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Villains We Just Can't Hate

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“What makes a great villain? Firstly, you need to sound distinct. To speak with an eloquence that lets everyone know who’s in charge. A villain should have style. A suit should always be bespoke, razor-sharp like your wit. It’s important that a villain has the means to stay one step ahead. World domination starts with an attention to detail.” – Tom Hiddleston, Art of Villainy

Villains gives heroes a reason to exist. What made them undergo such a path is intriguing to us. As adults, we sympathize with villains at times and as kids we cheer for the hero. In this list, I’ll write about two villains per category that we just can’t hate. The first will be a recent villain and the second will be a classic villain that I liked from my childhood. So let’s begin!

1) Movies

Loki

It's obvious I made it in this list!

It's obvious I made it in this list!

“You must be truly desperate to come to me for help.”

Thor’s adopted brother, the God of mischief – Loki is one of the most loved and MCUs best villains. Portrayed by English actor Tom Hiddleston, Loki is a selfish, manipulative, arrogant narcissist who wants to surpass his brother and become king. On social media, he and Scar (from Lion King) are always compared, and rightfully so since they are alike in many ways:

Jealous of their brother, obsessed with power and are the youngest among brothers.

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A little about him: In the first Thor movie he wanted to remove Thor as the next ruler and also to prove to his father that he is capable of making hard decisions. After this failed he got his hands on the Tesseract and by using its power to amplify his own he set out to try to rule Earth instead. His plans, foiled again landed him in jail for a year. This as well as the death of his mother got his head straight. He made peace with his brother before seemingly dying (which we know didn’t happen).

Why he can’t be hated: It is perhaps because he is the most intelligent MCU villain. He looks like he is very vulnerable but he has evil flowing through his blood. The way he manipulates people through his words even the audience gets fooled. He can even mimic and take form of others without letting a minor suspicion arouse. Maybe it is his grin that captivates us. Or maybe it’s all the above. Tom Hiddleston deserves more than an applause for bringing Loki to such fame! Whatever awaits this character next, I am in for it.

Scar

“Life's not fair, is it? You see, I... Well, I shall never be king and you shall never see the light of another day. Adieu”

He’s so bad, he’s good. This is the most apt way to describe Scar. Son of Ahadi, brother of Mufasa and uncle to Simba, Scar is the antagonist of ‘The Lion King’. The first ever villain to make me cry and taught me about how others will deceive you for their own gain. Everything he does, even if it is a ‘regular’ conversation it seems that he’s doing something villainous. He and Shere Khan were my favourite cats (and are now too); many life lessons can be learned from them. Manipulative, greedy, cowardly and a pure evil mastermind, Scar is truly a classic villain. If Tom Hiddleston ever says that, he prepared for Loki by looking at Scar… I will not be surprised.

Scar manipulating a KID!

Scar manipulating a KID!

A little about him: Scar wanted the throne, as simple as that. He killed his brother for it and manipulated his nephew into leaving the tribe. Finally king, Scar’s laziness made him a poor ruler and drove him to madness. During the battle with Simba he tried to put the blame of Mufasa’s death on the hyenas, and sadly it was the hyenas that mauled him to death.

Why he can’t be hated: His dark mane. His manipulative attitude. His sarcastic tone. His intelligence. His song ‘Be prepared’. His villainous smile. His voice (Hats off to Jeremy Irons). The fact that he says “Adieu” to his meals. As far as villains go this lion is it.

Oh stop it you!

Oh stop it you!

 

2) TV Series

The Governor

“You take the head so you don’t ever forget. You kill or you die.”

*Spoilers for Walking Dead season 3 and 4*

Until season 2, walkers were one of the main troubles for Rick and his group. Come season 3, they were just there. Why? The Governor happened. All he wants is to make a place in this bleak world where people can return to their old lifestyle and he actually is very successful at that. He has Woodberry. Of course, on the surface the Governor is a kind leader, but deep down he’s a troubled and twisted man. We glimpse at it when he massacres the soldiers and takes their supplies just after promising a man that he’ll bring them back safe. His cabinet of zombie heads, his daughter and his torture room were all signs of his madness.

Call me Philip or Brian...

Call me Philip or Brian...

A little about him: After Michonne successfully escapes the hit the Governor orders, the Governor is on revenge mode. Eventually he and she have a rematch where he loses an eye and his reanimated daughter. This also sparks enmity with Rick. The Governor plans on taking over the prison. After being unsuccessful, he massacres his soldiers and goes off. He gets his head straight, forms a new group, fails again and is killed by the woman he was having an affair with.

Why we can’t hate him: His intentions are clear though there is some madness behind it. It is also understandable why he killed those army men; you have to sacrifice a few for the good of many. He isn’t hesitant. He also knows how to hurt his opponents without laying a finger on them. David Morrissey lived the role of the Governor, he felt natural, his twisted nature blended with the gentleman act and his line deliveries were perfect (That ‘Liar’ before slicing Hershel). Being the biggest threat to our survivors; he single-handedly made season 3 a blast.

Gustavo "Gus" Fring

“A man provides, and he does it even when he is not appreciated, or respected or even loved.”

*minor spoilers for Breaking Bad*

I have heard the chicken of Los Pollos Hermanos is great and the man behind it is very generous, he is a good friend of the DEA. Not a chance he’d harm a fly either.

Gus hid behind that cover but we knew that. We knew that he’s running a meth operation but as the series went on we found out that that’s not all. Unlike other villains he isn’t a meth head. He just runs an operation, wants to make money and take his revenge on the Juárez Cartel. He eventually strikes gold with Walter as his cook but soon realizes he isn’t worth the trouble. Here we see some of his devastating moments that define him. He emotionlessly kills a man (his right hand man) with a box cutter and forces Walt to watch it, he threatens Walt in a very ‘polite’ way that he’ll kill his family along with his infant daughter. That’s just some of the many things he does.

A little about him: After meeting with Walt through Saul Goodman, Gus employed him. Tensions between him and the cartel rose and we witnessed how he took care of them (in what was the best ending for an episode ever). Walt was increasingly become a pain for him so he threatened him and this sparked a battle between Gus and Walt. No fists were exchanged but this was the best battles ever. Of course Walt has to live for the series to continue so we know how this ends.

Why we can’t hate him: As his story unfolds we realize his reasons for setting up this business and what it means to him and why he will take strict measures to eliminate any threat. We can’t help but sympathize with him. He is seen as such a gentleman and his friendship with the DEA is so deep that nobody would suspect him except Hank but no matter how much he tries Gus is two steps ahead of him. He rarely loses his calm collected front but when he does, even Walter White won’t knock.

 Would you like some chicken before I give you front seats to your family's death?

Would you like some chicken before I give you front seats to your family's death?

*I never watched TV series as a kid but BBad is considered a classic so it's justified.*

3) Manga/Anime

Madara Uchiha

“In this world, whenever there is light, there are also shadows. As long as the concept of winners exists, there must also be losers. The selfish desire of wanting to maintain peace causes wars and hatred is born to protect love.”

The man behind the moon eye plan, the reason the Akatsuki was formed, the reason for the attack on Konoha 17 years ago, mainly the guy because of whom the manga is continuing. He has Saiyan-esque blood running inside his veins as his thirst for battle never ends. For all the evil he did, he also brought the 5 shinobi nations together. He returned during the war and Kishimoto (author of Naruto) himself said that he had become so powerful that even he didn’t know how he would defeat him.

A villain that even the creator doesn’t know how to defeat? That is something you don’t see everyday.

A little bit about him: Initially Madara was known for his fight with Hashirama for the title of the first Hokage. He was believed to have died that day but using the power of the demonic statue he kept himself alive, long enough to pass the moon eye plan to Obito. Currently he’s waging a war against the shinobi world all by himself in order to gain control.

