Jumat, 30 April 2010

L Lawliet (alias Ryuzaki)

L Lawliet, known universally by the mononym L, is a fictional character in the manga, anime and film series Death Note by Tsugumi Ohba. In the storyline, L is considered the world's greatest detective, whose identity remains unknown before the story takes place because he has never revealed himself to the public. L takes on the Kira investigation in order to find the titular murderer able to kill people whose names are written in the Death Note. He meets Kira, a teenager named Light Yagami, and becomes determined to convict him. The character of L is portrayed by Kappei Yamaguchi in the anime and Ken'ichi Matsuyama in the live-action films Death Note, Death Note: The Last Name and L: Change the World. He is voiced by Alessandro Juliani in the English versions of both the anime and live action films.

Designed by Takeshi Obata, L's character was created to be Light's antagonist with his appearance contrasting Light's although during his first cameos he was intended to be a good looking man. Since his introduction in the series, L has received praise by publications from manga and anime with most of them commenting on his personality. Matsuyama's portrayal of L as well as Juliani's work as his English voice actor have also been the subject of reviewers.

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L, who also uses the aliases Hideki Ryuga, Ryuzaki, Eraldo Coil, and Deneuve, the latter two for which he has developed reputations as the second- and third-best detectives in the world, is quite secretive and only communicates with the world through his assistant Watari. He never shows his face to the world, instead representing himself with a capital L in Cloister Black font. His real name, L Lawliet, is only revealed in the guidebook Death Note 13: How to Read. When asked about L's ethnicity, Ohba responded saying "I think of him as a quarter Japanese, a quarter English, a quarter Russian and... maybe a quarter French or Italian? Something like that". After meeting the Kira investigation team, he requests that the task force refer to him as Ryuzaki for discretion. Ohba said that L is the smartest character in the manga because "the plot requires it". He added that he personally views L as "slightly evil".

L's disheveled and languid appearance masks his great powers of deduction and insight. He tends to second-guess everything he is presented with, and is extremely meticulous and analytical. He has several quirks such as preferring to crouch rather than sit, eating only sweet foods like desserts and fruits, and holding items very delicately. L stayed in England for five years, and during that time he was the champion in tennis for the England Junior Cup. In chapter 38 of the manga, L suggests that even though he eats only sweet foods, he remains underweight because the brain uses the most calories of any organ in the body. He also says that if he sits normally, his reasoning ability would drop 40%. Whenever L gives percentages to indicate how much he suspects a person of committing a crime, such as "five percent", in reality he means over 90 percent; Ohba said about L, "The truth is, he's a liar. [laughs]"

L suspects early in the investigation that Light Yagami is Kira, but cannot obtain any concrete evidence. In several situations, Light seems to be proven innocent by the circumstances, but L remains skeptical. If Light were Kira, the case would be solved, and L has trouble letting go of this simple and complete solution. L can easily present his conclusions publicly at any time, and with his reputation, is taken seriously. He also intends to tell Light that he can "take the offensive". After capturing a man who also has a Death Note, Light tricks Rem, the shinigami owner of a Death Note that she gives to Misa, into killing L for his own personal gain, making her believe that she must kill him for the sake of Misa's life. L's last sight before death is Light triumphantly smiling over him, and in his last moment L confirms to himself that Light is the first Kira.

Death Note 13: How to Read describes L in the Death Note yonkoma as the "holder of the world's greatest mind" and having the "powerful ability to act like a fool". Death Note 13: How to Read adds that in the yonkoma "it's like [L was] born to be mocked".

Vegeta


Vegeta is a fictional character in the Dragon Ball franchise created by Akira Toriyama. Vegeta first appeared in the manga chapter #204 Sayōnara Son Gokū first published in Weekly Shonen Jump magazine on December 19, 1988,Dragon Ball Z (though he can be spotted briefly in a still scene in an earlier episode), as the prince of the nearly extinct race of alien warriors called the Saiyans. Vegeta was the original enemy of the series, hoping to use the seven Dragon Balls to gain immortality and galactic rule. As common enemies appear, Vegeta is forced into an often unstable alliance with the protagonists of the series. By the end of the manga, Vegeta develops into a trustworthy ally of the series' main character, Son Goku. Vegeta's character is known for his bitter rivalry with Goku, because in spite of his vigorous training and royal heritage, he often believed his strength and skill to be inferior to that of Goku.

