Season 2, Issue 16
Animé News Letter
Season 2, Issue 16
Editor/Reviews/Battle Square: Sephiroth/Seanma
Tea Wench/Rumiko Takahashi Correspondent/Tripod Webmistress: Shampoo/Asuka
Lowly Reporter/Asst. Editor: Purin/Bryoga/Eevee/Jiggleevee
Article Writer/Asst. Editor: HentaiGatomon
Engineer/Limited Goddess, 2nd class/Cocoa Wench: Skuld
Secret Police: Cyber Kitty/=^o^=
War Correspondent: Fujikuro/Zell Dinct
Sent to: Erika Lt./Lum/Ifurita, Jake, Mr. Saotoby, Happodan/Dr. Tofu, "The ex-Secretary", Ami-chan, Melancholy, Ranma, Nighteyes, Aly/Mimi/Raisin, Kaitou Ace, Tasuki, Lucifer Morningstar, Neo “Genesis”, Am0s M0ses, Makato/Oddichu, Lain The Typhoon, Mikon/Moko-ohki/evil cold cabbit, Ferio, Hojo, Ice Dragon #74/“Icy”, Vegeta’s in Maine, Jadeite, Deedlit, Little~Sasami, Locke/White Tiger, Nuke The Whales 2000/Kenny, Sailor Kaoss, Ewok/Fabulous Techie #3/Yoda, Chibi Chibi Usa, and Neptunelover
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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’s time for another issue, and this one’s long to celebrate the end of the second millennium! Unfortunately, the Geocities page is now defunct, and Fujikuro’s job is reduced to war correspondent. Incidentally, most of this issue was written by Ami-chan and Asuka. Enjoy!
Sincerely,
Sephiroth
Game Review: Street Fighter Alpha Three for Dreamcast
Written by Ami-chan
Ratings: ***1/2
Just like it says in the title, this is a fighting game. Unlike many other fighting games I’ve played, there are many various different fighting challenges offered in this game. Also, there are a slew of characters to choose from, including previous bosses. To personalize the experience even more, you get to choose your own fighting style!
Street Fighter is one of Capcom’s greatest series, and a hardcore fan like myself expects a lot (seeing how I missed out on half of the games just because I only had a SEGA Genesis…). The game’s background graphics are something not to miss! The artwork behind the fights is amazing! For the actual characters fighting… well, I really can’t say that they were as pleasing. They reminded me of the original graphics, just with a few variations in the costumes. They’re still pretty good, but they aren’t something to compare to other Capcom fighting games.
Game play was really unique. After a decent opening and pressing start, you are introduced to a number of game challenges, including Team Battles, World Tour, Arcade, an Internet Challenge, Boss Fight, and quite a few more. World Tour is my favorite because you are introduced to challenges, which can become more and more powerful. You choose your fighter and then starting at level one, gain experience points that then increase your fighting abilities. Extras including the ISM-Pluses you gain help you to become just as strong and stronger than your opponents. It’s pretty fun after you get into it! The only things I can really complain about are that the announcer at the beginning of battles is REALLY annoying, and that depending on what fighting style you have, there are limits to your attacks (but you can get used to your handicap).
The characters are still as lovable as when they came out in their original games (I’m talking about Chun-Li, Ryu, M. Bison, Ken…. ect. I really don’t know when some of these characters came into Street Fighter n_n;) They have new costumes and some new attacks which can be a bit of a challenge to master. You can choose your fighting style too! A-ism, standard; X-ism, simple; and V-ism, which is for expert players. The characters’ outfits change depending on which fighting style you pick (for example, Chun-Li is in her original outfit when you take the X-ism, but in her Alpha outfit with the other two options). The menu select screens vary depending on which type of battle you will engage in, but the graphics for the actual selections suck. To make up for that sad mistake, they put in great character 3/4th views on some selection screens (like for the Dramatic Battle’s selection screen). Also, I really enjoyed the Versus Screen’s character pictures a bunch!
