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The Bird is the Word: Sophisticated Schoolyard Shenanigans

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The Three Best Villains in Anime

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By James Zheng, Blog Anime Correspondent

Most anime reviewers or watchers hardly ever talk about villains. Speaking of villains, the majority of us are under the impression that they deserve the audience’s hatred all the time. But, we never get to know them deeply or even analyze them from several aspects. You might ask the question, “Why do we need to know these villains?” Well, to make a great heroic figure or a whole anime that earns popularity, a villain actually plays an indispensable role.

No.1 “Akatsuki (Dawn)” from Naruto: The ten dreams of human beings

Akatsuki is not a single character. It’s one of the most powerful organizations in Naruto. Each member in Akatsuki represents a dream of humanity (peace, friendship, love, power, etc.). However, the Akatsuki didn’t start out representing peace, friendship, love, etc. In the beginning of the anime, every single character had a goal to destroy every independent country. There were so many fans that hated them at the beginning because fans bought into the concept that any villain would be the “bad guy” forever. When the Naruto Company dedicated episodes to introducing the Akatsuki background, the Akatsuki gradually gained sympathy and popularity from the audience. However, plenty of fans said that “their Naruto” had finished after the antagonistic Akatsuki was gone. Undoubtedly, those characters had a huge impact on the storyline. Villains are as important as heroes, especially if they’re well “shaped.”


No.2 “Yagami Light” from Death Note: How supremacy could change an ordinary person

Some of the people may not recognize Yagami Light as a villain because he is the hero in the entire story of “Death Note,” but I personally think that he played both hero and villain. In the story, the Death Note gives any kind of person the power to execute anyone; you just need to write down their name to do so. Light, who considers that his life is too boring, accidentally obtains this dreaded notebook. Then he starts to use this notebook to execute the criminals to achieve his “justice.” But, soon, he was obsessed with this power, with the result that he had the ambition to be the God of the world. This path is like an abyss to him; the Death Note entirely changed him. Everything he regards as obstacles he eliminates, including his family and friends and investigative authorities.

No.3 “Aizen Sosuke” from Bleach: The fanatic pursuit of perfection

Aizen is the biggest boss in the world of Bleach ever. His behavior and thoughts interpret the extreme concept of “perfection.” Because he believes that he is too successful as a scientist, there is nearly nothing that could satisfy him except for the innovation that has never been done before, except for creating something that has never been created before. So, he starts to engage in projects which are essentially inhumane.

Editor: Holden Hartle

The Weird Motifs of Anime

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By James Zheng

We all know that the elements in anime are essentially different from real life. I am going to list the three most unrealistic elements common to anime. Even if you do not watch anime, you’ll see these are really interesting elements.

No. 1 The Teenager Warrior or The Super Teenager motif

It’s a pretty well-known plot device among the realm of anime. Most of the time when there is a catastrophe or other disasters on Earth, and we don’t have Superman or any other superheros, we find we only need a few teenagers to handle it. In anime, a surprising majority of teenagers already has the force of an army to resist alien invaders, vampires, and demons. Normally, the Teenage Warrior is recognized to be extremely strong. Once they release their full power, they can destroy everything easily just like Thanos snapping his finger. And, those characters are always only about sixteen or seventeen years old. Does that sound really stupid? If you put it into reality or you don’t like characters being so invincible, you will think that way.

Representative Teenage Warrior characters in anime include Uzumaki Naruto, from “Naruto” and Kusuo Saiki from ”The Disastrous Life of Saiki K.”

No. 2 The weirdly colorful hairs of anime characters

Whenever we see those figures who have strange hair color like purple, green, red, it is either making us so uncomfortable or the color fits perfectly with that character. And the point is that some characters are actually beautiful or handsome with these gorgeous hairs. The most popular one is the silver white. However, if you have that kind of hair in reality, everybody’s attention will be on you and they will all think it’s very bizarre. Even if there are people who do cosplay (to dress up as an anime character that you like), it’s still thought to be unusual.

