What is up with Tsukihi and Karen's boyfriends' names? In Tsubasa Family and Tsubasa Tiger, it was mentioned in a conversation between the Fire Sisters and Tsubasa that both Karen and Tsukihi have boyfriends[1][2].

Karen's boyfriend is named Mizudori （瑞鳥【みずどり】）.

Tsukihi's boyfriend is named Rousokuzawa （蠟燭澤【ろうそくざわ】）.

What is up with these ridiculous names? Has the author explained the names or expanded the story on who they are?

1 Light novel - Nekomonogatari (White) Chapter 059. Anime - Monogatari Series: Second Season Episode 4.
2 Light novel - Nekomonogatari (Black) Chapter 002. Anime - Nekomonogatari: Black Episode 1 (only Tsukihi's boyfriend's name is mentioned).

From official source

I tried to find some comments from the author on the Japanese internet, but came up empty-handed due to my lack of knowledge of Japanese. I do have some very tenuous evidence that as of 2013, there was no such explanation even in Japanese, discussed below.

According to the Japanese Wikipedia page on the Monogatari series, very little is known about Mizudori-kun and Rousokuzawa-kun except that Mizudori-kun is shorter than Karen-chan and Rousokuzawa-kun is taller than Tsukihi-chan, suggesting that they look similar to Koyomi and adding evidence for the Fire Sisters' massive brother complex. Tsukihi-chan talks a little about Rousokuzawa-kun in Neko Black, during which she says he wants to fondle breasts in a set-theoretic sense, and also says during Tsukihi Phoenix that her relationship with him is chaste; she also says that Karen-chan and Mizudori-kun haven't been getting along. The Monogatari series wikia also has next to nothing to say about them. Since Koyomi, the viewpoint character, has absolutely refused to meet them, we've so far never seen them, and it seems that they're more a minor plot detail than anything; as far as I can tell, what I listed above is the sum total of our knowledge about them.

As for their names, Nisio Isin, author of the Monogatari series, has a history of making up bizarre names for his characters, usually ones full of pun and subtext, and it seems the more minor they are, the more bizarre the names get. From the Monogatari series itself, I submit "Kaiki Deishuu" and "Kiss-shot Acerola Orion Heart-Under-Blade" and the name "Valhalla Combi" for the combination of Senjougahara and Kanbaru; see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zaregoto_Series#Characters and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Medaka_Box_characters for examples from his other work.

Fan's interpretation

The next part is a little tangential since it involves an unofficial doujinshi, but I take it as evidence that Japanese audiences also had no access to an explanation as of April 2013 (the doujinshi's publication date) since they were making up their own theories. I once found a doujinshi (a very, very NSFW doujinshi, which could get you fired if you happen to be at work, so I'm not going to provide a link, but the title is Sukimonogatari - SFW Cover) that offered a theory on the names "Rousokuzawa-kun" and "Mizudori-kun", along with a random sex scene. Here's part of a page (edited to be SFW) that explains some of the theory:

Note that in the doujinshi, boys named "Mizudori-kun" and "Rousokuzawa-kun" don't exist; "Mizudori-kun" is Tsukihi-chan, and "Rousokuzawa-kun" is Karen-chan. The upper-left panel gives a chain of transformations:

[月火]【Tsukihi】 (Moon | Fire)
→ [水]【Mizu】 (Water. Based on day of the week progression from Sunday to Saturday: 日月火水木金土)
→ [瑞]【Mizu】 (Good omen. A kanji with the same reading as "water")
→ [瑞鳥]【Mizudori】 (Auspicious bird).

[火憐]【Karen】 (Fire | Pity)
→ [燐]【Rin】 (Phosphorus. Take the second character and replace the heart radical 忄 with fire radical 火)
→ [燐寸]【Macchi】 (Match. Match head contains phosphorus)
→ [蠟燭澤]【Rousokuzawa】 (蠟燭 means candle. 澤 or equivalent shinjitai 沢 is a common character used in names)

Koyomi takes note of the terrifying coincidence in the names they give each other and the kaii that they are affected. Tsukihi-chan, called "Mizudori", is a bird kaii, and "auspicious bird" can refer to phoenix. Karen-chan, called "Rousokuzawa", was afflicted by a bee kaii, and candles can be made of beeswax. When Koyomi asked why they choose such names, the Fire Sisters explain that they chose those names because migrating birds and candle clocks are both methods of telling time, which aligns with the fact that the entire Araragi family has names with timekeeping and calendar themes1.