Abilities

Vegeta has the ability to create and enhance attacks with the use of chi. Vegeta has the ability to use buku-jutsu which enables him to fly. Constant training and his Saiyan heritage have given him superhuman strength, speed and reflexes.

Vegeta is known to give names for his various energy attacks. In his early appearance, Vegeta is seen to use attacks similar to several of the protagonists of the series, such as a ki disk, a two fingered laser-like blast, and a chi wave similar to Goku's Kamehameha blast. This beam known as the Garlic Gun, renamed Galick Gun in the English dub) is used by Vegeta during his battle against Goku in an attempt to destroy the Earth. The Garlic Gun is the main attack used by Vegeta in most Dragon Ball Z video games although he uses it only once in the manga. Vegeta later develops the Big Bang Attack and the Final Flash Vegeta's most commonly used attack in the series is when he bombards an opponent with an array of small chiRenzoku Energy Dan. Also in Dragon Ball GT he displays a powerful new attack entitling it the Final Shine Attack, where Vegeta uses his right hand to fire off a massive beam of green chi that widens with distance. attacks, which are much more powerful than his older energy attacks. blasts. Vegeta is not known to have a name for this attack, but it is officially called

Vegeta also possesses several transformations that greatly enhance his abilities to varying degrees. Early in the series, he has the ability to become an Oozaru, which increases his power tenfold, so long as he still has his tail. He gains the ability to transform into a Super Saiyan and, through training, can further transform into advanced states of Super Saiyan as the series continues, including Super Saiyan 2nd Grade and Super Saiyan 2. While he was not able to achieve Super Saiyan 3, in Dragon Ball GT, he reaches Super Saiyan 4.

Vegeta can also fuse with Goku and create a warrior who has the combined power and skills of both. One method is by using the Potara Earrings presented to Goku by the Elder Kai. This results in a 'perfect fusion' creating Vegetto (Vegeta/Kakarotto). The other method is by performing the Metamorese Fusion Dance, which creates Gogeta, or if performed incorrectly, results in the obese Veku.

Kaede Rukawa


Kaede Rukawa is Sakuragi's rival as well as almost his opposite; he is attractive to girls, skilled at basketball, and very cold and aloof, mostly unfeeling. The only time he is shown smiling throughout the course of the story is when he recognizes Sawakita's talent in their personal one-on-one inside the game between their teams. The only traits they share are that they are not academically inclined and good fighters. He regards Sakuragi as an idiot and both normally fight. Actually, he knows Sakuragi can put his talents to a better use, but is ashamed to see the immaturity with which he deals with things. His hobby is sleeping, and is usually seen asleep whenever he's not on the court; he can even ride his bike while asleep often crashing with objects when doing so. Waking Rukawa from a nap is considered unforgivable, since he will almost automatically beat up the culprit. Unsurprisingly, he has also been in his fair share of off-court fights, but can hold his own. Rukawa's goal is to be the best high school player in Japan, and he considers Sendoh of Ryonan to be his greatest rival. A fact being that he is often nicknamed the "super-rookie", the "ace of Shohoku", even.

Rukawa is extremely good at basketball, and possesses a wide range of skills to complement his height, athleticism and drive to win. Despite being merely a first-year high school player, he is the undisputed ace of Shohoku's team. In the Kanagawa Interhigh Tournament, he was named one of the top five players, the only first year player so honored. He has managed to change the course of many games, such as when he single-handedly brought Shohoku back from a double-digit deficit against Kainan (Rukawa scored 15 straight points for Shohoku in 2 minutes and 5 seconds just before the end of the first half). However, his style was criticized as being too selfish, and he sometimes comes into conflict with his teammates for various reasons; this was one of the reasons why Coach Anzai refused to give him his blessing when Rukawa told him that he intended to go to the USA, and told him to become the best in Japan before he even thought of it. When he was outplayed by Sawakita during the match against Sannoh Technical, though, he realized what Sendoh reminded him as a challenge: To defeat Sendoh, Rukawa had to change his style and pass the ball. It was his pass that led to Hanamichi's buzzer-beating shot, winning the match. Rukawa is subsequently named a member of the All-Japan basketball team. He is voiced by Hikaru Midorikawa.

