Welcome to the ninth weekly Beelzebub article! I'm your host, Taka, and I'm here to present this episode and my team's wiki work to you. For those who do know my team, my awesome teammates are Annabanana, ShadowKnight508, Arussel, and Sreenivas. Be sure to check out this episode's image gallery, too!
Last week's episode was great because Hilda and Oga fight together for the first time. Now, the story continues off where Oga and Beel takes revenge on Hecadoth who impaled Hilda.
With Hilda down, Oga and Beel take on Hecadoth for some payback. At the same time, Kaname and Toujou's fight is interrupted by two, new demons, Graphel and Naga. Two brutal fights take place between the humans (one demon baby) and Behemoth's demon generals. Can Oga and Beel defeat Hecadoth and can Toujou and Kaname take down their opponents? Tune in and watch Beelzebub episode 40!
Beware of Spoilers! Keep in mind, I purposely do not cover everything in order keep the discussion going.
Overall, the episode is great with the right mix of action and comedy even with the redundant Alaindelon scenes.
Now, I want to introduce you to Annabanana, a beautiful wiki editor who first worked on Beelzebub series in winter 2010. She has been working hard by herself while some independent wiki editors who work a bit and leave. It was only in the summer that ShadowKnight508 and I joined her. Our team love and support her. This week, she added a lot of trivia questions for Fairy Tail and Beelzebub.
I didn't want to spoiled you guys, but my team found or made some nice images. Please enjoy.
I thank you guys for reading my team's weekly reports; I thank my team for sticking with me. Since KuroNekoXIII did a special shout out, I like to give a shout out to ShadowKnight508 who did a marvelous job on Sora no Otoshimono, Arussel for joining our team and starting his first Beelzebub work, and KuroNekoXIII for being a valuable member to both teams: Beelzebub and W.I.K.I. Nation. Kuro is doing weekly reports on Guilty Crown; MohsinMan99 is doing the same for Gintama. Go out and support them. Plus, our friends, Sotyfan16 and Superevil225 wrote some spectacular articles. Check their blogs out.
Please support the community by checking out and commenting on FoxxFireArt's community spotlight page this week. For those who want to make beginner guides, please check out Sotyfan16's blog, Guide to Making Guides. Don't forget to check out Anime Vice's group on Crunchyroll and Anime Vice's Steam group! If you guys want to see how much work the team has done, go see Team Beelzebub's vitae list. Please give my teammates a pat on the back because they are busy with school, and they still continue to work on their wiki projects. One more thing, I made a twitter list of Team W.I.K.I. Nation members and their friends and mentors.
Takashichea
Team W.I.K.I. Nation and Team Beelzebub - Go Anime Vice!
The last news article was about a new manga short, Zero Story, that revolves around Yoh Asakura. Not much information is known about this new development.
See Breaking News: Shaman King is Coming Back in a New Manga Short by Taka
Shaman King is a series written by Hiroyuki Takei that ran in Shueisha's Weekly Shonen magazine in 1998. The series ended abruptly in 2004 with 32 volumes. After Shaman King had an anime adaptation that ran in TV Tokyo and on Fox Box, the manga series had a Kanzenban format in 2009. The Kanzenban series is the perfect edition that ends Shaman King officially with 27 volumes.
Shaman King is about Yoh Asakura who dreams to be Shaman King to get the easy life. He has to fight many shamans from all over the world in a tournament for the title, Shaman King.
For more information, please see the Beginner Guide To Shaman King for those who haven't read or watched Shaman King.
Now, for the news, Shaman King Flowers is about Yoh Asakura's son, Hana Asakura. This development is on the fifth volume of Shonen's Jump Kai Magazine where Hiroyuki Takei announces that this story will premiered in April and in the same magazine. Also, Takei states that the Zero Story will be accompanying the sequel, too.
Voice actress and singer Megumi Hayashibara confirmed on Tuesday that she sang Shaman King's "Osorezan Revoir" song for the video of the same name that was posted on Nico Nico Douga on October 21. Osorezan Revoir is the title of the 19th compiled volume of the manga series and an arc of the story .
