Valentine’s Day is a day for lovers but this post is for all the single people who feel a bit left out. The media often tells you that if you are not in relationship than you are a failure. But for everyone who is alone today here are some characters who feel your pain. These are all good characters that for one reason or anther can’t be with the one they love. None of them are bad people so there are not horrible villains from predestined love triangles. They are all just victims of the whims of fate. I just hope the 5 characters help you remember that there are people out there fictional and non-fictional just like you.

5. Kris Christopher from Battle Athletes Victory

Sometimes the person you love just does not have the same tastes as you. Kris Christopher is a lesbian who unfortunately is in love with the heterosexual Akari Kanzaki.  While her feelings may be honest and pure they cannot come to their desired fruition with her friend and comrade. Kris is even willing to defy her rock solid religious beliefs to express her love with her final race near with Akari the end of the series. In the end while Akari cannot reciprocate the way Kris would like they do form an unbreakable friendship.

4. Excel from Excel Saga

To make sure this list is not totally depressing I decided to add Excel. Excel works for the megalomaniac Il Palazzo who is bent on taking over the world. While Excel’s is his loyal henchman more out of love than anything else her boss is unaware of her feelings. Maybe the manga ends different but the anime stick to the status quo wherein Excel gives her all for a man who is barely aware she exists.

3. Sochie Heim From Turn A Gundam

There is a long-standing love triangle throughout Turn A Gundam. Loran is devoted to Dianna and Sochie loves Loran. But in the end despite growing so close to Sochie he remains loyal to the Queen of the Moonrace and so the younger Heim sister is left alone. We see her beginning to move on in the epilogue but she is one of the few characters who survives the series to get a bittersweet ending.

2. Annerose von Grünewald from Legend of the Galactic Heroes

Not all these couples don’t come together because of unrequited feelings. Annerose and Kircheis would have come together had it not been for one of this pair dying while preventing an assassination attempt. She met when Kircheis was young and was all attracted to the man who supported her brother. It seemed that once Reinhard had toppled the corrupt Empire that Annerose and Kircheis could be together at last. But just as everything was coming together tragedy tore them apart. Truly an event that would have long-lasting effects for everyone involved. In many ways Annerose never seems to full move on from that day.

1. Hinagiku Katsura from Hayate the Combat Butler

Search your feelings. You know it to be true.

Hisui’s picks:

• Just Accept that You Will Never be Ed Chavez
  The Eeeper’s choice podcast is back from its recent hiatus. Philip teams up with Ed Sizemore to look at Kingyo Used Books after shooting the breeze about the manga industry in general.
  
• Random Fact: My Brother Keeps a Raise Dead and a Swamp in His Wallet at all Times
  Chaos Theater talk about the most famous collectable card game of them all, Magic: The Gathering. So many memories, so many booster packs. What colors did you play back in the day? Heck, do you still play it today?
• If you Kickstart Me Up I’ll Never Stop
  The Manga Out Loud podcast looks at the use of Kickstarter to fund manga publishing and the community’s reaction to the Barbara project. I don’t agree with a lot that is said in the podcast but it is an interesting discussion. Ed also did an overview of the big events in manga during 2011 just before that.
• We Might not Get a U.S. Release of Turn A But We Can Take Solace in This
  If you were ever curious what Kunio Okawara designed Turn A Gundam would look like you don’t have to wonder anymore.
• This Says so Much about Gundam Fandom
  A diagram of the “winners” and “losers” involved in the romantic relationships of the various Gundam series.
• Type-Moon News Roundup
  • A well made Fate/EXTRA and EF – A Tale of Melodies mash up video
  • Some Fate/Zero Cafe exclusives 
  • Even more cafe news
  • Luna Haruna chosen to sing the ending of the 2nd season of Fate/Zero

Narutaki’s picks:

• Animation’s Annie Awards Streaming on February 4th
  This is considered Oscar night for animation!
• A Reasoned Opinion of Piracy’s Place in Comics
  Illegal downloading has come back around to be a topic again what with SOPA/PIPA on people’s minds it is no surprise. This time its American comic fans talking about the industry. David’s response takes on the accusation that piracy is the main reason comics, particularly superhero comics, have taken a dive in profits.
• ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION Album Coming Out in the U.S.
  Their first ever stateside release will be a greatest hits album. They’ve contributed to plenty of anime series so expect those songs and more.
• Self-Publishing Comics Through Amazon
  Apparently it is working, and working big for one 16-year-old. Her comic was even out-selling major titles at the holidays. I haven’t gotten to read any comics yet, but her website shows of her artwork better than the interview article.
  