You find anime characters with weird hair color in Kuroko’s Basketball.


No. 3 How many times the world has been devastated

When you are watching animes, some stories are based on a situation after Earth has been destroyed. This motif is hackneyed. It’s been overused. Characters move to other planets, shelter beneath the earth or in the heavens. They all do whatever is necessary to survive. Again and again and again.

A representative anime where the world ends is WorldEnd.

Editor: Leo Milmet

What are We?

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By Leo “Little Rabbit” Milmet

People appreciate us as pieces of fine art.

They praise the beauty of our metallic shine and the vividity of our bright and varying colors.

We are ginormous and multicolored;

though a man of no artistry whatsoever may say we should be small and gray,

most love us for what we are.

We are inspired by the benevolent Irish spirit Pooka.

We were brought forth by the brilliant, visionary artists Tony and Karen Barone.

One of us, a purple one, was named Little Rabbit, a nickname given to this poet by his dear, loving grandmother.

We live on Highway 111 by the Atrium, for all to see, interact with, and appreciate.

What are we?

Image result for karen and tony barone rabbits
Image result for karen and tony barone rabbits

Editor: Makena Behnke

How can I make videos like Jeremy?

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Want to make videos like Jeremy’s? Watch, and read.

 

By Blogger-Videographer Jeremy Chang

 

First, you need to take two videos.

The first video involves standing in front of the mirror and acting like you are looking for an item; then, you stand up, look into the mirror, and pretend that you are frightened and pass out.

The second video starts when you come up from the floor. It shows yourself inside the mirror and staring at yourself. You do whatever you want that is different from the first video! (Make sure the video is long enough.)

Second, download the app (Videoleap) from the App store on your phone.

Open Videoleap and press the “+” button and add the first video. Then press the “mix” button on the left corner which will lead you to add the second video.

Lower the second video’s “Opacity,” and adjust the second video to the first video such as lining up the mirror.

Next, you need to press “Mask” on the fourth button and choose “Linear” to hide the second video’s person who stands outside the mirror.

 

 

Do this, and you’ll have a video as eye-catching as Jeremy’s–although . . . he’s left a few secrets out to preserve his artistic signature.

 

Editor: Makena Behnke

Review of Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun

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By James Zheng

Hey guys, today I got completely new stuff for you! I am not recommending the overwhelmingly popular anime, but I am recommending some meaningful anime. Today, I am going to present a unique anime for you. When you take a look at this anime title, you might think something like, ”What is this about? Publishing a magazine every month?” Well, that would be quite boring, right? Although the title seems really confusing, the story is perfectly arranged. In addition, the rhythm of story always sticks with the plot. As you are watching it, it won’t be too hard to follow the storyline.

Monthly Girls’ was produced by Doga Kobo animation studio, which is a pretty famous company. Doga Kobo’s anime style can be described as “cute.” Among the realm of anime, Doga Kobo dominates in character design. The company is so specialized in designing the appearance of characters that Doga Koba’s works are very attractive to teenagers. Monthly Girls’ was published by Kadokawa Shoten Publishing Co., Ltd, and Media factory, and they both are the brand company of Kadokawa Corporation.

In short, Monthly Girls’ is a romantic comedy. But, the events that happen in the story do not follow the normal routine of romantic comedy. There will actually be many “What the heck?” moments. The funny and surprising storyline goes on for 12 episodes; right after you finish one episode, you might want to move on to next one immediately.

 

In Monthly Girls’, Sakura Chiyo is a heroine who wants to express her love to the hero, the famous romance author Nozaki Umetarou. When she comes to Nozaki, she is feeling extremely nervous which makes her say the wrong words to Nozaki. “I am your fan!” When those words come out, Nozaki freezes. And all the sudden he replies, “You could come to my house tonight.” Then, the story begins . . . but not as you expect. Basically, to give you a sense of the setting of the story rather than spoiling it, I would say that’s the most intriguing part of Episode 1. Watch it; see what happens.