Conclusion

In summary, nothing much is said about these two in the novels or anime up through the end of the second season, and no explanation is given for their names up to that point. Although I didn't find anything official, the very scant information on these two, along with the (admittedly weak) evidence of the doujinshi, suggests that they're another example of Nisio Isin's famously bizarre punny names for his characters, and no, he isn't going to explain them (that would ruin the fun).

Footnote

[暦]【Koyomi】 means calendar.

[火憐]【Karen】 contains the prefix of カレンダー, i.e. calendar.

Tsukihi　（月火） can be rendered as 月日, which contains the kanji for moon and sun, which also means month and day.


Is Squirtle's water potable? From Arqade...

I've seen this photo on Facebook:

For sure I would take Charmander for the flame-throwing capabilities, but for the second starter I was thinking about grabbing Squirtle.

Gaining access to clean water would be one of the biggest challenges you would face in a zombie apocalypse, and Squirtle's water gun could be a very easy solution.

Question is, is that water potable?

I'll answer this with an answer I found here via a user by the name of ItalianRapscallion.

I assume, since so much is generated, its just summoned from a point inside their mouth (or whatever aperture, gem, whathaveyou). That is, it comes into being right then (not teleported from somewhere or produced by an organ -- since you cannot compress a liquid, a squirtle, say, could not store the amount of water you typically see him emitting)...
My guess is no, because if you are materializing water from thin air, would that pokemagic create minerals / salt at normal levels too? It's probably pure water, maybe a little saliva mixed in depending on the aperture from whence it came (but if so it wouldn't be enough to make a difference). In other words, drinking it would leech all the minerals and saline out of your cells, it wouldn't hydrate you, and if you drank enough you would eventually explode on a cellular level.
Edit: further mulling made me realize an easy test, (which i don't recall from the show) Do we ever see electricity travelling along water spewed from a water pokemon? If so, the water is conductive, i.e. mineralized, therefore you can probably drink it.

Given the fact that Suicune has the ability to "walk across water and purify dirty water with one touch", I believe that the fact that the water Pokemon produce is in fact not pure due to the fact that it was never stated anywhere that it was indeed pure, as well as the fact that one Pokemon out of all of them was given the phrasing of pure water. (Suicune is legendary, so you can't just choose him and forget about the water purity issues.)
In all honesty through my searches of the web, I haven't found anything conclusive on the topic, so we can put it in a grey area, in which we are never really sure of the answer until we can see it for ourselves.
That said, the fact that Water Type Pokemon are weak to Pokemon of the Electric Type, it is safe to assume that the water they produce does indeed contain the minerals and nutrients it requires.
Even with this info however, we don't know just how bad the state of the water is, as that is never discussed. So even though it does contain the minerals, we don't know if it contains any virus, or disease that would harm us. (Considering the nature of the games and anime, I think it's safe to assume they don't, but for the sake of this, we can't rule it out. It could be life or death after all.)
My conclusion is that: It should be safe, however we can't guarantee it for multiple reasons, so keeping a Squirtle would be a good idea, though try to bring a form of filter with you, for a safety precaution.
Edit 2: Thanks to Senshin I was informed that distilled water would not kill you, unless it was the only water you drink. Meaning that, if you have some other source of water coming in, from time to time, on a regular basis, you would be completely fine in that instance.
This, sadly however, still doesn't cover the fact that:

You're in an apocalypse, so water sources other than rivers, the ocean, ransacked stores, etc, is not going to be the most reliable in a city environment, though in the countryside you have more chance of finding natural bodies of water.
It might be dangerous water, rather than distilled water, coming from the Pokemon.

I say again, bring a water filter of some sort, as well as a Squirtle, to ensure your own safety.


How was Aizen building up the Espada before getting the Hogyoku? In Season 10, after Nnoitra survives the Cero Doble that Nelliel ate and shot back, Nnoitra said that it had been years since Nelliel was an Espada.

From my understanding the Espada only started to form after Aizen got the Hogyoku and I don't see how it's been years since he took the Hogyoku out of Rukia.

So how was Aizen building up the Espada before getting the Hogyoku?

I believe the scene in question is from chapter 291 and episode 192, so this is what I'm going to work off of.

According to the wiki:

  The original Espada were already in existence sometime before Aizen's defection from Soul Society and acquisition of the Hōgyoku.

So this would mean that Aizen did not have either Hōgyoku before the Espada were being gathered.

Then to answer the second half of your question, in the scene you mentioned Nnoitra is talking about how it has been years since Nelliel has taken her full form as an Espada due to the trama he inflicted on her long before rendering her appearance to that of a small child.