Why we can’t hate him: He is a badass. He manipulated Obito (a kid at that time) to do his bidding, destroyed his life and then stabbed him in the back when he no longer needed him. Sure, this is the sign of a horrible person but Madara also single-handedly defeated all 9 legendary tailed beasts whilst blind. He ripped of Kakashi’s eye in an instant. He is so strong that he barely loses his cool during battles. His motives are simple, make peace through force. He wants to put people asleep so that they can live in their dream world forever, not the ideal way to bring peace but it’s something. In addition, he plotted a complex plan and then died but he ensured that preparations for his plans continued and after approximately 20-25 years… his plan has succeded. For a villain who can do all this, the audiences think of him as nothing short of a badass mastermind

Kaguya won't take me so easily!

Kaguya won't take me so easily!

Shinobu Sensui

“Oh, right, I'm killing you. Forgive me, I got distracted”

Togashi Yoshihiro makes great villains and Shinobu Sensui from Yu Yu Hakusho is a very good example of it. He was the main antagonist of the Chapter Black saga. Of all the animes I know, the villains have never killed the main protagonist but Sensui did. He plans far ahead and will kill anyone for his goals (like Game Master). He has his consciousness split into 7 different personalities and each personality has its own mindset and abilities and that is just the beginning of what is different about him.

A little about him: Sensui was a gifted prodigy with a talent to kill demons. He viewed the world in a black and white sense – Humans were good and supposed to be protected and demons were bad and should be dead. He was the best spirit detective and had slain a lot of demons. On one mission, he witnessed the Black Black group (mobsters) torturing and using demons for their own amusement. His world was suddenly flooded with grey and his mind was being ripped. He created 7 personalities to protect himself from the truths he just couldn’t accept. He then stole the Chapter Black tape from the spirit world; the tape contained the horrors committed by humans. His goal then was to open the demon world’s portal, die at the hands of a demon to atone for his sins and try to make humans and demons co-exist.

Why you can’t hate him: His backstory is genuinely sad and his turn into a villain was valid too. His inner 7 personalities are a twisted idea. He managed to master the sacred energy in just 6 years thanks to the 7 (it usually takes 40 years). His ability to plan far ahead is appreciated. He was the first villain I know to kill the protagonist. At the end of the anime, Yuusuke acknowledged that Sensui won too when his dream of humans and demons co-existing came true.

I gave Minato the idea for Rasengan.

I gave Minato the idea for Rasengan.

4) Games

GLaDOS

“Momentum, a function of mass and velocity is conserved between portals. In Layman’s terms… speedy thing goes in, speedy thing comes out”

I still remember that momentum = mass * velocity, if only all of science could be taught like that. I played portal only because my friend kept on pestering me to play it and am I glad he did. You wake in a room and are instructed by GLaDOS to go through a series of tests that’ll test your abilities. At first I thought it was simple enough, and since it was an add on to Half Life 1 I thought it was just something made as an experiment and won’t be as deep storywise. I was wrong. The game can be finished in one sitting but the effect it leaves lasts forever.

A little about her: GLaDOS is an AI that oversees experiments at the Aperture Science Facility. What begins as a series of brainteasers slowly turns to psychological abuse and then life threatening military drills because the current room is under “maintenance”. Simply put… she just wants to complete her experiments.

Why she can’t be hated: As you go through the chambers GLaDOS at first insults you with your weight and all; minor stuff. Then she starts psychologically abusing you and unbelievably it hurts. She lies constantly and at one-point lies about lying! The only interactions you have in Portal are with her. Briefly, you are given a companion cube and you are forced to incinerate it, and it you did not feel bad enough GLaDOS’ next insults could make you shed a tear or two. Soon she goes for your life promising you cake and a party in return you just have to jump into a lava pit. Her message for you in the credits, in the form of a catchy song are actually threats but you can’t help but just think how cute GLaDOS is. All her lines are memorable and I’ll be willing to go back to more of her test chambers for that false cake.

Cake and grief counseling will be available at the conclusion of this article.

Cake and grief counseling will be available at the conclusion of this article.

Dr. Neo Cortex

"You Moron! This bandicoot will be my general and he will lead my Cortex Commandos to the world domination. This time I shall reign triumphant!”

The original Crash Bandicoot trilogy by Naughty Dog is my favourite. It was the reason I bought a PlayStation in the first place. It introduced me to gaming and today as I work hard to join this industry I can’t help but thank Naughty Dog for it. Fighting N.Gin, Ripper Roo, Pinstripe, N. Brio, Tiny and Uka Uka brings back many memories and tears just don’t stay back anymore.

The main boss in all the 3 games of this trilogy is Dr. Neo Periwinkle Cortex, a mad scientist whose goal is to destroy the world and Crash. This may seem like a dangerous threat but Cortex’s bumbling actions along with his bumbling friends and his comical voice make it hard to take serious.

Crash Crash Crash... Why must you always muck in my mud

Crash Crash Crash... Why must you always muck in my mud...

A little about him: Born in a family of clowns, Cortex had a troubled childhood due to cruel circus performers. Here he decided he won’t stop until he took over the world. He met Dr. Nitrus Brio at the academy for evil children and together they created the Evolvo-ray which would make animals into super intelligent minions. Unfortunately it created insane creatures like Ripper Roo and our protagonist Crash. The rest of the series is about Cortex’s futile attempts to defeat his own creation and arch nemesis Crash Bandicoot.

Why he can’t be hated: He is a stereotypical mad scientist type of villain – short tempered, reckless and has no conscious. He holds a grudge against other scientists for ridiculing his ideas. Although his talks are big, he is a coward. He is also the only villain on the list who doesn’t learn from his mistakes and can’t plan ahead leading him to be defeated by the creation who he considers is a "blithering imbecile" and also "the worst mutation ever created" again and again. He is an extremely funny character voiced perfectly by Brendan O’Brien and Clancy Brown. Even though he is eventually put to the side due to Uka Uka, he’ll always be my favourite villain of this series.

The Big Daddy Of 'em All: Joker

“If I’m going to have a past, I prefer it to be multiple choice!”

Be it movies, comics or games. Joker has always fascinated us and is the most loved villain in the world. Since I couldn’t put him in any one category I gave him a special mention (also he's my favorite).

It's simple. We, uh, make me the best!

It's simple. We, uh, make me the best!

A little about him: Considering he’s the most famous villain and one of the oldest… this section isn’t required.

Why he can’t be hated: He isn’t a God or a lion nor does he have a throne to conquer. He doesn’t have an army or a meth business to protect. He isn’t a legendary shinobi or a prodigious spirit detective. He isn’t artificial intelligence nor is he a mad scientist. He is just a twisted human being who wants to make Batman like himself. He has done some terrible things to those Batsy loves be it in movies (killed Rachel), games (killed Talia) or comics (paralysed Barbara Gordon) and who knows maybe in the upcoming TV series Gotham he might make an appearance.

He is anti-Batman in every way. Batman is protection and order, Joker is destruction and chaos. Also whenever Joker is in a scene the atmosphere gets tense, the peculiar behaviour he has is disturbing at times. Always smiling even if he is at the receiving end of Batman’s punches. When he kills people he leaves them “smiling”. He is also unpredictable: If one of your everyday power hungry gets his hands on a WMD or a toxic gas we all would panic because we know what will happen next. If Joker does the same thing, the panic will be there but no one knows what he’ll do with it, maybe he’ll destroy a city with it or leave it hanging by a loose thread leaving the people not knowing when it’ll drop. All that for fun. Creepy! He's nuts INSANE! Yet I cried when he died.

People love him because he’s unpredictable and can do what will make even other heroes cringe or maybe they love him because he knows a killing joke.

--x--x--x--

And that's the end of it. Villains we can't hate! Do you agree with it? List some of your own villains. Thank you for reading!

Oh and by the way if you want that cake and grief counseling please assume the party escort submission position.

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Naruto Chapter 680 Review

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Floor is lava... literally. Naruto 680, a chapter that gives hope instead of bleakness! Naruto and Sasuke take on Kaguya, so let's go!