• Re-branding Logos for Video Game Characters
  This is actually a double re-branding since he took already established logos but used them in a creative way for a myriad of characters.
• Megaupload Closes, Toonzaki Sees Online Views Rise 20%
  There isn’t a true way to equate these two occurrences but 4kids has made the connection.

Another look at something special from Turn A Gundam:

Our first editorial of the year is unfortunately a bit of a downer. As we all got into our Monday, Bandai announced they will cease releasing new DVD/BDs and manga which means any licenses that haven’t seen a pre-order are off the table. More than that personal loss for all of us, we are losing a big name and competitor in the U.S. industry. Bandai will continue to promote titles to other companies, after all they are still a Japanese company with big series on the other side of the ocean. Which makes it all the more sad that they couldn’t make it work here any longer.

Way back in May of 2010 there was a major warning sign that this day would come to pass on the ANNCast. Eric Sherman, the CEO of Bang Zoom! Entertainment stated that Bandai Entertainment was not doing that well and was banking on the success of their upcoming sales on Haruhi and a secret title to stay in business. I assume that other title was K-ON! as I doubt Bandai’s great white hope was The Girl Who Leapt Through Space. It seemed like despite that dire prediction and some delayed release schedules Bandai was holding on in America. But today we learned that dire prediction sadly came to its grisly conclusion. I know that will lead some people to say that the we should not be shocked because the handwriting was on the wall for a good time now. But when you have a sick relative who suddenly passes away it does not making their passing any easier. A part of you always hopes that they will get better even when you know their conditional is terminal. We might have know in our hearts that Bandai might not be with us for much longer but we wanted to believe that they would pull through. When ever a loved one passes on it is a good moment for reflection on what they left behind.

I always thought of Bandai as a dual niche company picking very otaku shows like Lucky Star and K-ON! but also fueling mecha fans desires on the other end. These days there isn’t a whole ton of mecha anime being made and an even a smaller portion of that sees a U.S. release. Bandai was the biggest distributor of robot shows from Gundam to Star Driver. And while other companies have picked up titles here and there (Evangelion, TTGL movies, Broken Blade), Bandai produces many of people’s favorites in Japan making the leap to stateside that much easier. It goes without saying that any older mecha titles have a .05% of ever being released not that Bandai was doing much of that themselves. Still, the fate of Gundam especially weighs heavy on all our minds.

The biggest hole left with Bandai leaving the market is the lack of a dedicated Gundam licensor. The conventional wisdom was that Bandai would release any iteration of Gundam they could at some point. It was never a matter of if more than when. Now that they are gone all bets are off. Gundam Unicorn will probably finish out its run in the US as the Japanese side of Bandai seems to have too much invested in it to stop now. And even Unicorn are somewhat in question. But everything else is not looking so good. Turn A Gundam was officially canceled and I doubt there is anyone rushing out to pick it up. Victory, Double Zeta, and Gundam X theoretically could be picked up by someone else but they generally seem like untouchable titles due to their age alone. Gundam AGE is in a weird place. On one hand it is the latest and greatest title and it has a connection to the popular Level-5 studio. On the other hand mecha is never super popular outside of a handful of titles and the current fandom seems to dismiss the show as Baby Gundam for Babies. One wonders if Funimation or Section23 Films would even want to touch such a title with a ten foot pole. This is really painful to me because Trun A Gundam is my favorite Gundam series and it seemed to gave gotten so close to being released only to vanish at the last second. There is an especially salty taste to the news because of that. I also assume that the second subtitled box set of Gundam 0079 is close enough to completion to still come out but it quickly might become a collectors item.

With Bandai taking a backseat to anime in America, I don’t know who is the best hope we have for mecha titles now. With one less company in the mix, taking risks seem like a bad move for the moment. And funnily enough, despite some thoroughly odd licenses for NISA and Sentai Filmworks, they still aren’t licensing robot series with the exception of Broken Blade. This is kind of frightening, as though the assumption is mecha sells worse than anything besides sports shows. Then again these companies might have felt Bandai was filling that role but now with their departure they can take on more robot series. Perhaps good sales of BB (fingers crossed!) will help lift that possibility as well. I’m not sure if this will cause more or less opportunities on the digital front. This creates a less likely scenario for certain shows to have physical releases which may prompt them to try for internet distribution.  Maybe the writing was on the wall when VIZ started simulcasting Tiger & Bunny. Which is still not licensed for physical release.