So in this instance he was not saying that it had been years since Nelliel had become an Espada, but that it had been years since she returned to being an Espada.


How do the Noble Families work in Bleach? In Bleach, there are Four Noble Families of the Soul Society. I know that people can have children in the Soul Society. However, is whether you are a part of the Noble family based on whether you were born into that family in the real world or in the Soul Society? For example, if you are from the original line of the Kuchiki family (in the real world) and you died, would you become part of the Noble Family?

I do not think they went deeper into the noble houses, so I believe there is no current information available about "How to become a noble". All the currently available information on the 4 noble houses can be found here.

There they also state:

  The Noble Houses of Soul Society have an unclear role in the culture, social and governmental aspects of that dimensions existence.

Some speculation from my side: I think that they were either appointed by the Soul King or the Central 46. And I also believe the divisions are involved in this.

  There is reason to believe that the captaincy of the 6th Division runs in the Kuchiki family, as at least two members, both of them were family heads, have held the title captain and two other known members have been lieutenant and 3rd seat respectively.

This part is just speculation though.


Why does Goku give up against Cell? During the Cell games, Goku knew he wouldn't be able to defeat Cell. But it's unlike a Saiyan to ever give up. Goku didn't give up when he fought Vegeta, or Freiza, or anyone else for that  matter. But why does he give up against Cell? This isn't consistent with Goku's character.

Because he knew someone who could defeat Cell - his son, Gohan.

He knew for certain that his son Gohan would be able to defeat Cell, and so the fate of the world wouldn't 100% depend on Goku. And so, after tiring Cell for a bit, he gave up to allow Gohan to battle.


Which percentage of One for All can Midoriya manage without hurting himself by the time he awakes his black whip quirk? So Midoriya can't use 100% of One for All because he hurts himself. But he's been improving the percentage of it he can use without hurting himself, first it was 5% IIRC, then he increased to 10% and he tries to keep improving.

Which percentage of One for All can Midoriya manage without hurting himself by the time he awakes his black whip quirk?

Midoriya was able to use 100 percent of his power even before awakening his black whips and without hurting himself.

As I stated in my answer here,

   this was made possible by Eri's power so Mizuku's body remains unhurt while unleashing 100 percent of his power.

Also, even before this, with the aid of Melissa, he was also able to use 100 percent of his power via the Full Gauntlet, albeit he is limited to three smashes.

Without any aid, the current limit for his One for All is 15%, as stated here.


Are there side effects in using Iron Blood Transformation? In the series we see Toru activate his power every once in a while. And also disabling it every once in a while. The fact he disables it makes me wonder, do his powers have any side effects ? What exactly are his powers anyway?

Iron Blood Transformation: A saboteur technique, activated by extreme mental concentration, that optimizes and redefines the user's entire body systems. This allows Toru to perform inhuman physical feats, such as repelling a feira unicorn or jumping several meters into the air. The transformation also substantially improves his combat skills and techniques, allowing him to fight against high level opponents. A drawback to using the Iron Blood Transformation is that the technique requires a huge amount of energy. When Toru transforms for the first time in a very long time, he needed a huge amount of food to restore himself or risk fainting. Another drawback is that it makes him more susceptible to poison, as the technique improves his respiratory system which would increase the flow of any poison inside him. In the anime, his hair turns red and two crimson streaks cross over his face while emitting a red aura during the transformation.

Source: Hitsugi no Chaika wiki


Which chapter of the manga version of Gintama corresponds to the last episode of anime? I've watched the 367 episodes of the Gintama anime which ended last year, when according to different sources the manga continued. Since there is only the manga now to keep following the Gintama story, which chapter of the manga version of Gintama corresponds to the last episode of anime?

The last epsiode 367 corresponds to chapter 686 of the manga. The second half of the episode (the trial) is an original story and not part of the manga.


What are the order of events between Fuka, Desco and Des-X? In Disgaea 4 - A Promise Unforgotten/Revisted Fuka believes everything is a dream or nightmare. When she first meets Desco she recognizes her to be the one who attacked her and believes the dream/nightmare is a result of being knocked out.

When the Hades Party goes to Earth Fuka found out that Des-X was the one who killed her, and since Des-X looks the exact same as Desco it explains why Fuka thought it was Desco.

But before invading the Information Bureau Desco admits she never met Fuka before, yet from the moment she was released she knew who she was (wanting to demonstrate her power to her Big Sis) and it seems Desco had been sealed up for quite some time given the other inmates and Axel knew about her (so she hadn't just arrived).