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So everyone is falling into lava. Sasuke uses his hawk summoning to save himself and Naruto, Kakashi uses a scroll attached to a kunai to save himself and Sakura and a kunai through Obito's palm to save him. Firstly, it's been a helluva long time since we've seen the hawk, I don't even remember when I last saw it. If you do... tell me about it. Secondly, Kakashi lost his eye but not his brains. Just to prove that the floor is indeed lava Sakura's headband falls in and incinerates. Thanks for the demonstration Sakura (Sarcasm sign).

Next Sasuke gets to some hard facts, none of them can die if they want to seal Kaguya and saving Kakashi and (especially) Sakura is not their priority. To which Naruto beautifully replies, "... But in times like this.. My body moves on its own." Cue flashback. The flashback was appropriate and I'm sure Sasuke probably feels the same as back then but this time the stakes are higher and he'll suppress those feelings for the greater good.

Kakashi's scroll burns because of the heat and Naruto saves them. This was all the distraction Kaguya needed and she threw he needle-like hair at the vital points of the hawk and Sasuke hitting their vital points, quite an opportunist that Kaguya. For a second there though I thought that Kaguya was actually saving Kakashi and Sakura.

Back to the edo Hokages. The First is free and can now move and he's gonna do something. The Second is heading to "where the huge chakra is coming from" (In the mangapanda version the same sentence is used twice, could be mistranslated). The Third notices 'his' chakra suddenly disappeared so he's mostly talking about Madara or Orochimaru. The Fourth also wants to head to Naruto's location.

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Naruto saves the hawk (which just *poofs* out), Sasuke and Kakashi & Sakura and also he floats... that's awesome! So apparently it's because he has the Sage's chakra. Meanwhile, Kaguya looks on thinking, "My plan would've worked by now if it wasn't for these meddling kids."

Naruto makes a clone which takes Sakura and Kakashi to safety and Naruto and Sasuke ready themselves to take on Kaguya. Ok so in this panel I don't get this... was Naruto's hand not drawn or is it not there for a reason. See for yourself.

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Ok so Kaguya claims that "All chakra is mine" and "I'll blend all chakra into one." She is acting more like she's actually the Juubi herself, could it be that she did seal herself in the Juubi and the moon was actually the Kaguya part of the Juubi? Crazy stuff is going on and we need answers!

Then Kaguya and Naruto clash and it turns out that it was actually to distract Kaguya and have Sasuke attack from above and then cliffhanger ending. I don't think that slash is gonna do any damage to her but I did appreciate that Naruto and Sasuke came up with a plan without actually saying anything, proof of their 'bond'.

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A good chapter. The main people teleported to a volcano and after getting Kakashi and Sakura safe, Naruto and Sasuke take on Kaguya. Art was good though it did falter in some places. One does wonder if Kaguya really is the final villain. First there was Pain, who was manipulated by Obito, who was manipulated by Madara, who was manipulated by Black Zetsu. Who knows someone else may still be pulling strings. I give this one a 7/10. Some amazing action and also the Hokages getting ready for something, that seems promising.

 

Will that final slash hurt Kaguya (even a little)? What will the Hokages do? Do you wish Sakura would've fallen in? Tell me about it in the comments.

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Naruto Chapter 681 Review

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903

What!? What!? What!? What!? What!? What!? What!? What!? What!?

01

Yeah so in order to be able to maintain my sanity I'll start from the beginning...

Sasuke's attack fails, no doubt about that... happens a lot in Shonen mangas. He loses his sword to the lava but manages to get to Naruto using his newly acquired technique which is similar to Minato's. Anyway he then uses that orb thingy as a platform and I guess it's nice to see something not being turned to dust by that orb. Obito gets saved by the clone...

Sanity maintained so far but what happens next is just creepy and mind bending (So much for starting from the beginning).

05

At first I was like "Awwwww" then after reading next page I was like "Waaaaa". At first she is seemingly crying because she is reunited with her children and next she's draining chakra to kill them... make up your mind woman! So Kaguya sees her sons instead of her grandsons in Naruto and Sasuke... what's up with that! I mean she seeing Hagoromo is justified since Naruto and Sasuke have his chakra but why Hamura? Was Indra actually the son of Hamura? Or is it because she sees one and she is reminded of the other too? Whatever it was, Zetsu's story that was way more mind bending than anything.

So it turns out that Kaguya was part of the 10-tails and so her sons sealed her but at the last minute she created a third son - Zetsu. Wait, she 'created' a son? Also the way the Zetsus (apparently there are two of them) were talking, they were talking from the perspective of Hagoromo and Hamura (they said that their mother was sealed by "us, her own sons' hands"), so are the two black Zetsus a version of Hagoromo and Hamura that their mother wanted them to be? Crazy stuff, huh?

So the 10-tails = Sacred tree + Kaguya (as predicted). Kaguya wanted to get all chakra back so that she could give it all to her sons, how selfless. Hagoromo and Hamura had no clue about their mother's intention so they thought she was being a tyrant and so they sealed her which made her angry towards her sons and hence she is now a villain. Crazy stuff, huh?

Using his recording ability Zetsu shows how he created the history of the ninja. Zetsu went to Indra after he lost to Ashura and instigated him to do stuff (bad stuff I presume) and that formed the Uchiha, the 'cast' of Zetsus story. He then changed the stone monuments writing and made the Uchiha go after the Infinite Tsukuyomi. Madara's quest has been justified. Like this Zetsu created the desire for chakra and hence started all wars between Senju and Uchiha. He would go to both sides and see if the successor of Ashura and Indra was worthy but he would be dissapointed... until Madara and Hashirama came along. Crazy stuff, huh?

During their battle at the final valley Madara did die for Hashirama but the reality was that he had used Izanagi to change his fate. During the battle he had bitten a piece of Hashirama (which came out of nowhere). Then Zetsu found him and Madara made his underground layer. There he used the flesh of Hashirama to get his DNA and awaken the Rinnegan and used the Gedo Mazou to cultivate more of his rival's flesh. From there the white zetsus were released and the Black Zetsu carried out his plan using Madara's name - made the Akatsuki, made Obito and Kabuto allies, showed Kabuto Madara's corpse, then infinite tsukuyomi and then Kaguya! Then Zetsu's story ended. Crazy stuff, huh?

16

I won't be sleeping tonight!

Then Naruto removes the Black Zetsu from himself and Sasuke and now they are going to use 'that technique'.

16 - Copy

That was some talk heavy chapter! Lots of history revealed and lots of questions raised! I checked chapter 606 and there it was mentioned that Black Zetsu was the will of Madara and he turned half of a white Zetsu into Black but this chapter says otherwise... need some clarification on that. Hamura has been mention too many times now, so he's going to make an appearance (probably it is he who is the reaper!). Also it's probably just me but I feel that Naruto's theme has totally changed and I'm having mixed feelings about that... it's all about the past! The story could've become annoying but leave it to Kishimoto to keep it interesting. Art in this one was great, that Kaguya face is gonna haunt me forever. I usually go for mangapanda's translation because they aren't really that off the mark but this chapter's translation was just butchered, reading the two versions is like reading to very different chapters. Anyways, I give this one a 3.5/5.

Side note: Just like the final villain thing, even the maker of the Akatsuki is never confirmed. First it was Nagato, then Obito, then Madara and now Black Zetsu.

 

Will Hamura make an appearance? What is 'that technique'? Sons sealing mom can really ruin a family, huh? Crazy stuff, huh? Thanks for reading!

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Dream Football Team: Anime/Manga

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Now everyone has a dream team probably consisting of the two Ronaldo's playing together along with Messi and Maradona in the mix, but just like how Spiderman and X-men won't come in Marvel's Cinematic Universe this too is just a dream. This year the mascot of Japan's team is Pikachu and that got me thinking, "If I could assemble a team with anime/manga characters who would be in it?" and the result is below

Formation: The reliable 3-4-3.

Goalkeeper: Monkey D. Luffy (One Piece) - Made of rubber and can stretch from one end of the field to another. No shot is far off for Luffy to reach and he can protect our goal as long as we give him meat!