Before I decided to recommend this anime, I already knew that many people prefer action anime. On the other hand, I am saying that we could switch our taste of anime by seeing different anime styles. Moreover, Monthly Girls’ definitely will not disappoint.

 

Editor: Holden Hartle

horror movies you should’ve seen

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By Makena Behnke, Horror Movie Expert and Enthusiast

 

since halloween is over, here are some horror movies that you should’ve watched

  • Halloween. a classic. seriously, everyone needs to see this. no questions.
  • The Hills Have Eyes. it’s not as scary as it is creepy. the storyline could be clearer and the acting could definitely be better, but what can you do? it’s from 1977; give it a break.
  • A Nightmare on Elm Street. one of my favorite movies ever. you have 1) young Johnny Depp, 2) a crazy dream murderer guy, and 3) the iconic orange and green sweater. the storyline is interesting, but your understanding of the movie isn’t dependent on being super focused throughout the entire movie. (if you get up and get a snack, you won’t feel like you missed too much).
  • Friday the 13th. there is an entire series of Friday the 13th’s, any one of those movies will be just fine. the first movie does not have good acting and the overall theme of the movie reeks of  “classic horror.” if you’re in the mood for mindless killing, check this out.
  • Jigsaw. yikes, this was weird. the killer basically lets his victims go through an obstacle course of death. it’s gross and gory, but sometimes that’s what you’re looking for in a horror movie.
  • The New Daughter. this  has a really good story and it’s super interesting to watch. it’s not as scary as you would expect it to be, just creepy and interesting.
  • Hush. this has such an original story, and i really haven’t found another movie like it before. the killer and victim relationship is really unique, and there’s really nothing like it. there’s also some gory parts, so it automatically improves the horror aspect of the movie.
  • Scream. i love this movie so much. it’s just really good, and i don’t know how else to explain it. good watch.
  • The Amityville Horror. specifically, the 1979 one. there’s lots of slow parts in this movie so just be aware of that. the acting isn’t good, but it’s a must watch movie. plus, the dad reminds me of a werewolf, so that’s cool.

Editor: Leo Milmet

Top 5 Most Extreme Powerful Anime Heroes of All Time

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By James Zheng

Hey guys, today I bring you all a different sort of post. I‘ve made a character review/ranking based on my own opinion, and maybe it’s not what you may have expected, but there are still some great new characters to become acquainted with. For all of you guys who like or are interested in these anime figures, make sure to check them out after you read my review!   

 

No. 5 Sakamaki Izayoi, from “Problem Children are Coming from Another World, aren’t they?”(Mondaiji Tachi Ga Isekai Kara Kuru Sō Desu Yo?) Produced by Diamedea.

Izayoi was invited to Another World (a fanciful world that is trapped in a parallel universe) by a secret letter. Said letter was sent to a select few individuals who harbor unmatched psychological powers (Izayoi included). In this world, these powers are referred to as “gifts.” From the time he got there, his gift was so powerful he could not even be identified as a human being (his gift is classified as “Unknown”). Not only is he physically strong, but he is also incredibly knowledgeable.

 

No. 4 Touya Mochizuki, from “In Another World With My Smartphone” (Isekai wa Sumātofon to Tomo ni) Produced by Production Reed.

Touya’s experience sounds quite ridiculous to anyone first hearing about it. To be honest, one would never imagine how a single smartphone could be used to dominate an entire world. Since he was accidentally eliminated by God while living on Earth, as an apology he was given immense strength and sent to another world. He then goes on to become an extremely powerful fighter and conjurer of all kinds of magic. The only equipment that he relies on is… his smartphone.

 

No. 3  Kirigaya Kazuto, usually known as Kirito, from “Sword Art Online” produced by A-1 Pictures.