I am also rather saddened because this means that my precious Hayate DVDs are probably nothing more than a pipe dream now. I never bought the first round of DVDs as they were rather expensive singles. I had always assumed they would put out in a more affordable box set. Now that is pretty much impossible. That also means that no one is likely to pick up season 2, 3, or the movie. Hayate is just far too long a niche comedy while not having nearly enough fan-service to be picked up by anyone else. This along with the manga slowdown seems to prove the series in just cursed in the U.S. Also all of their manga has been canceled. While the manga division has mostly just been a very fancy extras division for their anime line they did have some great titles. I liked their release of Kannagi: Crazy Shrine Maidens and will be sad to see that disappear so alongside some other decent manga titles.

They clearly thought they could make a go of it, announcing shows this summer at Otakon, but they have been staying under the radar for a while now. Plus without a real online presence, they are easy to overlook. Still, Bandai was a large part in the industry for a very long time making it hard to see them go. Major questions remain about other shows that are only half done, etc. and those answers will probably only come slowly. Perhaps they don’t even know the answers themselves yet. But less competition in the market place is never good for fans.

There are still several questions we will not know for a minimum of several months. What titles will be rescued from their catalog? I am sure someone will shell out for Cowboy Bebop and Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex down the line but everything else is far less likely to get picked up by anyone else. Also since Bandai is still releasing what they have for awhile I am sure those titles will take years to be freed up at minimum. Maybe someone close go after Gosick but that seems even less likely. If I had any money I would get Gundam 0079 on DVD and Star Driver on BluRay right now while they are still in stock. They are the two titles I would want the most and have the greatest chance of going out of print and therefore being insanely expensive down the line. In fact I realy can’t see any big positives to this whole affair. While they were never the quickest company to release a series and they made their share of mistakes over the years but I  enjoyed their products. I will be sad to see them go. I can’t see anyone filling their shoes in the near future.

A good deal of us put a lot of love into the characters that we like and there is no denying that sometimes it can go over the top. But that is neither here nor there in this case. There are grand ideas abound! Specifically, I am constantly wondering just how much the characters people like actually say about them. And I move in wide circles from thinking it is the window to someone’s soul to convincing myself it means absolutely nothing, and then back again. It would be egregious not to mention that I am thinking about the personalities of characters rather than looks. Frankly, looks tell me nothing about anyone, sure I may be able to pick out another character they enjoy on the surface but it doesn’t delve very deep.  Now who a character is, there there might just be something to be learned about someone. To further matters along in a fun way, we will be giving you a glimpse at some of the characters that are near and dear to us. Happy analyzing!

The first character type I tend to like is the strong but kind women like Kyoko from Maison Ikkoku. I like female characters that don’t take gruff are supportive at the same time. They may practice tough love at times but they are always looking out for the people they care for. They also tend to be a bit devious when needed but not maliciously so. Other examples would include Maria from Hayate the Combat Butler and Forte from Galaxy Angel. The second type of character I tend to like is spunky tomboys like Allenby from Mobile Fighter G Gundam. Fiery go getters that are as good as the guys if not better. They are not just boys in girl suits however. They should have a strong feminine aspect to them but they are just not fragile flowers that need to be protected. Paula Cis is another great example from After War Gundam X, as is Mion from Higurashi no Naku Koro ni, and certain green-eyed monsters also fall into this category as well. Girls who use swords or guns are super extra bonus points. I also tend to like goofy and relaxed male characters that will fight for those they care about like Hayate from Hayate the Combat Butler. They are characters that are laid back and gentle but can be fierce when needed to be. They also tend to be the types that never give up on their dreams no matter what happens. Justy Ueki Tylor from The Irresponsible Captain Tylor and Loran from Turn A Gundam are other great examples.

Where to begin (and who to pick) was a little more of challenge in some cases because this isn’t just about my favorite characters, it is about characters that sort of epitomize traits that draw me in. Now, you might be saying to yourself, “Hey, now wait a minute, I see a tall, blond first thing.” However, while you are right that Tamaki (from Ouran High School Host Club) does indeed fall into a looks category that I hold in high regard, it is everything else about him that puts him on this list. I have waxed poetic about Tamaki before so I will try to keep it focused here. Above all else Tamaki is a positive and optimistic spirit who the more you learn about the more you realize has an attitude not born by having an easy life but rather from a conscious decision to not let circumstances define him. He is not embittered by life, he wants life to be lively and fun and he makes it so, he wants people to be happy and so helps them be just that. Shining darkly in the middle is Arashi (from X/1999) who has remained a fixture in my fandom for many, many years. Since everything about her is wonderful, it is hard to pinpoint the best piece. But I suppose I would say she is committed to her duty and fiercely powerful but she has a woman’s heart. It’s very beautiful the way love sort of worms its way into her heart and changes her. If you know anything about X, then you know it is full to the brim with cruel fate and Arashi’s (though still in limbo in the manga) is no exception but she faces it with wisdom beyond her years. And sitting gruffly on the end is Manji (from Blade of the Immortal). What is most powerful about his character is the things he has done are not honorable but he did them because he thought he should. He is a man who knows regret but he doesn’t apologize. Manji is a killer and he makes no bones about, nor does he ever pretend he is a good guy, but even so he is seeking a bit of redemption without really expecting to get it. There are certainly other types of characters I like, but not necessarily with as much depth.