Strikers: 1) Axel Blaze (Inazuma 11) - The ace striker and my personal favourite from the series! His fire tornado won't only go past the goalkeeper but it will also burn through the net (which probably won't be accepted by FIFA authorities so I guess we gotta work on that).

2) Jimmy Kudo (Detective Conan) - An ace detective and another ace striker, Jimmy is a football prodigy too and with Dr. Agasa's shoes to help him he'll score in no time. Bonus points: If there's a murder or something he can solve that too.

3) Pikachu (Pokemon) - Since he's the mascot he deserved a place on this team and while he may not shoot goals, he can shoot bolts at defenders and help our strikers... hopefully the referee won't notice that the opposition is burnt up.

Midfielders: 1) Goku (DBZ) - With his speed he can race around the field in less than a second and help his teammates out if they are in a pickle. With his God like abilities I just hope he won't get banned.

2) Vegeta (DBZ) - Because Kakarot is there and I will not allow him to SURPASS ME!

3) Aizen (Bleach) - He probably won't be kicking the ball much but we need his Kyoka Suigetsu to hypnotize the opposition, fans and referee to cement our victory (read: be able to do fouls, confuse the other team and do other things usually not allowed).

4) Nobita (Doraemon) - He's a good-for-nothing but when Doraemon gives him a helping of gadgets Nobita will be putting football legends to shame (Doraemon is a cat so we can't have him on the team).

Defenders: 1) Edward Elric (Full Metal Alchemist) - He can turn the ground into an unsurpassable wall. Nuff said.

2) Orochimaru (Naruto) - He can slither on the field without being detected so if the opposing striker is coming to shoot thinking there's no one between him and the keeper... he's got another thing coming. Also in addition to Elric's wall Orochimaru can also use the Rashomon.  Just being over precautionary.

3) Minato Namikaze (Naruto) - If the GK is distracted (probably eating meat) then Minato can instantly teleport and kick the ball away, put his Yellow Flash title to use.

Coach: Captain Tsubasa - The legend who has inspired real life legends like Zidane, Messi , Iniesta etc. He has been playing since 1981 so his experience and coaching is necessary to train our team of mostly non-footballers.

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So there's my team! Who would you have included? What other dream teams do you have (like from comics or something)? Write your list down below

Naruto Chapter 682 Review

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If you haven't read the chapter, read it here (mangapanda translation) or here (mangastream translation).

After all the serious chapters and backstabbing twists we've been given, this chapter gives a great refresh to the series!

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This chapter was just outright awesome! I'm pretty sure that there will be mixed reactions for this and I'm on the positive side of things. Kishimoto has taken risks and now to see how the community reacts.

Ok so this chapter begins with Naruto talking about 'that technique' once again with Sasuke agreeing that if it helps make an opening then let's go! When Naruto claims that he's been practicing this technique I did think of the sexy jutsu but I was like how would that help against Kaguya? Zetsu maybe... but not Kaguya. Then we cut to clone Naruto and co. where we have a small bit of dialogue and then clone Naruto touches Obito for a reason not told... touchy touchy. Oh wait, he was just healing him.

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So the technique begins and Sasuke fires an Amaterasu while Naruto creates a bunch of clones and then in that one moment where the fate of the world will be decided, one technique will break through Kaguya, this God like woman who can absorb any jutsu and that jutsu is...

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Sexy Reverse Harem no Jutsu!

That page made me wish Kaguya was a guy! Fangirls everywhere are gonna be enjoying this. Are you watching this Jiraya sensei!? The chapter's title is justified. I thought of it in a joking manner but never in my wildest dreams would I have ever thought of this as a possibility! Of all the twists recently, this one just takes the cake! Hats off to Kishimoto!

Now, Naruto and Sasuke go in for the sealing but then Kaguya transports all of them from lava to ice and traps Sasuke and Naruto in ice. She gets out of there using her dimension traveling ability while Sasuke uses his Amaterasu and Kagutsuchi to help break them out.

Just as we were about to see Sasuke's strategy, Kaguya and Zetsu decided to split up. Naruto and Kaguya stay in the ice world while Sasuke and Zetsu are in a desert. Shakes things up and I'm more than pumped for the next one!

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Amazing chapter which just refreshes things up! I was beginning to lose hope with all those backstabs but Kishimoto proved me wrong. The chapter seemed small (because it had two double pages) but it was exciting nonetheless. The art was just phenomenal. The outcome will be mixed reactions from the community. I give this one a 4/5. It pushed my declining love for Naruto back to where it should be i.e at the top! Really waiting for the next one!

What was your reaction to this chapter? Pumped for the next? What is Kaguya's plan? Tell me about it in the comments. With this blog I turn Level 15!

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Hikaru no Go: An Anime That Sparked A Go Frenzy

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Slam Dunk, Inazuma 11, Crush Gear Turbo and Hikaru no Go are the only sports anime/manga I have seen/read. What makes Hikaru no Go different is that it doesn’t involve a bunch of fit athletes, or super powered footballers nor super powered mechanical vehicles… just two people playing Go (a 2500 year old Chinese board game). Doesn’t really sound exciting huh? If so then Hikaru no Go proves that even a boring thing can be made interesting if told properly. Not only interesting though, it was the reason for a huge rise in Go popularity and that too in not only Japan and China but all around the world!

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Hikaru no Go is a classic Shonen manga, which was later, adapted into an anime, which I loved watching while growing up. The anime fulfills and feels like a Shonen series – A hero, his rival, his mentor and a female friend, and yet it has it's own distinct essence. Studio Pierrot has taken the source material and carefully brought it to life. The manga’s author as well as the studio worked very hard to get their facts and that truly shines in the series.

The series begins with the protagonist, Hikaru and his rival Touya Akira at age 11 and 12, respectively, and ends with them being around 16 and 17 but unlike other Shonen anime, where the timeskip takes place from chapter to another i.e. instantly, the timeskip here is gradual and you barely notice it. It is during this time that the anime develops it’s characters, gives you legendary games of Go, paints a picture of how Go is played internationally (mainly in Japan) and most importantly it has piqued your interest in this awe-inspiring game.

By no means does the anime directly teach you Go (not counting the end ‘Go Go Igo’ sequences) but it subtly does give you an idea and some great strategies which you only realize if you actually sit and play.

One of the greatest rivalries of all time!

One of the greatest rivalries of all time!

The anime is best described as a coming of age story with a small fantasy element but unlike other coming of age stories it doesn’t end with Hikaru being a Go pro but it continues on some more. It shows what happens to a player once he has become a professional in a sport. You feel connected in Hikaru’s journey from a beginner to an Insei to a pro. His wins are your wins and so are his loses. The ending seems to be abrupt to many but and as a kid it did infuriate me (who likes seeing their favourite cartoon end so suddenly) but now I find that the ending has deep meaning and going any further would’ve just ruined it.

Fujiwara no Sai the fantasy element as well as the funniest character! P.s He's a guy.

Fujiwara no Sai the fantasy element as well as the funniest character! P.s He's a guy.

As a child, Hikaru was one of the first characters to give me the ‘Never give up’ spirit (others being Goku and Yugi). As a person who’d rather play video games than any sport, Go gave me a real sport I could excel at but finding another person who was passionate about Go (because the internet was new to me – dial-up era) was hard so I moved to chess.

On re-watching the series, the spirit for playing Go burns again and I can also appreciate the hard work put into the series to make it legit. You can appreciate how lovingly the characters are crafted. How the picture of Go is developed. All I can say is, “Thank You Obata Takeshi and Hotta Yumi for the riveting manga and thank you Studio Pierrot for this well produced, faithful and lovingly crafted anime!”

It’s seems hard to find an anime that is so smart, complex and deep and yet is enjoyable and understandable (in addition, being fun for kids and adults). Hikaru no Go is one of them. A classic anime indeed.

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Thank you for reading this and I'd like to thank Lost_In_Translation for giving this particular blog theme!