What I would like to know is the order of events between Fuka, Desco and Des-X such as which came first, Desco being locked away in Hades or Fuka being killed? And also how Desco knew who Fuka was despite never seeing her before?

Desco was probably built with the image of Fuka in her mind from the get-go; she was intended to be her little sister after all. Plus, even if she wasn't, Genjuro (Fuka's dad) showed Desco photos and videos of Fuka as a little girl, so Desco knew roughly what her Big Sis looked like before meeting her in person. As for the order in which those events happened, it's hard to say, but I assume Des-X killed Fuka then defeated Desco, causing her to end up in Hades; otherwise Desco would have found and met Fuka before ending up in Hades.


What is the name of the ZHIEND song in the middle of episode 13? In episode 13 of Charlotte, there is a ZHIEND song playing about halfway in the episode, just before Yu in insane mode starts stealing other people's abilities, such as the bomb ability.

According to the Charlotte wiki article on ZHIEND, the song is
「Sinking Ship」.

This track comes from their first Album: 「ECHO」, released on October 14, 2015.

The CD can be bought through Japanese Amazon for 3780 yen.


Is there any connection between Otonashi and the first NPC? In episode 12, the Mysterious Boy (who is probably the first NPC) explained to Yuri that there was a boy from a long time ago who loved another girl who left him alone in this world. Thus he lost his grip on sanity, and created some sort of "requirements" to this world (the main one being to not allow love to spread). But the Mysterious Boy also told her that his chances of meeting her again are better than 0.

Based on this question, it is assumed that Otonashi didn't have regrets so he did passed on. But I beg to differ on that, because we can also assume Otonashi DID have regrets right after Kanade left him even when he begged for her to stay with him.

It's all based on assumption really, but could it be that the first NPC was actually Otonashi himself in some way?

Theoretically, no. It's true that Kanade arrived before Otonashi and Otonashi died in the real world before Kanade (because Otonashi's heart went to Kanade), but I think this question never received a response from Key.


Can female Claymores give birth to babies for their husbands? I have just finished the Claymore manga. Clare and Raki stay together at the ending of the story. I am sure they are going to get married.

I have a question about the two of them. We know that female Claymores are half-human and half-Yoma hybrid warriors, but in the manga, they never tell us whether female Claymores are able to give birth to babies.

Would Clare be able to get pregnant for Raki?

I think probably not.

This answer contains manga spoilers (further than the anime)

In chapter 15, Teresa is ambushed by bandits who wish to rape her. She opens her clothes to reveal something hideous to the men who then back off.

Later on we see a body with a large scar down her middle. Presumably this is related to what Teresa has shown the bandits - as she implied that it was a trait shared by claymores.

Ref

The scars are presumably a mark of their bodies transformation with youma flesh, and being so thorough it wouldn't surprise me if wombs as other normal organs were missing.

At one stage, there is an awakened being that has captured claymores and wants them to awaken - presumably unable to breed its own spawn. As awakened beings are ex-claymores, their anatomy is going to be roughly similar.


In Episode 221 of Naruto: Shippūden, what was it that Naruto signed about? When the Great Toad Sage reverse summoned Naruto, he signed something about a key and I don’t understand what just happened.

What did he do? Did he keep back the Nine Tails or what? No spoilers please.

That scroll was not a contract but rather, the key to the Fourth Hokage's seal.

In Chapter 489, Gamatora reveals it after Naruto's inquiry. To quote,

  The key that locks and unlocks the Fourth Hokage's Sealing Jutsu that's on yer belly! With this, ya could even let Nine Tails out to run free.

Naruto accepting it means he now has control of the Fourth Hokage's Sealing Jutsu via the key.


Is there a light novel for the second season of Sword Art Online anime? I really like Sword Art Online anime and I'm currently watching the second season. I would like to know if there is a light novel for the second season. I already know there is one for the first season, but is there any for the second season?

Currently, the second season of Sword Art Online is based on the novel volume 5-6. If they make it 25 episodes like the first season, then it is possible that the anime will cover volume 7 & 8 as well, just like the first season is based on volume 1-4.

While the story is about Gun Gale Online (GGO) and no longer Sword Art Online itself, the novel is still titled Sword Art Online. Currently it is about to be published in western world as Baka-Tsuki has already removed it from their website.


How did Izuna Uchiha die? How did Izuna Uchiha -younger brother of Madara Uchiha die? Was he killed by Tobirama Senju or by Madara himself when he seized his eyes?

During a battle with Tobirama, Izuna was mortally wounded by Tobirama's technique.