Overall this game is pretty peachy despite it’s poor 2-D graphics in some sections. This is a must have though if you and a few friends would ever like to beat each other in a bit of style. I like it a lot and really recommend playing it! “Go For Broke!”(I thought I’d show you how annoying the announcer can be…)
Anime Review: End of Evangelion (subtitled)
Written by Asuka
Ratings: ***** (I’d put more but I doubt Sephiroth would approve)
This is a two-part movie, which follows the end of its television series, Neon Genesis Evangelion. Although it is best enjoyed after watching the series in its entirety (ADV’s version leaves quite a few blanks due to their editing), it’s still pretty cool to watch. You need to know a little about the Eva story and why some things are going on to enjoy it at all. So first we’re going to do a bit of catching up.
Ikari Shinji, Soryu Asuka Langley, and Ayanami Rei are 14 year old children who qualify to pilot the Evangelion Units which were developed (and in the series are still developing) after the Second Impact (a massive destruction which really screwed up our civilization in the year 2000) by NERV, a secret organization, which is sponsored by SEELE, an even more secret organization, following the plans of the Dead Sea Scrolls with an unknown purpose. So the setting is Tokyo-3, the secret geo-front that mysteriously was created, 2015. Shinji and Asuka live together with their commanding officer, Katsuragi Misato, and had a thing going but they broke up because Asuka loves Ryoji Kaji a little more (ok a LOT more), even though she doesn’t stand a chance because he’s an older man and loves (although never really said in the series) Misato. NERV is watched by SEELE very closely and often the two organizations create conflicts with the Dead Sea Scrolls. NERV was in part created by and now commanded by Ikari Gendo, Shinji’s hated father. Ikari Yui, Shinji’s mother, died early on during an Eva test. All the Eva pilots have a somewhat depressing past. Rei is discovered to be a clone (creepy, but she is still human…) and a major part in both the linked projects of Evangelion Units and the Instrumentality Project (Instrumentality was to link all people together and create a new life after the 3rd Impact which “might” occur if the enemy, the Angels, come in contact with Adam, what Eva’s were created from and actually caused the 2nd Impact). Adam, the cause of the 2nd Impact, is kept deep in the geo-front but is actually Lilith (the first woman). Angels, the enemies sent from God, are trying to destroy man’s creations (Explanation: Man disobeys God so he must be punished. Man tries to do what God did by creating life. Eva’s and “Adam” [from Instrumentality] are “born” from 2nd Impact findings and so, with this new created life, the Angels are sent to punish) as depicted in the Dead Sea Scrolls. All the Angels are defeated. The Rei-clones are destroyed so only Rei-III lives and Asuka is kept at the NERV hospital for a major battle (note: She lost her self-esteem and synch with her Eva causing this)(note 2: there’s a lot more to NGE, but I’m just summing it all up n_n It’s really good and you should go watch it!)
Okay, so that’s where the movie starts. Shinji is visiting the unconscious Asuka in the hospital and Rei-III is sleeping at her apartment, when suddenly NERV HQ gets attacked by outside forces which are of course, their greatest enemy: man. The Eva’s were hidden and Gendo prepares to meet with Yui by joining Lilith and Rei (who was cloned from Yui…so Yui was really Lilith... understand? I know it IS confusing…) and the rest of the staff of NERV prepare for the worst. The outside forces enter NERV and start killing everyone they meet and are ordered to kill Eva pilots on sight! Misato tries to get Shinji to his Eva to fight but she ends up dragging him, literally, because he feels that piloting Eva is his only purpose and he doesn’t care about humanity. Asuka is placed in her Eva because she’d be safer in there than in the hospital, and Rei is taken away by Gendo (but no one knows this and so it appears as if she VANISHED) On the way to Shinji’s Eva, Misato gets shot and kisses him goodbye as he disappears up the elevator. Asuka wakes up by some inner force she had and perfectly becomes in synch with her Eva once more, and stops the threat of the outside forces by understanding the meaning of the Eva’s Absolute Terror Field (AT-Field). Later, SEELE presents their Eva Units with S-2 Engines (Organs for Eva’s because they really are “men”, just bigger) and Asuka has a wonderful battle with them, the whole time swearing at Shinji because he isn’t there to help. Akagi Ritsuko, who helped in cloning Rei, tries to stop Gendo from his plans of joining Lilith and Rei. However, she fails, and Gendo tries to join with Rei. Shinji screams and Rei tells Gendo that she is not his doll and refuses him to bond with her, but does join with Lilith. Shinji finally gets into his Eva after Asuka’s defeat and then the movie takes a weird turn. Memories are flashed back and forth, SEELE’s purpose is revealed, and then…. Well, I’m not going to spoil it for you! Go and watch this if you can get your hands on it! It has beautiful animation if nothing else, a little something for your brain to consider, and a new outlook on the apocalypse!