Sesshoumaru


Sesshomaru is InuYasha's older half-brother. As a full-blooded demon, he is very powerful, though he too has been unable to completely defeat Naraku. Unlike most demons seen in the series, he shows no interest in possessing any of the Shikon shards, feeling confident of his own strength and seeming to find the use of the gem to enhance one's power distasteful. He is initially ruthless in dealing with InuYasha, whom he despises as a half-demon who consorts with humans, and attempts to take the sword Tetsusaiga from him. However, Sesshomaru gradually changes after using Tenseiga, another sword made from one of their father's fangs, to revive the human child Rin. His growing compassion prompts the master swordsmith Totosai to reforge Tenseiga, enabling the Meidou Zangetsuha ("dark path of the dawn's moon blast") attack. After Naraku attempts to manipulate him by using Rin as a hostage, Sesshomaru becomes determined to destroy Naraku. He eventually gains his own blade that is a manifestation of his own power, the Bakusaiga. In the anime adaptation, he is voiced by Ken Narita. In the English dub, he is voiced by David Kaye.

Kurama

Kurama is a demon thief who, after being fatally wounded, fuses with the unborn child of Shiori Minamino. He is born as Shuichi Minamino, a human, though he retains his demon powers at a much lower level. Kurama had originally planned to return to his demon form after regenerating his powers. However, while he has an accident his mother saves him; injuring herself in the process. This forms a bond of love and loyalty which Kurama cannot bear to break and stays as Shuichi to keep Shiori happy. He attends the fictional Meioh Private Academy where his grades are among the top in his year. During the Dark Tournament Kurama is temporarily reverted back to his original form, the Demon Fox. Kurama uses his aura to control plants, including his signature weapon, a rose he keeps in his hair which he turns into a whip of thorns capable of cutting through steel. He also possesses a skill for analytical thinking which allows him to gauge his opponents' strengths and weaknesses and formulate effective strategies. As the Demon Fox, his powers are far greater and he is capable of creating demonic plants which possess various attributes and highly formidable powers. Kurama is voiced by Megumi Ogata (Shūichi) and Shigeru Nakahara (Demon Fox) in Japanese and John Burgmeier in English.

Kenpachi Zaraki


Kenpachi Zarakiis a fictional character and supporting anti-hero in the anime and manga Bleach created by Tite Kubo. He is the captain of the 11th Division within the Gotei 13. His lieutenant is Yachiru Kusajishi.

Kenpachi has a wild and aggressive appearance, fitting with his personality. He wears his captain's jacket without sleeves, and with a more ragged look to it—-he acquired his jacket from the previous 11th Division captain, whom he defeated and killed in a duel in order to become captain. He styles his hair into liberty spikes with bells at the tips, which, Tite Kubo has remarked, makes his hair one of the most difficult to draw in the series. He also wears a special eye patch on his right eye lined with a strange creature created by the 12th Division. It absorbs the bulk of his power. Both of these are meant to give enemies an advantage, similar to his habit of fighting one-handed, as in an unhandicapped state he would defeat them so quickly that he would not be able to enjoy himself sufficiently to delve into a state of bloodlust, that being what he treasures most. He has a huge scar on the left side of his face, apparently gained well before his time in Soul Society (and even before finding Yachiru).

Despite his initial introduction as a lethal foe, Kenpachi later begins to play the role of the comical anti-hero in Bleach: though still self-centered and violent, his actions tend to be for the best and his relationship with his division and others is always portrayed comically. This comical shift is primarily centered around his appearances in the Bleach anime and omake stories, with the exception of the occasional diatribe between himself and Yachiru. He is depicted as having a very poor sense of direction, and is often depicted in omake stories asking his lieutenant Yachiru for directions to a particular place (who then randomly points in a direction even though she herself has a terrible sense of direction).