With Madara quickly rushing to Izuna's aid, Hashirama pleaded with Madara to come to peaceful terms. Seeing his brother begin to consider this offer, Izuna told his brother not to listen to their lies, ultimately making Madara retreat with Izuna.

Madara later revealed that Izuna died from the injury. At the last moments of his life, the dying Izuna had given Madara his eyes so his brother could obtain the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan to protect their clan.

Because of the blindness caused by overuse of a Mangekyō Sharingan, many people came to believe that Madara took Izuna's eyes by force to regain his sight.

Source:

Izuna Uchiha | Narutopedia


Who was it that Sora fought in Hallow Bastion? In Kingdom Hearts 2 when we are seeing Sora's memories there is a scene where we see Sora fight someone where he, Donald and Goofy fought Maleficenct's Black Dragon Form. the figure is wearing a black coat, much like those worn by Organization XIII.

this scene was not included in the original release of Kingdom Hearts but in the Japanese only Final Mix version which has now been localized in 1.5 HD Remix. in it this scene is apart of an optional super boss battle which the boss titled "Unknown".

during the scene Sora being voiced Unknown is not however Unknown comments that Sora is like it and is incomplete

   a reference that when Sora was restored from a Heartless he is still missing the part of him which became his Nobody, Roxas.

Since Unknown must be a Nobody and resembles one of the members of Organization XIII, i am wondering if it's revealed anywhere who Unknown is (given that Unknown's fight is the only optional Superboss we see in Sora's Memories)

According to this wiki its was Xemnas

  A few days later, for reasons unknown, Xemnas arrived at Hollow
  Bastion. Being told by the Princesses of Heart of the power that they
  sensed while on his way to seal the world's Keyhole, Sora, Donald,
  Goofy, and Beast go to the abandoned area where they fought Maleficent
  to investigate, and soon encounter Xemnas. Intangible at first, Xemnas
  passes through Sora, causing him to experience many of his memories in
  rapid succession, before fully manifesting. Sora asks who the man is,
  and Goofy wonders if it is Ansem, and though Xemnas says he is
  familiar with the name, he refuses to clarify his identity. He then
  launches an energy attack at Sora, who manages to deflect it (with
  some difficulty). Xemnas remarks how Sora looks like "him" and thus an
  incomplete being, his words only confusing Sora. Xemnas then attacks
  the Keyblade wielder, intending to test his power.

That scene was also include in Kingdom Hearts Final Mix which was originally released in japan.
You can also see identify its Xemnas by the same weapon he wield.


Which episode did Rukawa explain why he wanted to join Shohoku? Anybody remembers in which episode did Rukawa explained the reason that he wanted to join Shohoku was simply because - it's closer to his house!

It was during Shohoku vs Ryonan which happened in Episode 67 during the last 7 minutes


What is the skill Naruto used in the last movie? I just want to know whether there is a specific technique name when Naruto's hand glowed when he took the ball of light out of Hinata. It was also used to attack Toneri Otsutsuki.

I don't watch the anime; I read the manga so I could have missed a lot of stuffs from the fillers. Heck, I don't even know what they show in the filler episodes.

Thanks.

That technique which Naruto used has no special name, not even at Wikia.
It is stated that :

  Toneri took Hinata to the Room of Rebirth, letting his puppets to deal
  with Naruto. As they arrived at the Room of Rebirth and Naruto went
  after them, Toneri controlled Hinata to attack Naruto only for him to
  render her unconscious by taking the green chakra sphere out of her
  body. After Naruto took out the green sphere, Toneri took her back
  from Naruto.......

However, the technique which Toneri Ōtsutsuki used, it is called Puppet Cursing Sphere.
It can control, read minds and also has other functions.
It is also mentioned at Wikia article on Toneri Ōtsutsuki :

  Toneri moulds his chakra into the form of a green-coloured sphere. The
  sphere can be used various purposes such as controlling targets by
  sending it into their body, reading their minds, absorbing chakra from
  a distance, checking if a target has a dormant Ōtsutsuki chakra, and
  detonating the orb if needed.


What is the theme of Glasslip anime? I don't get what the theme of the story is. Although I can follow the romance aspect of the anime, I don't get what the story is trying to tell us.

It may have been due to Glasslip being the first original anime that P.A. Works has made. Other series (which are adaptations) were not so confusing, and some were successful at sending their message to the viewer. Hanasaku Iroha was about self-discovery. Nagi no Asukara was centered around "Love brings people together".

So what was the theme of Glasslip? What is the story trying to tell us?

I think this question is opinion-based, but not to an extent where it cannot be reasonably answered. Anyway, that's a decision someone else can make.