From ANN's article (See sources)
シャーマンキング」麻倉花が主人公の新連載4月より始動 by Comic Natalie
Fans rejoice for a Shaman King sequel. It'll be a blast! Thank you for reading this article. I want to thank ShadowKnight508 for giving the heads up on this news.
Takashichea
Team W.I.K.I. Nation
Please check out Shaman King's Historian Blog to see the current wiki work progress on Anime Vice. Go Anime Vice!
His first original work is Magician which won him first place in an amateur manga's artist's competition in 1998. This paved the way for his first series, Rave Master (Groove Adventure Rave), that became well known series with 32 volumes (1999-2005). However, his anime adaptation of Rave Master fell short when the series got cancelled on it 51st episode in September 28, 2002. In the present day, his third work, Fairy Tail, is his longest anime series (104 episodes) to date, and for the manga, it is in its 29th volume and on its 258th chapter.
For more infomation: See Hiro Mashima's page.
In this interview, Hiro Mashima is interviewed by Brigid Alverson of MTVGeekand the AnimeNewsNetwork staff, Crystal Hodgkins, at the New York Comic Con. Last October 14, 2011, Hiro Mashima and some of the dub voice actors talk in a panel; Oct. 15, 2011, Hiro Mashima did a public signing event. Since there are two interviews, I will list Crystalyn Hodgkin's conversation of ANN first (Her name is staff for some reason) then post Brigid Alverson of MTV Geek second. Thank you.
ANN: Last time we spoke with you was in 2008. Since then, Fairy Tail has been made into an anime. What do you think of the anime adaptation?
Mashima: I've been having a great time, just going along with the ride. I wanted to tell [ANN] about the anime during that earlier interview, but I couldn't.
What is your favorite part about having your manga turned into an anime?
Just watching Natsu and Happy move around. There's a limit to the effects I can draw regarding the depiction of the magic in the manga, so seeing that in the anime is so much fun, and it looks very beautiful onscreen. It made me realize how fun my characters are when I saw them moving around.
Did you read manga or watch anime as a child, and if so, what were your favorites?
Dragon Ball, and a lot of the works by Hayao Miyazaki.
At that time, did you ever think that you would become a manga creator?
It all started with me copying and tracing their works, and then, before I realized it, I knew I was going to be a professional. It was what I wanted to be so badly, that I knew I was going to be one.
Loyalty to family and friends is a frequent theme running throughout Fairy Tail. Is this also something you feel passionate about?
Absolutely. My friends have helped me a lot in the past, and that's something I wanted to directly show in this manga. And that was the beginning of Fairy Tail actually. But, because I've so busy lately, my list of friends in my cell phone has been quickly edited down (laughs).
Monster Hunter Orage is based on the Monster Hunter videogame franchise. And yet, it's a manga that those who don't know the game very well can read and enjoy. How is it different to create a manga about a world you didn't make, as opposed to Fairy Tail where it's all yours?
Of course, the first thing I understood was that I couldn't destroy the world of the original authors, so I had to respect that. But there were a lot of similarities, the vision of the world of Monster Hunter was very similar to the world I often depict, so it wasn't too difficult.
In Fairy Tail, often the "villain" characters get redeemed in one way or another. Do you believe in giving people second chances and that anyone can be redeemed?
Absolutely. However, I value life heavily, and that's something to keep in mind. Sometimes I depict where a character passes away, but then it turns out they actually hadn't, but I never draw how someone who was actually already dead coming back to life; that's not something that I depict.
Fairy Tail is a very imaginative manga. It has a lot of surprises in it, and it's also very funny. How do you come up with ideas for your characters and stories, and what do you do when you run out of ideas and inspiration?
So, at the actual moment that the idea is born, I'm not aware of it. It happens coincidentally and spontaneously. But I'm constantly thinking of ideas. Even as I was walking here from the staff room I was thinking about it, and even now, in the corner of my mind, I'm actually thinking of ideas. But when I can't think of ideas, I sleep it off. I just have to change my emotions and feelings.
What message do you have for your English-speaking fans?