Sword Art Online is about a new and popular virtual reality (VR) game. However, during the game launch, it turns into a much more “real” situation. Very quickly, players begin to realize that the “logout” button has disappeared, and there is no way to leave the game. On top of that, if a player dies in-game, the VR headset sends out shocks of electricity and fries the player’s brain. The game is set inside of a tower with 100 floors, and to get to the next floor, player’s must defeat the “main boss” of that level. In order to survive and leave the game, one must either reach the top of the tower or defeat the game’s creator. It becomes an arena of death in which if you don’t fight and get your level up, you will be stuck on floor one forever.

As one of the victims, Kirito has to survive in this game. He was known as a “beta tester” (known later to other players as a “beater”: beta + cheater), a player who had played the game since the early access phase. Therefore, in the game, he starts at an insanely high level. He can easily beat up a ”main boss” which would usually require at least 20 players to defeat. He even obtains one of the most powerful special abilities to which only he has access.   

 

Note: “Sword Art Online” is recommended for those who are fifteen or older.

 

No. 2 Diablo/Takuma Sakamoto, from “How NOT to Summon a Demon Lord” (Isekai Maou to Shoukan Shoujo no Dorei Majutsu) produced  by Ajia-do Animation Works.

Takuma is a master at playing RPG games (Role Playing Game) as an undeniably powerful Demon Lord. Takuma never imagined that he would be summoned into the RPG world by two mages. He is confused and questioning until he realizes that he has become his character (Demon Lord) in this world. Before he figures out how to get back, he uses Diablo as his new name and learns everything there is to know about this new world. Shockingly, his level is… MAXED OUT! He specializes in casting any kind of magic, which means he could easily obliterate a medium-sized city-state (which is like an independent country). He also has the ability to rebound any kinds of magic. He is able to defeat any monsters or even a a city-state’s Lord without harm to himself. His powers are so strong that he himself can be referred to as a large army!

 

Note: “How NOT to Summon a Demon Lord” is recommended for those who are sixteen or older.

 

HERE COMES NO. 1! Saitama, usually known as Saitama Sensei (means master or teacher) from “One-Punch Man” produced by MADHOUSE.

Saitama used to be a vagrant who had lost everything. Despairingly, he was forced to live in an area full of monsters (nobody wants to live there, so it’s very cheap…. aka, it’s free). He almost got killed by one of the monsters, and, on the edge of death, he recalled his childhood dream to become a hero. He hated being weak and useless. After fighting and defeating the monster, he became determined to train himself into a hero. By exercising in an “insane” (according to him it’s insane. He should not have become as powerful as he did by just exercising) way; he did 100 push-ups, 100 sit-ups, 100 squats, and 10 miles of running everyday. He persists in this crazy exercise for 3 years. Finally, he becomes a… bald superhero (he became so powerful that he lost his hair). Ahem… actually, I mean: He became a superhero who has immeasurable power above all else…. even if he is bald.

Here is a little about his ability. Try not to be too shocked while reading this part! Saitama usually remains in a “normal” state, and when he becomes irritated or focused, he enters his “serious” state. Saitama can make an ENORMOUS hole in the middle of a mountain without even touching it! To be more specific, when he punches in front of a mountain, the wind from his punch is so powerful that it can create a hole of considerable size. If he actually touches it with his powerful fist, the mountain would be devastated to dust. His physical structure is so far beyond the limits of any normal human that there is literally nothing that could ever damage him.

Unfortunately, as a result of being invincible, he never has any challenges, and thus, he’s always terribly bored. He does not fear anything anymore, and doesn’t need to take any fight seriously. He lost his passion for fighting because he only needs one punch to win any fight.

Note: “One-Punch Man” is recommended for those who are sixteen or older.

 

I hope you enjoyed reading my character reviews!! You may think, “Hey, I’ve seen some of those guys before,” but you may not know all of them! And, if any of them catch you eye, you’ve got to check them out!