Glasslip is about teenage life, but without many of the cliches that are in many shows - characters are uncertain about many things - love, friendship, future, and in general growing up.

This is why not much happens during the show - the characters are nervous about the fact that they can now date within the group, that a new person has disrupted their social circle, that they will soon be separated as they move on to new schools and new areas.

These uncertainties are shown abstractly in character's interations:

Touko feels 'invisible' in her vision of watching the fireworks where she is ignored by all her friends.
Kakeru has many internal monologues with different instances of himself, showing his internal conflicts. He also sleeps outside in a tent as it gives him a sense of safety and belonging, which he usually lacks because of his family's constant moving.
Yanagi takes up running in frustration of her unrequited love

It's interesting to note that Sachi and Hiro, who do not dwell on their friend's potential reactions to their relationship have an unwavering devotion to each other (apart from Sachi's misleading which causes a small stir).

And it is true that this was a turning point in all their lives: Touko's life was disrupted by the visiting stranger, Sachi & Hiro are now in a loving relationship, Yanagi has left for her modelling career, Yuki has stopped running and has split off from the group. Kakeru also has travelled somewhere new, but experienced the same conflicted emotions that Touko did over the summer

If one is looking for a meaning in Glasslip, I would say it is to not worry about other people's perceptions of you, that growing up is a confusing, emotional time and that you find who your true friends are during testing times.

I recommend reading these reddit analyses of the final episodes:

http://www.reddit.com/r/anime/comments/2grlj5/spoilers_glasslip_episode_12_discussion/cklxbkn

http://www.reddit.com/r/anime/comments/2hfo2a/spoilers_glasslip_episode_13_final_discussion/


Kurapika's initial disrespect for Leorio, "Rewolio" In the various English versions of Hunter x Hunter, Kurapika shows his initial disrespect for Leorio in various ways:

1) 2011 sub: calls him "Leorio" instead of "Leorio-san"
 2) 2011 dub: calls him "Leorio" instead of "Mister Leorio"
 3) 1999 sub: calls him "Leorio" instead of "Mr. Leorio"
 4) 1999 dub: calls him something like "Rewolio" instead of "Leorio" ( https://youtu.be/LaQEBndn-JQ?t=795 )

This discussion takes place in episode 1 of 2011 and episode 3 of 1999.

I'm pretty sure the disrespect is due to the way Leorio had been being rude to the Captain and Gon. Anyway, I'm most curious about #4.  What exact name is Kurapika using? It is hard to tell with no text.  Does the actual word mean anything in either English or Japanese?

What exact name is Kurapika using? For me I hear Rioleo, which coincides with the official English translation of the manga.

Does the actual word mean anything in either English or Japanese? I have not seen the original raws for the particular chapter or scene but the English does not mean anything since it just looks like two parts of his name switched in order (Leo-rio switched to Rio-leo) which was probably his way of showing disrespect by getting the name wrong.


Why are Ainz Ooal Gown troops attacking lizardmen? Why are Ainz Ooal Gown troops attacking lizardmen in Overlord II (currently ongoing)? Please explain.

They want to subjugate them

Ainz Ooal Gown is trying to expand their power, so gaining the extra land and bringing the lizard-men under control (or annihilating them) beings a small degree of extra security and power to Ainz Ooal Gown. Admittedly it is a huge amount of effort for essentially no reward (the lizard-men are very noticeably inferior). But it is also being used as an experiment/training exercise for Cocytus.


Who is the silver-haired girl from this picture? I don't remember seeing this girl from the series. What is her name and how is she related to any of the characters?

Here's all I found.

Nakano Otoha (中野乙羽) first appears in the anime in episode 12 as part of the audience.

She is one of the credited characters in the PSP/Vita game (presumably with a bigger role). Her seiyū is Yuka Ōtsubo (大坪 由佳).

Translation of her profile:

  Suimei Art University Associated High School (a.k.a. Suikou) first year student. Although she is not a resident of Sakurasou, impressed by Sorata and co. performance, she told Sorata "I want to help". She is also the one who invites everyone to participate in "Super Creator Scouting Contest" this time around. Her favorite are vinegar kelp, which she always brings along and according to her would "blow away any fatigue", and making snacks for members of Sakurasou who are tired from making game from time to time.

Wikia says about her personality:

  Nakano is an optimistic girl, her hair is tied into two ponytails. She was born in Montreal, Quebec. She moveｄ to Japan when she was 8. She stops　going to school at the age of 12 because an incident occurred where she was stabbed by a guy. She goes back to her school at the age of 17, starts her 5th year of junior high school. She finishes and graduates her junior high school at the age of 18. After she graduates, she goes to Suimei and she starts her 1st year of senior high school at the age of 19. 3 year later when the story is started, she is twenty-two years old now and she is a 1st year student.