There are 15 volumes of Fairy Tail out now in English, but many more interesting and surprising stories await you, so I hope you read on. There are also many more characters, and the plot is thickening and getting ever more passionate. I'm well aware that I have readers not just in Japan, but all over the world, so I hope everyone will look forward to my work.
From AnimeNewsNetwork: Interview: Hiro Mashima by Crystalyn Hodgekins
Crystal: Our company interviewed you three years ago. Since then, Fairy Tail has been made into an anime. What do you think of the anime adaptation?
Hiro Mashima: I have been having fun, I have just been having a great time just going along with the ride. I wanted to tell you then, but I couldn’t.
Crystal: What is your favorite part about having your manga turned into an anime?
Hiro Mashima: Just watching Natsu and Happy move around. There’s a limit to the effects that I can draw, the depiction of magic in manga so in anime it’s so much fun. I realize how much fun my characters are when I see them move around.
Brigid: I wanted to ask about Monster Hunter Orage. I know this is based on a game, yet it’s a manga that people who don’t know the game very well can read and enjoy. But for you, how is it different to create a manga about a world you didn’t create, as opposed to Fairy Tail, where it’s all yours. What are the challenges?
Hiro Mashima: Of course the first thing was that I couldn't destroy the world of the original author, so I had to respect that. But there were a lot of similarities. The vision of the world of Monster Hunter is very similar to the world that I often depict, so it wasn't too difficult.
Crystal: Back to themes in Fairy Tail: Often the villain characters get redeemed in the series in one way or another. Do you believe in giving people second chances and that anybody can be redeemed?
Hiro Mashima: Absolutely. But, however, I value life heavily, so that's something to keep in mind. Sometimes I depict … where a character passes on and it turns out that they actually weren't [dead], but I never depict … somebody that was already actually dead coming back to life. That’s not something that I depict, resurrections.
Brigid: Fairy Tail is a very imaginative manga; it has a lot of surprises in it, and it’s also very funny. How do you come up with ideas for characters and for stories, and—here’s the hard part—what do you do when you run out of ideas, when you have no inspiration?
Hiro Mashima: At the actual moment of the idea being born, I am actually not aware of it. It is the most spontaneous moment. But I am constantly thinking about ideas, and even as I was walking here from the staff room I was thinking about it, and even now, in the corner of my mind, I am thinking of ideas… But when I can't think of an idea, when my idea runs dry, I just sleep if off. I just have to change my emotion and my feelings.
Crystal: What message would you like to give to your English speaking fans?
Hiro Mashima: There are 15 volumes now, but a lot more different and interesting and surprising stories await you, so I hope you read on. There will be so many more characters, and the plot is thickening, and I am ever more passionate. And I am well aware that I have readers all over the world, so I hope that you will look forward to my work.
From MTV Geek: Hiro Mashima talks about Fairy Tail by Brigid Alverson
*On 2nd Examination: These interviews are similar, so it seems redundant to post two. I'm sorry about that. I collapse the second one into a spoiler block. Feel free to read the second one if you like. Please, click on the other sources for more information.
Since these interviews do not answer everything, I want to know what thoughts or unanswered questions you have. Please feel free to ask. I'll put down any questions that's related to Hiro Mashima and his works from the community here. To start it off:
Thank you for reading this blog. Please support Anime Vice community by doing coverage of your favorite shows and series. All these interviews are property of ANN and MTV Geek.
Takashichea
Team W.I.K.I. Nation
Welcome to the ninth weekly Sket Dance article/ review! I'm your host, Takashichea, and my teammates for Team W.I.K.I. Nation are Annabanana, KuroNekoXIII, MohsinMan99, HalberdierV2, Piface314, and Hibaru. We have some trivia questions and wiki progress to reveal after this episode's review. For the recap, last week's episode, Crank up the Nyora!, was about an addiction to collecting toys and Momoka's Moe character change. Now, this episode (ep. 31 - Samurai and Clothes) focuses on Shinzo and the shenanigans of SKET Dan. Be sure to check our wiki work and the image gallery.