 

Editor: Bella Bier

Review of Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Wildlands

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By James Zheng, Game and Anime Review Expert

 

Nowadays, to fulfill a variety of demands from gamers, the realm of games has been developing rapidly in many different aspects. There are many factors that determine the quality of a game and its reputation. One of the most important factors is having an open-world, which refers to a massively sized virtual world that players can openly explore and do whatever they want. An example of this is Minecraft. Minecraft was definitely an incredible product and showed the world that many people are interested in an open-world game. Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Wildlands is one of the best examples of a successful open-world game.

 

Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Wildlands, which is usually known as Wildlands, was produced by Ubisoft Paris (one of the subsidiary branches of Ubisoft) and published by Ubisoft. Ubisoft is an international game company which has already released plenty of outstanding games such as the series of Assassin’s Creed, Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six, and Watch Dogs. The title says Tom Clancy because Wildlands is adapted from the novel written by Clancy. A majority of the games produced by Ubisoft are adapted from Clancy’s novels.

 

Basically, Wildlands is a tactical third-person game. Unlike first-person games, you have a third-person perspective in Wildlands. The game also has high quality graphics. Sometimes you feel like the images in the game are reality. Wildlands is a game that supports single-player and multiplayer. You could play against other players, or you could cooperate with other players to fight computer-controlled enemies. It depends on your preference. You could also choose single-player and explore the land with other 3 NPCs (non-player-characters, characters not controlled by players). I  strongly suggest that you play with your friends! It is way more fun than playing alone.

 

Wildlands is set in Bolivia, South America, which is absolutely not like the Bolivia in real life. The “Bolivia”  has been given a special background in the game. Here, players are carrying out several missions with their team, Ghost. You are here to save Bolivia from total control by drug cartels. The player must find out who is behind all these cartels and stop them. In the battlefield,  the player has to make every decision in a split second. Players can go straight into drug-cartel nest and have a war with them. Or, you could be more strategic by using your drone to detect the position of enemies, and then be a sniper to eliminate enemies from far distance. The best part about the game is that players can come up with so many different options to attack; it’s a tactical game. And again, whether to be aggressive or strategic depends upon the player.

 

There are not many examples of game producers adding an open-world to a shooting game. Although some of them tried to make it work, they have failed in the overall quality and playability. Wildlands is an exception for that. I have played Wildlands with my friends for at least 50 hours.

 

You can play Wildlands on XBOX, PS4, and PC. If any of these details about Wildlands attract you, you should give it a shot! The classic version is $49.99. If you want to enjoy extra content, you should look into buying the advanced version.

 

Note: Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Wildlands is recommended for people who are seventeen or older.        

 

Editor: Luke Langlois

Review of the Anime Steins;Gate

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By James Zheng, Anime Reviewer

Today I have a new type of anime for you guys. Steins;Gate is a slow rhythm anime, an anime with a story that moves step by step. But, don’t be disappointed immediately, as this anime achieves an outstanding rating–about 9 out of 10 or even higher on the majority of websites, and it definitely deserves that reputation. Regardless of the rating, it has a really logical storyline even if some of the elements of Steins;Gate are fantastical.

Steins;Gate is an anime that was adapted from a visual novel game of the same name that was developed by 5pb and Nitroplus (a visual novel game is a type of computer game that has a story that is told to you in the form of a graphic novel, but it is online, and you can make decisions within the novel, which is more like a video game; therefore, it is a visual novel game) . The game had overwhelmingly positive reviews. Then, the anime adaptation of the visual novel game was produced by Mika Nomura and Yoshinao Doi while White Fox, an animation company, was working on the anime’s various episodes. Finally, Steins;Gate was released in 2011; it was distributed by Frontier Works.  