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Naruto Chapter 683 Review

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Sakura became useful, We got an insight to Kaguya's powers and Obito moves again! It's Naruto vs. The World in Chapter 683! You can read the chapter here (mangapanda translation) or here (mangastream translation) or here (Unique video format by Zacky San)

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I have to say, I thought it was super badass when Kaguya went into the other dimension thing and made the whole world beat the hell out of Naruto. The art on those panels was pretty amazing! But majority of the chapter was with the people currently on the sidelines.

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So Obito is back thanks to Naruto but what was the 'But...' Naruto said? Is it that Obito has no more Rinnegan or that Madara activated the Infinite Tsukuyomi? Anyways they all decide to head to Naruto's place and his clone fills up Obito on current events on the way.

Shift to the four kages who have found Madara's lower half. Now, if I'm not wrong then that's the half that Sasuke cut down but Madara had a lower half when Zetsu betrayed him... so did it mean that he regenerated his lower half? or did Kaguya not take the lower half of Madara?

The four then discuss what happened when they tried saving people from the infinite tsukuyomi and decide that Madara should be brought back by Edo Tensei to know what exactly happened. As soon as he touches Madara, the Sage of Six Paths' figure comes up, possibly due to Madara having the 9 beasts. Short cut to Sasuke and then back to Naruto and co.

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Kaguya finally comes out after 'trapping' Naruto and Obito realizes that her jutsu is similar to his own. He theorizes that he can enter her dimension and bring Sasuke back but requires chakra and that's where Sakura becomes useful. Also how will Obito travel to Sasuke? Obito's jutsu had only 2 dimensions but it's clear that Kaguya has many dimensions... so unless she goes to Sasuke again I see no way that syncing Kamui is gonna help.

Obito has a small monologue and it was very effective. The guy was jerk back then who put the world at stake for just one girl and now he's trying to do right at least some of the wrongs he did. Also I prefer that he die otherwise it'll just ruin his character.

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Pretty decent chapter that just served as a build up. Interesting stuff and my concerns that lately Naruto took a sudden shift in tone are being shut. Art was good. I give this one a 3.5/5

 

Why did Naruto say 'But...'? How will Obito go to Sasuke? What will Hagoromo say to the kages? Tell me in the comments below!

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How To Find Out The Number Of Views On Your Blog

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For most of us writing blogs on IGN, the number of comments we receive are the sole indicators of our blogs success. But that is not the case, in one particular site - whatculture.com, I noticed that an article may get a lot of views but little to no comments. In short, sometimes the number of comments may be low but the views are higher and hence comments are not a reliable way to tell the popularity of your blog.

On searching for a solution I came to statcounter.com. It is a very simple and easy to use service that tells you exactly how many visits you get.

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After signing up for an account come over to your main page which looks like this.

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Of course it'll be empty at the time you first come but whenever you start writing a blog, open this site in a new tab and click 'Add Project" (Circled in above pic).

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Under the 'Project URL' type or copy/paste the URL of your blog. For this your blog has to be published already. So adding the stat counter will be the last step. Give your project a title. Choose a type of tracking (the image shown will be visible on your blog) on the right and then below it choose whether you want to get e-mail reports of your stats. Then 'Add Project'. On the next page that comes up, click 'Default Installation Guide' (Circled Below).

Screenshot (11)Copy the whole code that comes up (Circled below).

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Switch to 'Text' view on your blog and paste it towards the end of your blog and then 'Update' your blog.

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Come back to the 'Visual' view again and you can delete the highlighted piece of code. Also notice that my stat counter is there.

Screenshot (14) You can keep track by going to your homepage on statcounter.com and see how many views, unique visits you got as well as detailed statistics of your blog.

It would be awesome if MyIGN gets this feature but until then this is one way to see your views. So the next time your blog goes without comments check out your statcounter homepage to see if it was read or not. Hope it helped and thanks for reading! If you have any questions, ask them in the comments below!

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Naruto Chapter 684 Review

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Obito is a dead man walking, There's potential build up to a Sasu/Saku moment and ending was a confusing cliffhanger! Welcome to the review of Naruto Chapter 684. If you haven't read the chapter then you can read it here (mangapanda translation) or here (mangastream translation)

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I wanted Obito dead a loooong time ago and now after his great speech at the end of last chapter I really will feel bad when he finally does die. Sakura reveals this info along with justifying Naruto's "But..." from last chapter. Considering that he had the Juubi extracted from him and then beaten even further by different people, he had to die. The punishment he received was too big to allow him to live on. Also it's good to see that even Naruto's new healing powers are not all-powerful.

Kaguya speaks again in this chapter, a bit more than usual and that's a good sign, I want her to keep a good middle ground between not talking at all and blabbering endlessly.

Naruto then uses the 5-tails to break out of the ice and I am surprised that he hasn't used the tailed beasts as much. This is just the third time but I do hope he uses the rest too before the end of the series.

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Kishimoto has kept up with the nostalgia. Not only did we see the huge shadow clone jutsu but also the Naruto Barrage!! At first I was like... "What's an 'U'?" then "What's a 'Zu'?" and then it clicked what he was doing. When he did the sexy jutsu last time, somewhere I hoped to see it again and Kishimoto fulfilled it!

Kaguya was taking blows so she escaped into another dimension (which is mentioned to be the main one which connects to 5 more), here Obito teleports and Naruto goes into it too. Many people were confused as to what were the 'other two' things that Zetsu sensed. I believe that he felt Obito, Sakura and the clone (who had poofed up) coming in and because Obito teleported back to his own dimension Zetsu thought it was the clones.

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Can you see how reluctant Kaguya is to kill Naruto. Agreed that she wants the chakra but still. Also she has a plan further ahead after gathering all chakra?

And we get another dose of nostalgia, Kaguya uses Kimimaro's bone technique and what's more interesting is that now that Kimimaro is mentioned, he was from the Kaguya clan and he also had the two circles that Kaguya has above her own eyes. Have a look.

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Could it be that Kimimaro will make a return? Anyways, Naruto gets himself pierced and gets a huge hole in his stomach. Kaguya goes back to her ice world only to find that the clones are still there. Next chapter can't come soon enough!

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Naruto isn't dead obviously. There was some type of trick. But it was a cliffhanger nonetheless. Taking that into consideration there wasn't much story progression. Sakura will now help out Sasuke and there's a chance to have Sasu/Saku moment. Last year, around this time the chapters went painfully slow and I hope today's chapter isn't a sign of history repeating. Art was good. Slow chapter that was again just more build up; I'll give it a 2.5/5.

 

Will Kimimaro make a return? What is Naruto's fate? Did you get the nostalgia feel? Tell me about it in the comments!

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Best Video Game OSTs I Have Heard!

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Not only am I a sucker for graphics in video games but I'm also a sucker for their soundtracks! This week's blog theme inspired me to write about them. I'm also a PS fanboy so you probably won't find titles that aren't available on those consoles. Let the list start!

Best Intro Track

Whenever I start a new game it takes me some time to get the feel of the game but with this one I dived right in. The track clearly tells you that the game is going to be dark, detective type and related to fables.

Best Battle Track

inFAMOUS Second Son was my first PS4 game and I was wowed! If the graphics, gameplay and the stellar voice acting isn't enough then comes the soundtrack. The stencil art minigame does not only give you a witty picture to look at but also a catchy tune while you do your public service. During battles you get the rock music and it just pumps you up and makes you wanna slash DUPs till forever.

Best Credits Track

Portal was a game I played simply because my friend kept on nagging me. In the end, 'Still Alive' became the first of many video game OSTs I downloaded. GLaDOS is threatening me and I can't stop thinking about how cute the song is.

Best Overall Soundtrack

This game's soundtrack is just too good. Home and The Last Of Us are the highlights of this one. Gustavo Santaollala deserves every music award that is there for this one.

Best Soundtrack Innovation

There's no sound when you play. Why? It's because you're the one who has to collect notes and create your music. Everything in the environment makes a sound and when all sounds work together in a rhythmic manner, music is made. Playing through this platformer is a novel and breathtaking experience and I highly suggest it to you!