An atypical character that I like is Mihoshi Kuramitsu from Tenchi Muyo!. She tends to be way more ditzy and fragile then I like my women. She is sort of the stereotypical dumb blonde. She is hardly take charge or any sort of powerhouse except for being extremely lucky. But for some reason I really think she is a fun character. I feel like I have to like her for some reason deeper than her character design. Am I just shallow but refuse to admit it or is there some deeper significance to why I like her? I personally think she goes against my standard character preferences but maybe I am just missing something.

A character I have trouble understanding my affection for is Allelujah (from Gundam 00). He is shy, reserved, and soft-spoken but he is also technically psychotic. He has a traumatic past and really has rollercoaster ride of hashing it out. And still none of these traits really seem to scream, “this is Narutaki’s type of character!” As with Hisui, I feel like there is some reason beyond the shallow that I like him, but I just can’t pinpoint it.

Normally on Reverse Thieves we tend to talk among ourselves and then share with you our conclusion. This time we are going to let the readers do the talking. What do you think the characters we like say about Narutaki and I? Do you think that our character choices say anything at all about us? We would love to see what you think. Also feel free to write what types of characters you like and get us and your fellow readers to try out some pop psychology. Also we will try this again next week with the flip side: What do characters we hate say about us?

I feel like just writing this helped me learn a bit about myself!

I try not to think of myself as too much of a shipper. I leave how much of this is a self disillusion to others. I will admit when I found out that the two figures from the Gundam RAH DX line for Turn A Gundam were Loran and Sochie I had to get them so I could display them together to suit my agenda. Loran is decked out in his pilot’s suit. It’s fairly form fitting so the ladies get some service with this Gundam figure. His pose is as if he is reaching out to something in the distance which is quite appropriate for the character. He comes with his helmet and his Children’s Day Carp toy. Since Loran is my favorite Gundam protagonist I’m glad to see him get an excellent figure. I would also buy a Loran figure in his Diver’s uniform or his Milita outfit but I am pretty sure you would only see those at Wonderfest. I won’t go as far as to say that Sochie is my favorite Gundam heroine because I’m not exactly sure who that is. She is my favorite female from Turn A Gundam though. She is in one of her pre-milita dresses and looking quite cute. I love her playful little finger waving motion. Another good pose that captures why I really like the character. For better or for worse (better) Sochie is wearing leotards so we don’t get a panty shot on her. Like Loran I would easy plunk down money to buy her again in a milita uniform as well.

Watched episodes 1-4 of Ai Shite Night, slowly but surely this little 80′s show is coming out. It looks so 80′s it’s worth seeing just for that. The story focuses on Yaeko, an ordinary 18-year-old girl who works at her father’s okonomiyaki restaurant and a budding love triangle over her between two up and coming rockstars Go and Satomi. The boys of course have very different personalities despite being partners and friends. But we see much of this story through the eyes of little Haishizo and his strange cat Juliano who befriend Yaeko in the first episode. Haishizo is Go’s little brother unbeknowst to Yaeko until the fourth episode. The opening is a catchy tune, even if it is a little weird because the girl in it is a blonde where Yaeko, atleast currently, is a brunette. I am also curious to see how the actual music scene comes into play or does it remain centered on the romance aspect.

Ah, Ranka. Why does the easy to get figure based on you have to be the figure I want absolutely nothing to do with? To get a Ranka figure that did not make me feel dirty on the inside I had to get the Premium Prize Figure. They are somewhat rare because the only way to get it was to enter a lottery at participating stores. They are already slightly pricey and I suspect that as time goes on this will only become more so. But I did not mind paying a little extra to get such a lovely figure. She is is in her classic outfit from the Miss Macross Contest and is doing the famous “Ranka pose.” It is crazy cute. If you want anything better than that I’m not sure exactly what it would be. She also comes with a little Ai-kun on the base with adds to the delightfulness. The figure was worth the time and effort if for nothing else it brings a smile to my face whenever I see it. I would definitely buy other Ranka figures as long as they are not horribly slutty. Can we do this Japan? I know it’s hard but could you try for me?