Anime Review: Jubei-Chan vol. 1&2
Written by Melancholy
Ratings: ****
Jubei-Chan is Maho Shojo. It’s about an “ordinary” 8th grade girl, Jiyu Nanohana, who has been chosen as Jubei Yagyu’s (Japan’s greatest swordsman) successor. In hopes of writing in peace and quiet, Jiyu and her father move to a new city. There, our hero Jiyu meets the overly cute Shiro (Ami-chan’s love) who belongs to the clan of something or other… I forgot… who is one of the main enemies of the Yagyu clan and have been waiting a really long time (300 years or so) to defeat Jubei and to claim their place as the top swordsman clan and “rule the country by the sword.” Once the clan finds out that Jiyu is the successor to Jubei, they attack at once, sending her teachers out to get her (who have a really bad tendency of “falling in love” with her, along with her fellow class mates…). So the story goes on as Jiyu learns more about the feud between the two clans and learns to accept the great responsibility of becoming Jubei. Not to forget, she becomes Jubei by wearing the magical lovely eye-patch (which looks really funny). There is an arrangement of weird little characters and it has nice animation. Personally, I think it’s cute. (Ami-chan really loves Shiro!)
Manga Review: X/1999 Prelude
Written by Ami-chan
Ratings: ****
X/1999, like many other anime, was a manga first. Prelude was it’s first part, and you can really get much more from a manga than any anime, so this was more enjoyable for me. This manga is actually a girl manga (so are other popular series like Sailor Moon and Ranma 1/2) although the anime is really male orientated. Basically, this part of the set covers the first part of the movie, and a touch of introductions: Kamui, Fuma, Kotori, some of the enemies, and some of the good guys. You really get much deeper into personalities with the manga than with the anime. You could side with a character’s emotions or just enjoy your advanced omniscience. The artwork varies because four different artists drew it. Some pictures are less than stellar, but which manga doesn’t have that? Most of the art is really amazing. I can stare at a single picture and still enjoy it three hours later (but that’s just me…). If you liked the anime, then you just have to get this. The only thing that may be bothersome is that since this is a girl manga, guys might not enjoy Kotori’s more in depth love interest for Kamui, but that’s all. Really, this is wonderful.
Battle Square whatever it is....(Neo? It should be Cute...)
Sephy: *with Ami-chan and Shampoo hanging off of him* So....tea?
Shampoo & Ami-chan: No!
Asuka: *barges in* You!*points at Sephiroth* You humiliated ME and my precious EVA!!! I've arranged it so I can show you a more fair fight! Using those LEGOs to make one mecha! Ha! I've evened the odds too!
Sephy: Ok.... Well I'll just get ready then...*gets his crew and Queen Margarita prepared*
Asuka: Just wait here! *rushes off to NERV HQ and returns with Evangelion units- 00, 01, and 02* Ha! With three Eva units your little QUEEN won't stand a chance!
*Ami-chan & Shampoo argue over to some bleachers*
Asuka: Eva units, activate your AT- Fields! (Absolute Terror Field)
Shinji & Rei (In their respective Evas): AT Field activated.
Sephy: Skuld, throw something little at them...this shouldn't take too long...
Skuld: Kay! *launches a few missiles at each EVA* WHAT?! Why did they miss?!
LT. Maya Ibuki (at NERV HQ): Don't they know an Eva's AT Field can't be penetrated by normal fire?
Skuld: Oh.... Well Sephy?
Asuka: Now it's my turn! Shinji!
Shinji: Yes, Asuka?
Asuka: Go and attack them!
Shinji: Alone?! And unarmed??? Are you crazy?
Asuka: Come on Third Child! (*nickname for Shinji) Do it!