In the crazy world of anime, there is so much content released that is absolutely terrible. In fact, we are totally inundated with anime that is god-awful. Unfortunately, there’s so much anime out there, bad and good, that eventually, even really incredible animes can become “old” and lose their influence on the anime community after three to four years. But that is not always the case, and I’m happy to say that Steins;Gate is an exception to the rule. So, how can an anime that was published a full 7 years ago still influence plenty of animes nowadays? If I could only explain one reason as to why this is an exception to the rule, I would say that it is because most science fiction anime is absolutely ridiculous, and this one is absolutely plausible. Honestly, there is much more ridiculous and implausible science fiction anime than there is good anime. Usually, when you are watching a science-fiction anime, most of its content is ridiculous and only very little of its content seems to be plausible. Again, that is not the case with Steins;Gate. Anime is not reality; however, it could fill with realistic matters, and when you are trying to add something realistic in anime in science-fiction, it becomes so boring. Well, Steins;Gate avoids that completely so that the story is fused with science-fiction and reality, and it also keeps balance in both so as not to ruin this anime.

As I mentioned earlier, Steins;Gate has a logical storyline. And before I get into that, there is one thing important I need to tell you: Steins;Gate has twenty-five episodes in total, but the real story begins at the thirteenth episode. The previous twelve episodes set the stage for the main plot ahead, but that plot only really begins to show its true colors in episode thirteen. You might think it is meaningless to watch twelve episodes and wait for the “real show” to start, but I don’t suggest that you skip those 12 episodes since all of the plot threads introduced in the first twelve episodes are later paid off in the last thirteen episodes, making for a much richer experience. So, fair warning: you might be totally confused at the beginning, but, wait; everything will make sense after the thirteenth episode.

The story is set in Akihabara, Tokyo. In it, Okabe Rintarou, a college student who believes so strongly in himself as to believe he is the best scientist in the world, dreams of building a time machine. He sets up a lab, calling it the “Future Gadget Laboratory,” to conduct research that is necessary in order to achieve his seemingly impossible goal of time travel. One day, by pure accident, he takes a huge leap forward towards his goal, and eventually even builds the time machine. When built, the time machine causes many miserable tragedies that would have otherwise been avoided.

What makes Steins;Gate brilliant is how the plot logically turns around and how the main story at the end links with the first twelve episodes in an unexpected way. For anyone interested in anime, it will be very astonishing to watch!

 

Note: Steins;Gate is recommended for those who are fifteen or older.

 

Editor: Leo Milmet

Review of “Your Name”

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By James Zheng, thebirdonfire.org Game and Animé Reviewer

Hey guys, today I bring you a different type of animé–which I call, the most successful animé movie ever! As you see, “Your Name” (or Kimi no Na Wa) is a really simple title. But it achieved several awards and a highest rank on the history of animé. It achieved the first prize of the eighth Newtype Animation Award, the Best Animated Film from the 42nd Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards; plus it won more than ten other awards. It’s not exaggerating; it’s the fact that “Your Name” is truly amazing.

“Your Name” was published by Toho Company, Limited, a major Japanese film company. It took three years to prepare the story and script of “Your Name.” Production was led by a really famous director, Makoto Shinkai. “Your Name” is a masterpiece. Shinkai thought about every detail and design of character for a long time. It reached the expectations of many people.

“Your Name” has a realistic style. Most scenes in “Your Name” are taken from the image of Tokyo. The imagery is so real it appears a picture of Tokyo. There is intense presentation on the changing of color and combination of color.

“Your Name” is a romantic animé. But the story of “Your Name” is not hackneyed. It has some fantastical parts, which could actually catch an audience’s attention. Let me tell you more; the story between hero and heroine is really dramatic. The story is set in a small village in Japan; a girl who lives in that village is weary of living in a such tiny village with old traditions. One day, she dreams that she becomes a boy who lives in Tokyo. She is confused, and she suddenly has some unfamiliar friends. At the same time, the hero also has a strange dream. What happened in the dream brings them together.

 Well, when you start to watch this animé, you will notice that it is even more fascinating than what I have described! Although there are no fighting scenes in “Your Name,” it can still shock you with the storyline!

Editor: Makena Behnke