She doesn't seem to be on any of the drama CDs. At least, her seiyū isn't credited on any of them.


How did the Kaguya clan come into existence? How was the Kaguya clan related to Kaguya and when was the clan formed?

The when and how the clan came to be are fairly unclear through out the series. But we can make a guess as to when very roughly.
According to this timeline, Gamamaru was born in 984 BK (before nine tails attack). Which was said to be the same generation as Hagoromo, the first son of Kaguya Ōtsutsuki. Meaning that the creation would be in one of the years to follow
The clan was named after the first known user of the Tomogoroshi no haikotsu. As their power, the Shikotsumayaku was a derivative power of it.
This derivative power was obtained through descendants of Kaguya Ōtsutsuki, indirectly making her the creator of the Kaguya clan.


What does this eagle symbol/crest mean in Re:Zero? This symbol is seen on Subaru's cape. Does it represent a lineage or what? Why is Subaru wearing this?

Update: It's not the same as the symbol on the royal selection insignia/badge:

It's the same symbol as the one on Emilia's outfit. Was this when Subaru was wearing Emilia's cloak?


What is the "keeper" inside Yuji? Can anyone tell me what the "keeper" inside Yuji Sakai is? I'm watching the anime (second season) and I'm about to finish it soon, but I still don't get the meaning of the phrase "keeper".

It's the Reiji Maigo.

It's a tool that was created between the two lovers (Johann and Pheles) to grant eternal life to those that are not Flame Haze. This is because:

  Johann is a Mystes, while his lover is not. They wanted their life to last forever together, so this was created to allow Johann to live forever. However, this backfires a bit later as you will discover in the series. In the end, after the defeat of Sabrac and the ending of Shakugan no Shana, this resolves itself a bit, though.

The Silver and Reiji Maigo is a powerful entity that the Ball Masque want. They attempt to use it later in Season 3 to create a gateway to another world for all the "Guze no Tomogara" (Crimson Denizens). There is nothing particularly special about Yuji having this except that he was randomly endowed with it when it was sealed away from Johann.

   This is due to Sabrac, who is later found part of Ball Masque and killed.

All in all, the keeper is a source of infinite existence that the Ball Masque want to create Xanadu.


What has been added and/or changed in the 2 Gurren Lagann movies compared to TV series? From what I heard, the 2 Gurren Lagann movies are shortened version of the TV series. Is there anything new added or modified in the movies, or are they just summaries of the TV series? If there are any additions or modifications, would you please list them out?

I am aware that the content is compressed, so it is expected that many scenes from the TV series will be shortened to squeeze 675 minutes' worth of content into 120 (Gurren-hen) + 130 (Lagann-hen) = 250 minutes of the 2 movies. I am only interested in the new scenes and modifications to existing plot. An exclusion caused by modification to existing plot also counts.

The first movie (Gurren-hen or Childhood's End) is basically a recap of the first half of the tv series, similarly the second movie (Lagann-hen or The Lights in the Sky Are Stars) covers the second half.

There is around 20 minutes of new material in the first film and a bit more in the second film - primarily added in the final battle

The only changes in plot were that

   Makken doesn't die

&

   The Gurren Lagann evolves to an even higher stage, becoming Dai Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann which is even larger than galaxies!

There's an overall improvement in the animation quality, noticeably making battle scenes more thrilling.

also seemingly Yoko's breasts are slightly bigger in the movies ref.


How come Abra was able to evolve in episode 22? As far as I know, pokémon can evolve when they gain enough experience or while using a specific item.
There are also some rare cases that involve specific emotions/weather.
However, I'm sure none of these was the case.

So in episode 22 in season 1, how was it possible for Abra to evolve within the match, when he didn't even gain any EXP from it?

In the anime, evolution is a bit different to evolution in the games. For example, Pokémon do not evolve when traded and can refuse to evolve.

If you look at the list of evolution in the anime, you'll find many Pokémon that did not evolve after a battle. It's more like they constantly gain experience and can sometime decide that they want to evolve now, mostly when it's needed. Also, the idea of "levels" aren't very much used in the anime, so I don't think it really matters. It's just a mixture of emotions and experience.


How was Sayaka able to retain her memories during Rebellion? Everybody else within Homura's labyrinth had their memories altered, except for Sayaka and Bebe. Why was this?

It was because Sayaka and Nagisa (aka Bebe) came with Madoka and were entrusted with Madoka's powers and memories.