Kenpachi lives for battle (evidenced by his method of attaining his rank) and enjoys a good fight more than anything. He even weakens himself in an effort to make any fight last longer. He also claims that injury and death are nothing but the price one pays for a good fight. Despite his group being the most bloodthirsty of the Gotei 13, they have their own code of ethics, different from the set rules of Soul Society, fitting with Kenpachi's portrayal as a free spirit. On various occasions, he is seen putting fun before work. Despite his violent tendencies Kenpachi will usually give up on a fight if his opponent is too injured to fight back, claiming that the fight is no longer fun. However, he will unhesitatingly kill his opponent if they refuse to end their fight on his terms as seen during his battles with Tousen and Nnoitora.

Hinata Hyuga


The Naruto anime and manga series features an extensive cast of characters created by Masashi Kishimoto. The series takes place in a fictional universe where different countries vie for power by using ninja who can use supernatural abilities in combat. The Naruto storyline is divided into two parts, simply named Part I and Part II, with the latter taking place two-and-a-half years after the conclusion of Part I. The series' storyline follows the adventures of a group of young ninja from the village of Konohagakure.

The titular character of the series is Naruto Uzumaki, an energetic ninja who wishes to become Hokage, the leader of Konohagakure. During the early part of the series, he is assigned to Team 7, during which he meets Sasuke Uchiha, a taciturn and highly skilled "genius" of the Uchiha clan; Sakura Haruno, who is infatuated with Sasuke yet has Naruto's affection; and Kakashi Hatake, the quiet and mysterious leader of the team. Over the course of the series, Naruto interacts with and befriends several of his fellow ninja in Konohagakure as well as other villages. He also encounters the series' antagonists, including Orochimaru, a former ninja of Konohagakure scheming to destroy his former home, and the elite ninja of the criminal organization Akatsuki.

While developing the series, Kishimoto created the three primary characters as a basis for the designs of the other three-person teams. He also utilized characters in other shōnen manga as references in his design of the characters, a decision that was criticized by several anime and manga publications. The characters that Kishimoto developed were however praised for incorporating many of the better aspects of previous shounen characters, although many publications lamented the perceived lack of growth beyond such stereotypes. The visual presentation of the characters was commented on by reviewers, with praise and criticism given to Kishimoto's work in the manga and anime adaptation.

Hiruma Youichi


Yoichi Hiruma, usually referred to as Hiruma, is a protagonist and major driving force of the plot of Eyeshield 21. At the beginning of the series, he witnesses Sena Kobayakawa's running abilities and forces the boy to join the team as the ace running back, and hides his identity during games by having him use the codename "Eyeshield 21". He captains and plays quarterback for the series' protagonist team, the Deimon Devil Bats, but also serves the duties of a coach, as the team lacks one. He is responsible for arranging all of the Devil Bats' matches between the Spring and Fall Tournaments, and also devises the majority of the team's practice sessions. His major goal throughout the series is to form a complete team and win the Christmas Bowl with his first two teammates, Ryokan Kurita and Gen "Musashi" Takekura.

Hiruma has a deliberately demonic appearance that is even further accentuated by his daredevil attitude at both in and out of the football field, and is a subversion of the standard sports hero character archetype. In fact, his last name is spelled with a kanji meaning "leech demon," and his first name is spelled with a kanji meaning "bewitching one." His name can ultimately be read as "demon in broad daylight." He has dyed, spiky blond hair, fanged teeth, and pointed ears with multiple piercings. For various reasons, Hiruma is an intimidating person. He possesses a vast array of firearms, including but not limited to automatic rifles, flamethrowers, and bazookas. He frequently fires his guns into the air to intimidate others or simply when he is excited. He also tends to shoot at his teammates to make them practice harder, but it is implied that he does not use live ammo in these circumstances (Mamori once deflected a shot from Hiruma using nothing more than a clipboard). Despite his status as a protagonist, Hiruma is often described as "evil" by the other characters, including his comrades, and he has a reputation as a terrifying person throughout Deimon High School. This is not undeserved, as Hiruma has, through blackmail on virtually every person in the Tokyo area, acquired tremendous resources, including nearly complete control over Deimon High. He also seems to enjoy having his prized running back, Sena, to gain a fearsome reputation as Eyeshield 21 in the football field, as well as to some extent, outside of it. To this end, Hiruma often resorts to methods, that are hardly vied as legal (illegal hacking, disguising himself in the Eyeshield 21 attire, etc.). In spite of this reputation, Hiruma's influence and behavior are frequently portrayed humorously, due to the fact that his actions tend to be over-the-top and presented lightly.