My Favourite Track

Assassin's Creed 2 is hands down my favourite PS3 game. Before getting the game I had only seen a few gameplay trailers and had no clue about the story. It was my 3rd PS3 game. Ezio's story was what moved about this game. This soundtrack makes me relieve those moments where I was desperate to save my father and brothers but was helpless. It is sheer nostalgia for me. I don't know how many times I have cried to this song. Simply mesmerizing.

Most Nostalgic Soundtracks

My very first game ever! Nostalgia runs wild with this one! This soundtrack too easily conveys the theme of the game. A comedic adventure with a bumbling bandicoot! Naughty Dog was legendary from the very start of it's PS life.

My first Gameboy game! Pokemon Red still holds a special place in my heart. Watching Pokemon on TV and then catching, training your own and winning badges just like in the cartoon. A child couldn't ask for a better childhood.

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There you have it. I hope you enjoyed listening to them as much as I did. I probably missed many categories so feel free to tell me and I'll update my blog. Thanks for reading and thanks to Lost_In_Translation for the theme.

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Naruto Chapter 685 Review

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Why does Kishi tease us so much!? Why can't he just give us a straight answer!? Is it NaruHina and SasuSaku or the other way around!? Welcome to Naruto Chapter 685 review! If you haven't read the chapter you can read it here (mangastream translation)

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This was mainly a Sakura-centric chapter and when I say Sakura-centric, it includes the fact that she was useful.

So we begin with an explanation of last week's events and while it does confirm what happened, it shouldn't have taken 4 pages. Fans had an idea of what happened and a 1-2 page recap was enough. Small shift to Naruto and we see that he's occupying Kaguya while Obito and Sakura find Sasuke.

Sakura goes all out, giving all her chakra to Obito. Obito's eyes bleed because the dimensions are so far that it just makes you wonder what type of God like creature Kaguya is. Either she has immense reserves of chakra or she has another technique to go through dimensions seamlessly.

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Thank God that we got a name for them! And also that we can now tell apart clone from the real one.

Ok so Obito and Sakura open each of Kaguya's dimensions one by one. The first one being the lava place they were in and the second being a sea of acid. Acid falls on Sakura but she just rips out her jacket and sleeves and goes on... good girl being useful again.

Third times the charm and sure enough they find Sasuke, with Sakura running out of chakra will Sasuke reach her in time??

It was a tense page... I'll give it that.

It was a tense page... I'll give it that.

And most surely Sasuke makes it to the other dimension using his new Rinnegan ability. Just in time to catch a fainting Sakura. That SasuSaku moment! Hopefully, Sasuke will finally give her the affection she wanted and not just forget about this.

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Massive annoucement coming next chapter! I have two predictions for that one: 1) A new Naruto movie or 2) Countdown for the end of the series (NOOOOO!)

Well so that's that. Kishimoto is feeling very generous. He redeemed Obito and probably is on track to redeem Sakura. Storywise we got a confirmation on last chapter's events and also Sasuke meeting up with Sakura and Obito. Good chapter with a few wasted pages but it came early so I'll give it a 3.5/5.

 

Do you want SasuSaku or NaruSaku? What's the plan now? What is the massive announcement for next week? Tell me about it in the comments!

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Naruto Chapter 686 Review

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I have been following this series for 7 years... and it's coming to an end very soon. I, and many others, predicted that the big reveal would either be a countdown to the end or a new movie. Luck is on our side I guess since we got both. If you haven't read the chapter you can read it here (mangapanda translation) or here (mangastream translation - better).

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The above image says the last movie, titled The Last: Naruto the Movie, is out on 6th of December so the manga will probably end before that. If the manga really is ending then I'd love for it to end exactly on 700. Regardless, these chapter are the beginning of the end.

The first of the last begins with a colour page and has the Sage talking to the Hokages, setting up a plan to defeat Kaguya. He said that he could come out because Madara had the 9-tails', Indra's and Ashura's chakra. Why 9-tails? Is it because it is the last tailed beast? What do you think?

On to Kaguya stabbing clones with her hidden blade-esque move. Fans had predicted that Naruto is fooling her by giving the Gudoudama to a clone and lo and behold they were right! He used a similar technique on Neji too back in chapter 100. As I said last time, Kishimoto surely is feeling nostalgic.

The nostalgia...

The nostalgia...

Kakashi was just standing there feeling helpless, which is second time on the same day if you go by the Naruto timeline. Just wanted to let him know that he did contribute a lot to Naruto's, Sakura's and Sasuke's (he taught him his signature move) development.

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Funniest part of the chapter esp. Naruto's, "Did you thank Sakura and Obito!?" and Sasuke's like, "... Focus on the enemy."

Dimension change time! This time the place has strong gravity. Strong enough to affect Kaguya. Her first attack misses because she's still getting used to it. The second one won't miss but Obito and Kakashi go to save them. Two small points, a) How can Obito and Kakashi go against the gravity when Naruto, Sasuke and even the God-like Kaguya can't (I guess sacrificial love can beat gravity any day) and b) They both were together in the last dimension so how did they end up so far off from each other? But that's just nitpicking.

So Kaguya has thrown her bones, Kakashi and Obito stand in the way. I honestly thought that it would end with both dying but instead Obito saves Kakashi so that he can spend some time alone with Rin.

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A great chapter! Storywise we got some setup for the future, a dimension change, Sasuke & Naruto reunion and the death of Obito. Obito was a pretty hated character and Kishi redeeming him and ending it this way was just too good. The reveal about the movie and the end will get 3 possible reactions, a) NOOOO! (I fall here) b) Thank God it's finally over and c) All good things come to an end. Being the last chapters my patience for slow chapter has ended and this one wasn't. More info on the movie is expected soon and I'll keep you guys updated. I'll give this chapter a 8/10.

 

What was your reaction to the news that Naruto is ending soon? What plan do the Hokages have? How will our heroes cope with this gravity? Tell me about it in the comments

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Naruto Chapter 687 Review

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A chapter dedicated to sending off Obito, one of Naruto's most resilient characters. If you haven't read the chapter you can read it here (mangastream translation) or here (mangapanda translation).

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So this chapter was basically a send off to Obito - A young boy with a dream who went on the path of destruction after being brainwashed by Madara but came back to his senses thanks to Naruto.

First off we get the reactions of those around him - Kakashi is shocked and sad, Kaguya is worrying about her chakra levels and Zetsu is basically giving us a recap of Obito's life whereas team 7's reaction is this...

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Naruto shows his anger loudly while Sasuke is looking the usual Sasuke self and Sakura is... still trying to understand stuff.

Then Naruto goes forward to heal Obito and that moment nearly gave me a heart attack... if Naruto's healing thing would've worked I would've gone to Google translate, translated "What are you doing!!?" into Japanese, taken a trip to Japan, request a meeting with Kishimoto and when I met him I would've yelled whatever the translation for "What are you doing!!?" is. Thankfully it didn't come to that.

While Zetsu is giving his speech Sasuke takes advantage of this and goes in for the attack ASAP! He misses but A+ for effort. This change in Sasuke, where he always goes in for the attack at every and any opening really adds to his character. Dimension change time!

Sasuke goes forward hoping for Naruto to come in as backup but Naruto stays there listening to Obito brood over his life and say his final words. I wasn't too fond of this scene but this is what I'd expect from a tribute chapter. My favourite part of would be this...

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Anywho, Obito crumbles and an angered Naruto goes after Kaguya and slashes the arm with Zetsu off!

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Naruto is coming to a close soon and so my patience to slow chapters is close to none. I understand the chapter being a tribute and all but we could've dedicated half chapter for that and the remaining half for story. At the end Naruto says that "Obito is the most awesome/coolest person there is"... umm he killed Neji, Shikaku, Inoichi and countless other ninja on that very day (considering Naruto timeline), while Obito did get redeemed I don't think Naruto would say something like that. It shows that Naruto is too forgiving and over the top. The art when Obito says "I know you will become Hokage." was very beautiful. I'll give this one a 5/10.