*Back at NERV HQ*
Dr. Ritsuko Akagi: You know, Major, Asuka's temper is going to be the end of the Eva program...
MAJ Misato Katsuragi: Yeah.... I know what you mean. - -;
*back at the battle site*
Shinji: I can't believe Misato said this would help us "bond" for future battles... Oh well...*charges at QM* *stops suddenly* Wait... you guys aren't really the enemy, I don't HAVE to fight you. Can't we work something out?
Sephy: Okay. How?
Asuka: WAIT! No! I won't lose like this! Wonder Girl (*nickname for Rei) and I will handle this!
Rei: Ms. Soryu, the commander did not order me to fight. I refuse. *leaves in her EVA*
Asuka: I'll do it myself then! *runs toward QM with her prog knife*
*Elsewhere*
SEELE(01): We can not endanger our plans. Something must be done.
SEELE(02): Yes... let us activate our units. Nothing can endanger the Dead Sea Scrolls.
*back at the battle*
Sephy: *laughs* You should really just give up Asuka...
*Suddenly, the SEELE Evangelion units equipped with the S-2 engines swoop down and tear apart QM leaving Asuka and everyone else shocked*
Ami-chan: Gee... I guess.... The Eva's win!
Shampoo: Hai-ya...What?
*At a park under a big, shady tree…*
Ami-chan: Today, I’m going to teach you…. some conversational Japanese! Yay!
Shampoo: *who’s all over Sephiroth* Hai-ya!
Ami-chan: *pops up before Purin* Ka-wa-ii. Cute. Pronounced: Kah-why-ee… *hugs Purin and then jumps next to Sephy* Ba-ka! Idiot. Pronounced: Bah-kah.
Sephy: Ami-chan…. that’s not nice…
Ami-chan: Hmph… Anyways…*rushes over to Asuka* Kak-ko-ii. Cool! Pronounced: Kah-koy-ee.
Sephy: I wonder how Ami-chan picked her examples…
Asuka: *punches Sephy* You idiot. *walks off*
Ami-chan: Ja Ne! Bye! See you later! Pronounced: Jah-nay. *waves to Asuka* Ki-rei. Pretty or nice. Pronounced: Key-ray. *pats Shampoo’s head*
Shampoo: Daisuki!
Ami-chan: Very good, Shampoo! Daisuki means I love it! Pronounced: Die-skee. And last but not least…Shojo. Young girl. Pronounced: Sho-joh.
Sephy: Shonen. Young boy. Pronounced: Sho-nen.
Ami-chan: *throws a rice cake at Sephy* This is MY class!!! Not yours!
Closing:
*At Ami-chan’s apartment*
Ami-chan: *Serving all her guests tea* Do you think I over did it on this issue?
Asuka: Oh not at all… You did a wonderful job!
Sephy: Winning by default puts you in a good mood, doesn’t it?
Shampoo: *hugs Sephy* Seanma marry Shampoo now?
Ami-chan: *eye twitches* That reminds me… I have one more guest and another problem for you Sephy-dear…
Sephy: What?
Ami-chan: *Pulls Ranma through her door* Say hello to Ranma!
Shampoo: *looks at Sephy, then at Ranma* ………Nihao, Ranma! *tackles Ranma in a hug*
Ranma: Now why’d you go and do that for? Shampoo, get off!
Shampoo: Seanma! Why you trick Shampoo? You not Ranma!
Asuka & Purin: Oh yes, Seanma…. Do explain!
Sephy: And that’s all for this issue!
Ami-chan: Now hold on… Shampoo’s still your tea wench… it’s just that… *hugs Sephy* Now I have you all to myself, you dirty, rotten, womanizer!
Sephy: Like I said, that’s all for this issue… -_-;
Mysterious Voice: Will Shampoo stay around now that she knows that Seanma is not Ranma? What is Ami-chan’s interest is Sephiroth? How many licks does it take to get to the center of a tootsie pop? All this and more on the next issue of the Animé News Letter!
Mysterious Voice #2: Stay tuned for the Pokérap!
Gatomon: Thunderclaw! *twaps MV #2* No, we won’t be doing that any time soon!
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