How could a sweet little girl ruin all of my wonderful wickedness, oh what a world, what a world...
Sephy: Wait... what happened?
Demonic Smile: *assumingly Cyber Kitty* CHESHIRE ANALYSIS MODE- D, a vampyre, meaning half vampire. Usually has all the attributes with little known vampiric weaknesses. Apparently, holy water is one of those.

On the streets...
Raichu: *dressed up in a trench coat, hat, and dark sunglasses* Raichu, rai rai... (Last time, Cyber Kitty was fighting a male kitten named Cyber). Rai rai raichu rai chu rai (Cyber was about to use his genocide attack on Cyber Kitty). *puts tape in VCR*
Cyber: *shoots a large ball of green energy at Cyber Kitty*
Cyber Kitty: Let’s see, matter travels at a rate of energy put into them, so chances are... that if I release an energy ray, I can nullify the forward momentum of the blast... Just like what Ranma did in the third OAV- Akane and her Sisters!!! Hiryu Shoten Ha Revised Horizontal Blast!!!- Rising Dragon Ascension Wave!!! *uses the whirlwind technique to destroy most of the momentum, but is still knocked into the wall*
Cyber: *glows a bright white and turns into the form of an assumingly attractive girl*
Raichu: *stops the tape* Rai rai... (If you want to see the rest of this fight...) Raichu!!! (You’ll be paying me $2.50)
Gatomon: *holding up a wad of bills* I will gladly pay that price!!!

Japanese Beliefs on Spirits
Written by Sephiroth “Alan”
      Being Halloween/Samhain, you may be wondering what ghosts and vampires have to do with the Japanese. In Shinto, one of the few commands of the religion is that spirits are everywhere, and you must be clean and well mannered in their presence. In Japanese mythology, stories are filled with oni (not Lum from Urusei Yatsura, but the large mallet wielding demons), ghosts of the deceased who roam the planes of the earth, and kappa (blood-sucking deformed monkeys).
      The Japanese demons, called oni, were major pests during feudal Japan. These oni often varied in color, wore tiger-stripped loincloths, and wielded giant wooden mallets (that are magical). Many heroes encountered and destroyed these cretins, including a very small (about two inches) one who jumped down one of their throats, cut it apart (from the inside) with a needle, and the used the mallet’s magic to turn into a full-sized man (and shortly after married the Emperor’s daughter).
      Now, as to the explanation of ghosts, Shinto states that spirits can be trapped by a very gruesome death, an unjust murder, or that they just got lost. Usually, these spirits are let free by being avenged or by being helped to set things right. In the case of Ryoga’s poor spirit, well... nothing can help him, he’ll just be lost for all eternity.
      The Japanese don’t have vampires per say, but they have kappa. These monsters (of which golduck was modeled after) are monkeys (being furless or having scales or a shell) that live in ponds waiting to prey on helpless villagers. They are not invincible by any meaning of the word, they have a thin watery crest that, when destroyed, nullifies all of their magical ability. Unfortunately, the kappa are the closest things to vampires.
      With a better understanding of the Japanese ghouls and ghosts, we’re sure that you’ll have a happy Halloween/Samhain.

Closing: At the ANL Halloween Ball
*Sephy “Alan” is dancing with Kitty Girl Shampoo, Purin “Lawrence III” is dancing with Oddichu, Skuld “San” is dancing around with Zell “Lynx”, Gatomon “Happosai” is over looking at his collection, this sinister smile (that we assume is Cyber Kitty) is floating around, and you happen to be dancing with your date. There are also several other animé people all over the place*
Sephy “Alan”: *after music stops* Ah... yet another fulfilling issue...
Gatomon “Happosai”: *holding up a fancy bra* Shampoo, how about you try this one on?
Kitty Girl Shampoo: *picks up Gatomon and throws him out the window* Shampoo no dress up like that for dirty kitty... Only dress up like that for Seanma... *pushes herself close to Sephy*
Sephy “Alan”: *sweat drop* Um... don’t you think that you’re getting a little too close there?
Kitty Girl Shampoo: Shampoo not close enough...
Sephy “Alan”: *blushes*
Purin “Lawrence III”: It would seem that Sephiroth is starting his own “collection.”
Sephy “Alan”: *kicks Purin into the wall* Shut up!!! You are in no position to talk!!! On a matter of business, Zell should’ve made the site by now. If not... *holds up a noose* So, check it out.
Zell “Lynx”: It’ll be done...
Sephy “Alan”: That’s what you said at the beginning of the month!!! Do you know how many people have volunteered to be web master?! Oh... we don’t hire cabbits ‘cuz they scare me.
Zell “Lynx”: That’s because you never sent me the back issues!!!
???: Hee, hee, hee... *the evil smile moves giggling across the ballroom floor*
Sephy “Alan”: That’s going to replace that whale in my dreams...
Kitty Girl Shampoo: Seanma like his tea?
Sephy “Alan”: Yes. *kisses Shampoo’s forehead and leaves the room*
Kitty Girl Shampoo: *sighs* Seanma love his Shampoo!!!
Sephy “Alan”: *in the distance* Damn right I like clean hair!!!
Kitty Girl Shampoo: Hiya...

Endorsements:
http://www.geocities.com/animefool
ANL home page

http://kawaiianimegirl.tripod.com/smeared.html
Ami-chan’s excellent page

http://www.anipike.com
The Animé Turnpike, The #1 source on every Animé

http://www.pythonline.com
Monty Python On-line

The Right Stuf Catalog
A great catalog to find animé in (to order a catalog, pay $3 by calling 1-800-338-6827) on the web at http://www.rightstuf.com

http://www.tuxedomask.com
A really cool Sailor Moon site

http://www.geocities.com/animenewspage
Zell’s webpage

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We do not own anything, it all belongs to a whole bunch of other people, a very long list, so we’re not going to try. We apologize if anyone is deeply offended by our views, and if you are easily offended by stuff like this, we would suggest unsubscribing and/or moving to Pluto.

If you'd like to contribute anything, unsubscribe (but... why?), or have a friend who wants this, contact us at sephiroth_gatomon@yahoo.com