I believe that tomorrow, after the release of the Naruto episode, there will be a teaser for the movie. So check it out!

 

Did you like this tribute chapter? What will happen next chapter? Tell me about it in the comments!

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Videogame Weapons I've Had Mad Fun Using

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Video games often put us in the shoes of the hero on a quest to defeat the villain. He obviously requires weapons to do that. At times though the weapon is not just a tool to defeat your foes but also leads you into a rampage only because it is so much fun to use. In this blog, I will look at some weapons I’ve had mad fun using.

1 – Ray Gun (CoD series)

Ray Gun

One of the most prized weapons in CoD’s Zombie mode is the Ray Gun. This gun, with alien origins, not only insta-kills zombies but also blasts anything in the vicinity (which could include you). It is futuristic (duh), accurate, long ranged, has good ammo capacity and has short reload speed. It is a rare gun but it holds responsibility (*insert Uncle Ben’s quote here*). The second you get this, you are the ace player in your zombie slaughtering team.  Besides, the pew-pew sound from it makes you hungry for zombies and thankfully they don’t have brains or they would’ve been cowering with fear.

2 – Ballistic Knife (CoD Series)

Ballistic Knife

If I would’ve seen this weapon on any ‘top videogame weapons’ list a few years ago, I would’ve laughed at that choice but now I’m including it in my own. The Ballistic Knife is very hard to use and you’ll need to not only have practice but also make your brain function in a specialized way. You’ll have to create this instinctual move in your brain to press R1/R2 the second you see an enemy in front of you. The knife is quick and does the job without fail. In short, no aiming required and the satisfaction of landing a kill is high. To conclude, sticks and stones may break your bones but a ballistic knife will kill you.

3 – RC-XD (CoD Series)

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Yes, yes I know that this is the third weapon from the same franchise but CoD is about guns and there were bound to be some awesome ones.

This is probably the most loved kill streak from CoD’s multiplayer. Easy to obtain and still very deadly. Controlling the RC-XD will take some learning but once you do, even the most elite players will be jumping akin to Tom’s mistress on seeing Jerry. It is small so by the time the enemy notices this crafty little piece of tech it will be too late. If you want to add insult to injury then just remember, you didn’t just kill an elite soldier… you just killed an elite soldier with a child’s toy.

4 – The Bullseye (Resistance series)

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What’s that you’re saying Chimera? You are hiding behind cover and mocking me? Here have this! *short gunfire*. What’s that you’re saying Chimera? How did I manage to shoot you? Well say hello to the Bullseye. Not only is this gun strong during a regular firefight, it can even take out enemies behind cover (or when you are in cover).  The Bullseye is a regular assaut rifle until you tag an enemy with it. No matter in what direction you shoot now the shots will redirect and strike at the chimera and it’s undeniably fun to fire directly opposite to the chimera and watch the shot take a 180 and take down that pesky alien threat for you.

5 – Runner (Borderlands 2)

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I started Borderlands 2 a week ago. This is my first venture into the franchise and I haven’t played a lot of the story yet (thank you side missions) but I have already found a weapon that I love going on rampages with – The Runner.

One of the previous entries on this list is the RC-XD and if this were Pokemon, I’d say the Runner is an evolved form of it. Controlling both vehicles are same but the Runner is more resilient than the RC-XD. Infinite ammo, an impressive rate of fire and the ability to overrun bandits just sweeten the deal. You can also have a friend at the back seat adding more firepower. The Borderlands universe is huge and full of bad guys so travelling without a Runner is hard so it’s unlikely you’ll miss out this weapon. So come on minion we’ve got some overrunning to do.

6 – Molotov Cocktail (The Last of Us)

Molotov Cocktail

The Last of Us is a brutal game, the enemy designs are incredibly realistic and so are their actions. Molotov cocktails are hard to come by (if you are playing on high difficulties) but if you can land a good hit not only will the enemies die on spot but you’ll be treated to a visually stunning look at a struggling Clicker/Runner/Human having his body charred.

Note to self: I’m not a psycho for enjoying that.

7 – Hidden Blade (Assassin’s Creed series)

Hidden Blade

2007, the birth of the most amazing stealth weapon known as the hidden blade. Going around stabbing Templars discretely or air assassinating a poor guard, the hidden blade was perfect. Kudos to Ubisoft

Just when we thought it couldn’t get better Ubisoft introduced the dual Hidden Blades in 2009 and it was even more deadly than its predecessor. Double assassinations and the ability to use it in open combat offered us even more bloody counter and combo kills. Seeing Ezio counter two guards and then sticking up the blades right through their neck with blood sprouting and their body becoming a rag doll is nothing short of eye candy!

Note to self: I’m not a psycho for enjoying that too.

8 - Portal Gun (Portal series)

Portal Gun

Now this is an indirect weapon. The portal gun can create portals and by using a bit of your puzzle solving abilities your can use it to redirect shots fired by sources at other enemies. That’s not exactly the part I love most about the gun. That honor goes to the conserved momentum aspect of it.

You see momentum is conserved between portals and going through one and coming out of another one a little higher only to shoot and go through another one just before landing (you know what I mean, right?) is nothing short of a roller coaster ride. Thankfully, the games give us many chances to enjoy these highflying moments.

 

Well that’s a short list of some my favorite weapons. I’d like to thank Lost_In_Translation for the theme as well as you for reading it!

Do you agree with my list? Name some of your favourite weapons in the comments below.

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Naruto Chapter 688 Review

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Kakashi of the Sharingan just copied a new move but in the process he just threw out a few rules of the Naruto universe out of the window. If you haven't read the chapter, you can read it here (mangastream translation) or here (mangapanda translation).

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The chapter begins with Obito and Rin. Last chapter I felt sad that I wasn't going to see Obito again and that was a good thing, I was feeling sad for Obito's death. His reappearance in the very next chapter just threw those feelings out of the window. Anyways Obito and Rin talk and Obito says he doesn't like the fact that Kakashi is currently just standing there like a scarecrow (Kakashi means scarecrow) so he has to go back and help him. I stopped here for a bit and prayed that he was just joking or something. Of course that wasn't the case and he did some chakra Kamui thing to transfer himself into Kakashi's mind. There he meets a young Kakashi and I realize that Kishimoto is going for some sort of symbolism but it felt flat and was not required. Young Kakashi and Obito have a chat and Kakashi opens his eyes to Mangekyo Sharingans. This type of power transfer has happened before with Naruto, Sasuke and the Sage so Kakashi getting the Mangekyo is fine.

Back to Naruto and Sasuke taking on Kaguya, Naruto immobilizes Zetsu and hits Kaguya a pretty super looking 9 rasenshurikens combined with tailed beast power.

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Kaguya absorbs that and becomes wild...

and then this happens...

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I don't know what happened but I guess the attack made Kaguya lose control of the 9 beasts inside her and transformed into what I guess is Juubi + Kaguya unstable mode. It goes on a rampage destroying anything it touches and next up is Sakura who gets saved by a Susanoo.

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I gotta say, Naruto's "Sasukeeeeeeeee-eeeeh?" was very very funny but and the fact that it was Kakashi's Susanoo wasn't a big reveal but it was epic looking. Thing is why is it in perfect form? Doesn't that take time to develop, like there are stages to a Susanoo and Kakashi jumps to the last one. I agree that this is a manga but even this one has rules. I hope we get an explanation for it soon.

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Well we got a good forward movement in plot but the events before it weren't... sensible. If Obito wanted to give his eyes then he should've done it before disintegrating and not by chakra Kamui. Also Kakashi shouldn't have jumped directly to perfect Susanoo, it seems too farfetched. I give this one a 2/10, the lowest score I have ever given.

Update: I re-read the chapter and turns out the perfect Susanoo (which also has Kakashi's scar) is just a temporary power boost. As one of the comments down below says, it is probably due to the strong bond between Kakashi and Obito so that just changes my whole look on the perfect Susanoo situation. If it is temporary it is fine. Still I am no fan of the chakra Kamui.