Kamis, 29 April 2010

Toushirou Hitsugaya


Toushirou Hitsugaya
is a fictional character in the anime and manga series Bleach created by Tite Kubo. He is the captain of the 10th Division in the Gotei 13. His lieutenant is Rangiku Matsumoto. Hitsugaya is the lead character of the Bleach-based film The DiamondDust Rebellion.

Hitsugaya's early life was spent in Junrinan, District 1 of Rukongai. There he lived with his grandmother and Momo Hinamori. As a child, Hitsugaya had an icy demeanor that estranged himself from others, with the exception of his grandmother and Hinamori. The three were very close, and Hitsugaya was irritated when Hinamori left to join the Soul Society academy. Throughout his childhood, he was always aware of what seemed to be an icy presence within himself and had continuous dreams about a plane of ice. Five years after Hinamori's departure, Hitsugaya encountered Rangiku Matsumoto, then a normal, unranked shinigami, in a marketplace, when she stood up to a merchant who left his change on the counter, rather than handing it to him.

That night, Hitsugaya dreamt again of the icy plain and finally met Hyōrinmaru for the first time, though he could not hear the spirit's name. He woke up to find Rangiku admonishing him for not being able to control his power, which had been freezing his grandmother. She told him that power like his needed to be controlled, and convinced him to become a Soul Reaper. With Hitsugaya's natural talent, he entered the Soul Society academy in spite of his age and became known as a prodigy, quickly ascending to captain of the 10th Division, ironically making him Rangiku's superior.

Sabaku no Gaara


Gaara is a fictional character in the Naruto manga and anime series created by Masashi Kishimoto. Kishimoto designed Gaara as a foil to the series' titular character, Naruto Uzumaki, as the two were born through similar circumstances, but develop vastly different personalities as they deal with their troubled upbringing. Initially introduced as an antagonist and Naruto's rival, the two eventually develop a bond as kindred spirits and become close friends as the series progresses. In the anime and manga, Gaara is a ninja affiliated with Sunagakure, and is the son of Sunagakure's leader, the Fourth Kazekage. As a fetus, his father attempted to turn him into a human weapon by placing a tailed beast into him, and he was ostracized by the Sunagakure villagers. As a result, he develops into a ruthless killer, slaying others without remorse, and treating his siblings Kankuro and Temari with contempt. His battle with Naruto during the series changes this outlook, and he begins to aid others in order to emulate Naruto. In Part II of the series, he becomes Sunagakure's Fifth Kazekage. Gaara has appeared in several pieces of Naruto media, including the second featured film in the series, the third original video animation, and several video games.

Numerous anime and manga publications have commented on Gaara's character. IGN labeled the disparity between Naruto and Gaara as "emotional" and "a tad creepy". Anime News Network called Naruto's fight against Gaara the high point of the entire series. Among the Naruto reader base, Gaara has been popular, placing high in several popularity polls, and always making it to the top ten characters. Numerous pieces of merchandise have been released in Gaara's likeness, including plush dolls and key chains.

Abillities

Due to having Shukaku sealed within him, Gaara has control over sand. Gaara always carries sand with him in a calabash-shaped gourd on his back, which is in fact also made of compacted sand. To attack his opponents, Gaara uses sand to engulf them, and he can compress the sand, crushing them in the process. When Gaara is attacked, a shield of sand automatically blocks the attack, a result of Shukaku being sealed within him. Gaara also covers his skin with a layer of sand as a precautionary defensive measure. By the end of Part One, Gaara also demonstrates his ability to use sand to carry himself, effectively allowing him to fly.
Like other hosts of tailed beasts, Gaara can manifest aspects of the tailed beast sealed within him. By covering himself in sand, Gaara can take on the appearance of a miniature Shukaku, increasing his speed and strength in the process. As he does so, he allows Shukaku's personality to influence him, making him more violent and bloodthirsty. Once he has completed his Shukaku replica, Gaara can fully bring out Shukaku's personality by forcing himself asleep. Doing so allows Shukaku to control the replica and fight using its full strength so long as Gaara remains asleep. Though he loses Shukaku to the Akatsuki, Gaara mantains his ability to control sand.