I read the third book in the Twelve Kingdoms series. This one stars snarky, little Enki! The story moves between the present and memories of when Enki first picked the Ever-King of En. The current time in the book is about 20 years after that choice was made. Shoryu, the King, is a wanderer and a very carefree ruler who prefers to walk the streets than attend meetings. His people don’t know it but most of the court thinks he is lazy and not fit for the throne. Things start to get hairy as a rebellion becomes eminent and Enki must come to terms with the choice he made so long ago. As the story moves along we see why Enki questions himself and his rights as the chooser of the king. While Enki is the star we spend a good deal of time coming to understand Shoryu as well. Shoryu comes off as idiot savant who receives no end of insults. The King’s closest consul, Shuko and Itan, provide wisdom and some hilarious commentary about their dubious lord. There is certainly a running theme of not judging people on the surface to this novel. The third installment in this series is as good as the first two with the power of its characters, intrigue, and spry storytelling.

If you have not noticed I really liked the Portrait of Pirates of figures. The next figure in the line is a bit of a odd choice but hardly unwelcome. We get Vivi’s pet Spot Billed duck Carue. He is a delightful character in the Baroque Works arc. He comes with a separate wing so he can salute and with an alternate mouth so he can drink from his little canteen. He is a fun character and definitely a good purchase for anyone who already has the Vivi figure.

Because I was just reading about him, Enki is the pic of the week!

Finally picked up a copy of All-Star Batman and Robin the Boy Wonder, the first hardcover collection. It is great to see Jim Lee doing Batman again, he is just incredibly, insanely talented period. And he has only gotten better as time has gone on. There are some really intense pieces which Scott Williams really enhances in this series including one where Batman is holding up little Dick Grayson, here is a scan. I wasn’t aware this series was starting with a Robin origin story, not that I am complaining, on the contrary it was a pleasant surprise. True to Frank Miller form he writes Batman as a borderline psycho which always keeps you guessing. And it certainly does boast an all-star cast, as the title implies, with appearances from the Joker, Bat-girl, and Cat-woman in just these first few issues. Oh, and Batman and Robin making fun of the Green Lantern, hilarious. Looking forward to more!

I am not quite certain why I keep reading Ken Akamatsu stuff. For some reason his books entertain me even if I can’t really say they are good. I just read Negima 19 and 20. Since the school festival arc is over it means they need a training arc before they move on. Ah, the staples of shonen fighting mixed with the staples of shonen romance. And I enjoy this why? Oh and because we did not have enough tsundere girls in the series we had to add Anya, Negi’s childhood friend. I did like her crazy boobie conspiracy theories though. I am always a little scared about how well researched the magic and Latin is in Negima. It’s like finding out that porn you just watched had a team of historical consultants.

Continuing reading of Switch, just finished the second book. It keeps itself moving between intense cop drama and humor pretty well. We wrapped up the story involving the famous model with some serious business. Kai and Hal are a good pair. Then we have a short bust with the help of the department’s analyst, Kuzui, she has a most hilarious crush on Kai. We end on another longer story, which continues into the next volume, involving a high school gang. I have to admit to enjoying seeing Hal and Kai having to infiltrate a high school to get a drug bust. Oh so 21 Jump Street! Though Hal is only posing as a teacher.

I watched the first 4 episodes of Turn A Gundam again. I had started watching a long time ago but then some computer trouble wiped out what I had downloaded so I stopped there vowing to watch it after I finished the original Gundam. Since we are currently watching First Gundam for the blog I decided to restart Turn A. It’s an unusual Gundam series even though it is directed Yoshiyuki Tomino. The initial steam-punk technology of Earth is strange and there are no colonies, only men from the Moon. Loran’s role as a double agent is definitely unique because he has best wishes for both sides. Sochie Heim is a likable character but so far she is getting kicked pretty hard by life and I don’t expect that to change. I will also say it’s amusing to see quite a bit of nudity of both sexes so far. I guess they really wanted to sell you on this 20th anniversary Gundam series.

I was so happy to see the Tower of Druaga second season start up. While I didn’t think the first series was the most incredible story ever written, I really enjoyed it and it left you on quite a cliffhanger! So getting back into it was fun. A little time has passed since the end and we start out with some interesting new mysteries. Fatina remains my favorite character and her interactions with Jil are nicely thoughtout. As with the first season, the opening is unrelated but very well done and a joy to watch. I really appreciate when the staff thinks about the placement of the text in an opening, as opposed to just slapping it over their beautiful animation.

And now my pic of the week (or Hisui reveals herself to be a Turn A Gundam shipper):