This episode has two stories. The first and major story is about Shinzo's pen pal who wants to meet him. Wanting to impress the pen pal, Shinzo asks SKET Dan to help him be a fashionable man. In the second story, Hime and the gang receive a DVD from Shinzo who is tired and decides to give away his pen pal's DVD. Hime tries out the DVD only to feel the burning and bizarre exercise routines.
Will Shinzo be able impress his pen pal and take his friendship to a higher level? What happens during the exercise DVD and what effects it has on the SKET Dan crew? Tune in and watch Sket Dance episode 31!
Beware of Spoilers!
Compared to the last episode, this episode is roughly the same because both of these episodes had great and hilarious episodes about one character but suffers from the other story's small time humor. The minor story in episode 31 is better than the minor story in episode 30 because the humor flows better without dragging the time. If you are Momoka fan, you'll dig episode 30 more than 31. Same for Shinzo fans except it's for episode 31. As for the anime and manga differences, I have not read the manga chapter versions yet, but I can tell you the anime is skipping around the manga since volume 5. It's strange.
Be yourself when you date someone. There's no use in pretending to be someone just to get the person to love you back.
I thank you guys for reading this weekly article; I thank my team for doing an impressive job on the Sket Dance and other projects. KuroNekoXIII is doing great on his Guilty Crown while Anna is working on Beelzebub project with her teammates. As for this episode, it is my turn to work on it since last week is Anna's turn. I need to upload more images since I did not cover enough of the episode. When you love a show or a manga series, get involved in this community and write a blog or a review. You do some wiki work or even start up your own weekly reports. That sounds exciting.
Takashichea
Team W.I.K.I. Nation and Beelzebub
Welcome to the eighth weekly Beelzebub article! I'm Takashichea, and my teammates are Annabanana, ShadowKnight508, and Sreenivas. We have another user who is not on the team yet, Arussel. Arrussel is doing the weekly Beelzebub manga. If you guys are on the manga track, go and support him. This week's episode, No Shoes, No Shirt, No Assassins, has a lot of action compared to the last episode which is basically a day at the amusement park.
Please check out the image gallery and thank Anna for the lovely images.
While Lord En and his wet nurses spend their time at the arcades, Aoi tries to figure out about demons; Oga and Hilda spend some quality family time with Oga's mother. Toujou and Shizuka remember the old days together. When Oga and Hilda have to get some cooking ingredients, they bump into Aoi and then a new enemy appears and grabs Aoi. His name is Hecados (Hecatos), and he will carry out his order to wipe out Oga and Beel.
Will Oga and Hilda rescue Aoi and what are Toujou and Shizuka doing together? Tune in and watch Beelzebub episode 40!
Beware of spoilers!
Hecados is the eighth general in Behemoth's 34th Pillar. He is a loyal to Lord En and will carry out his orders with zero hesitation. He's deadly and cunning; his weapon is a wicked spear.
*One Note: I have read the episode's manga counterpart after viewing the episode. I'm a strange fellow who keep the manga at the anime's pace. I do noticed a lot of differences with the manga. I'll be brief. Be sure to voice your opinion.
Overall, this episode has some nice action, hilarious scenes, Hilda and Oga moments, and a great cliffhanger. You really want to find out what happen next! The anime did a good job with adding extra scenes for Toujou's flashback compared to the manga.
Thank you guys for reading my team's weekly report on Beelzebub; I thank my team for doing a great job. On this episode, ShadowKnight508 formatted the page and added characters and such, Anna did the synopsis and full plot with images and Points of Interests, and I did the seiyuu and points under anime and manga differences. Also, Anna added a scene comparison of Hecados stabbing Hilda in manga and anime and added Behemoth 34th Pillar's characters on Nov. 3. Please see our work and our team's vitae list of all the wiki contributions (except episodes and volumes).
If you guys love a show or a manga series, feel free to blog, wiki edit, or review it. Make a difference in this community by getting involved.
Takashichea
Team W.I.K.I. Nation and Beelzebub
[Updates 11-4-11] = Added Trivia Questions and link Sket Dance's Weekly Report and Community Spotlight