I also noticed one more thing. Naruto did that epic jutsu and all it did was make Kaguya change form and go on a rampage... Well that sucks. Kinda getting boring that all these awesome plans Naruto and Sasuke come up with don't even scratch her.

 

What did you think of Obito's chakra Kamui? Is Kakashi's temporary-but-mega power up justified? What do you think Kaguya turned into? Tell me about it in the comments below.

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Reason For Naruto 689, Bleach 593 and One Piece 757 Delay - Obon Week

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Another week has come and gone but there's no sign of Naruto, Bleach or One Piece. Well guys, they are on a break this week because it is holiday season in Japan - Obon Week. If you want to know more about Obon Week read on!

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In Japan, obon is an annual Buddhist event for commemorating one's ancestors. It is believed that each year during obon, the ancestors' spirits return to this world in order to visit their relatives.

As part of the tradition, lanterns are usually hung in front of houses to guide the ancestors' spirits home. As part of the festivities, obon dances (bon odori, see photo above) are performed, graves are visited and offerings are made. As the holiday ends, the lanterns are put into rivers, lakes and seas so that the spirits can be guided back to their world. The customs followed vary strongly from region to region.

Obon is celebrated from the 13th to the 15th day of the 7th month of the year, which is July according to the solar calendar. However, based on the formerly used lunar calendar, the 7th month of the year roughly coincides with August rather than July. The end result being while obon is still celebrated in mid August in many regions of Japan, it is also celebrated in mid july in other regions.

So this week Kishimoto, Tite Kubo and Eiichiro Oda enjoy and they deserve it too!

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[Patched] Best AFK Solo RP Glitch for GTA V Online

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This method is now patched in update 1.16!

 

Hi guys! You read the heading and yes surprisingly there is still such a glitch possible. It is a verrrry slow method (200 RP per 70 seconds) so that's why it is best done AFK (Away from Keyboard or Joystick in this case). So let's begin!

Sorry for the bad quality pics but it gets the point across.

Start by heading here

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Find this small passage between the parking lot and impound

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See these cubes? Climb the fourth one

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Jump the fence and climb to the rooftop

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You can climb through here

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By now you'll have a 2 star wanted level. See that door on the right?

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Just hide there

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The police will try to find you and fail and then it'll repeat so 200 RP per 70 seconds. Tie a rubber band to the right stick and then leave it for a good few hours.

Precautions:

In case the police doesn't leave you then just go to the edge of the building get shot once and return here. It is better to see it happen successfully at least twice before going AFK. Hope it helped!

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Naruto Chapter 689 Review

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I never thought I'd be this tensed to see Kaguya getting touched by Naruto and Sasuke! Intense chapter and if haven't read it then you can do it here.

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So after the last extremely controversial chapter we get a chapter today (after 2 weeks) which explains a bit about Kakashi's situation. The thing is that Obito gave all his chakra to Kakashi so Kakashi basically has all the abilities that Obito had. Now you'd ask why Obito didn't use the Susanoo then... well I don't know but I do know that he could do it and so Kakashi can do it.

The out-of-control Kaguya gets back under control in what I have to say looked very very badass.

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Behind her is the ultimate Gudoudama which has everything from the shinobi world.

Kakashi then brings his battle strategies to play as he tells his team the final mission they'll have to carry out as team 7. Kaguya (very talkative today) is like "Bring It On!"

Kakashi Chidori's her while showing the phase through powers he got from Obito.Kaguya falls and Naruto and Sasuke close in for the sealing. Kaguya shoots a bone at Naruto using her left hand (which was severed wasn't it?) and Zetsu shoots a bone through the opening at Sasuke (Yup it was severed... did we know of regeneration power?).

Sasuke turns out to be Naruto and the one who got impaled with the left hand bone was a clone. Kakashi uses Kamui on the bone through the portal and Sasuke uses his Rinnegan to replace himself with the impaled clone.

Kaguya jumps up to avoid them but the suddenly awesome Sakura punches her right back and she gets touched by Naruto, Sasuke along with a punch from Sakura. While a falling Kakashi tells them that he loves them! Where's that huge Gudoudama? Did Kaguya absorb it or something?

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A very beautiful page!

I loved this chapter. It was a good way to continue from the last chapter. Kaguya got a badass moment and some lines. Sakura got a moment (the "from one woman to another" part was funny but I was pretty tense at that moment). The strategy by Kakashi was awesome! A bit more information about Kakashi would be awesome but I guess we've accepted it now. The one thing that can destroy this chapter is the fact that even this impressive strategy was futile against Kaguya. Since the kages are planning something I'm pretty sure this won't be the last of Kaguya but I want some after effects of this on her and not just coming out unscathed. I'll give this one a 4/5.

Did you find that Kaguya moment badass? How did she get her arm back? What could be the aftermath of this? Tell me about it in the comments below. Thanks for reading!

Also I'm traveling to Sunnyvale,California on 24th of August. I'm going to join Cogswell University there and I'll try my best to get a review up next week too but it'll all depend on whether I get internet access from somewhere or not.

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Naruto 690, Bleach 594, One Piece 758 And All Other Mangas Delayed

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Japan's government has taken a measure to reduce piracy and hence our manga reading schedule is gonna be rattled. In Japan the mangas, which we read on Wednesdays, are released on the following Monday. So we read it 5 days before Japan itself does.

How? Well the mangas are sent to the retail stores very early and some employees over there provide us with these raws which get translated and are provided to us fresh on manga sites.

Now manga will reach retail stores at a day closer to Monday. So our online manga will come late to us as well. So expect it to now come between Fridays to Mondays.

This has just increased the wait time but Japan's government is also looking to shut down sites that host the chapters illegally. If all sites are eventually closed people will have 2 options: 1) Buy legit 2) Wait for someone to upload the officially translated manga.

That's about it. What do you feel about this anti-piracy measure? Will it work? Do you buy it legit anyways? Tell me in the comments below.

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Naruto Chapter 690 Review

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The ninja world is saved and the world war is over!!... probably. You can read the chapter here.naruto-5158759

Well looks like we'll be getting our chapters on Thursdays now. One day doesn't make a big difference. Back to the review.

So the beginning has Kaguya with a terrified look as two large hands begin to close in on her. For a second there I thought it was a jutsu by Kaguya where she summons a giant to swat away Naruto and Sasuke. What happens next is just amazing art!

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That is just one epic page! But where's Sakura? Doesn't matter much cuz Kaguya is getting sealed by these "scattered chakra". Not what I wanted because you now, I was waiting for the sage to show up with the Kages and pull one last epic masterpiece move... but this'll do.

So Kaguya is getting sealed up by the Planetary Devastation and the beasts are out and praising Naruto. He is worthy of being praised because only he remembered that all this monstrosity was caused by Black Zetsu. Take that Mama's boy!! The confrontation between them was great. The one panel which showed all the main dead characters of the series was nostalgic.

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Well everything's done but how are they gonna get out!! Oh that's right all kages ever are gonna summon 'em, that's what the sage has been doing. Since edo bodies have infinite chakra the sage never really needed the remaining kages. That was probably fanservice. And they're back. The ninja world is saved but then there's an unconscious Madara! Please do something to elongate this manga Madara or Orochimaru.

"Thank you for saving the world" is what the sage says but we still some wrapping up to do.

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Weeeeellllll Kaguya was pretty short lived (13 chapters). A lot happened this chapter. Kaguya and Black Zetsu got dealt with, Naruto and co. have returned and the ninja world was saved, Madara has returned. I enjoyed this chapter, it was basically just the aftermath of last week's epic strategy. I am saddened that Naruto is very close to the end but it had to come. The art was great. I feel Kaguya's battle was unnecessary, Madara was a better choice but she gave the series a powerful female. I give this one a 4/5.

I also think Tsunade should voluntarily step down as Hokage because she barely did anything in the whole war. Kakashi and Naruto are much more eligible.

 

Was Kaguya's battle anticlimactic? Will Madara attack now? Is this the end? Tell me about it in the comments below!

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