When Madoka went into the barrier she knew it was a trap set by The Incubators as such she entrusted her powers and her memories to Sayaka and Nagisa and fool The Incubators.

  It's revealed that Madoka, Sayaka, and Nagisa didn't have their memories altered by Homura's barrier. Instead Madoka entrusted her memories and powers to Sayaka and Nagisa in order to fool Kyubey. Sayaka and Nagisa simply played along with the barrier while waiting for the right time to reawaken Madoka. Sayaka admits that while it's caused them quite a bit of trouble, Homura has been trying hard and deserves her reward.

Source: Rebellion/Synopsis - Part E (Second Paragraph)

It is hinted beforehand that Sayaka has extra knowledge as after Homura and Mami fought Mami remembers that their enemies were the Wraiths not the Nightmares however Sayaka remembers the Witches and that Bebe/Nagisa is taking the form of the "Desserts/Sweets Witch"1 (understanding why Homura suspected her to begin with). she shouldn't know what Witches are however because in Madoka's Universe they don't exist.

Also because they played along there was no reason for Homura's labyrinth to try and alter their memories, but i also like to suspect the divine nature of Madoka's powers that they had been given provided some protection since the barrier was one way and only invited people in. Madoka was invited and maybe Sayaka but Homura would have no knowledge of Nagisa and even if she went in as Bebe (thus looking like Charlotte's first form) she was never invited in and i would think that the barrier would try something at first but when Nagisa played along it then just decided to factor her in

1: Depending on what version you see Sayaka will call Charlotte the Sweets Witch or the Desert Witch


Did Genos have his lastest upgrades when fighting the Deep Sea King in the Virtual Genocide Simulation program? In the One Punch Man audio books,

   Genos fights the Deep Sea King in a program called Virtual Genocide Simulation and he wins

Did Genos have his lastest upgrades when fighting the Deep Sea King in the Virtual Genocide Simulation program?

Genos fights the Virtual!Deep Sea King with his G4 upgrades.

I've based myself on the wiki page for this audio play, which says the simulation happens "sometime after Genos' G4 upgrades and before Genos meets Gouketsu". For reference, Genos is stronger than when he fought G4 (obviously) but weaker than when he fought Elder Centipede.


How does the director's killer get back on to the roof? In the time that Red Magic was down, directly after her door was opened, I'm assuming Dr. Magata was able to get on to the roof without leaving any trace of her access to the doors and elevators, since the system was temporarily switched over to UNIX. However, we see her come back in with Nishinosono and the others from the roof. How does she get back on the roof without leaving any logs, in order to kill the director?

[spoiler]

   He was already stabbed by the time Nishinosono and Professor Saikawa greeted the Director and Miki. The Director already has a knife stabbed at his back and he's acting like nothing is happening while talking to Nishinosono. This was shown on the latter episodes of the anime.


How does the portal in Inuyasha work? In the Inuyasha series Kagome goes through a portal to get to the Sengoku period of Japan. Is it ever explained how the portal works?

For what I have seen/read, it is never clearly explained how the well actually transports people from the modern age to the Feudal Era. However, the Inuyasha Wikia page on it has a consolidation of observations in regards to who can pass through the well in either direction.

  The only human that is able to travel through the well is Kagome.
  Inuyasha can travel through without any need of the Shikon Jewel; it
  is mostly because of his connection to Kagome that allows him to move
  between the two eras of time.
  Neither Sōta nor Shippō are able to pass through the well; however,
  Sōta's voice could reach Inuyasha for unknown means while Shippō no
  success what so ever.
  Mistress Centipede was killed and sent to the present era without any
  need of the jewel; it is suggested that demon's bones can pass
  through the well. In this case, Mistress Centipede was revived
  because she was near the Shikon no Tama (which was still in Kagome's
  body, unbeknownst to her).
  Yura was able to send her hair to wreak havoc in the future; most
  likely because of the jewel shard she stole.
  Both Sō'unga and Saya were able to pass through without the need of
  the jewel.
  It can be presumed that only certain beings may pass through the
  well; a number of objects have the ability to as well.

Kagome is originally pulled through the well/portal into the Feudal Era by Mistress Centipede.


How many students are there at Hagun Academy? After watching Rakudai Kishi no Cavalry, I found myself confused by what seems to be a plot hole. Specifically, the anime depicts the qualifying matches at Hagun academy for the Seven Stars Sword Art tournament. The qualifying matches seem to be a 20-round single-elimination tournament with 6 winners. This is never outright stated, but many points of dialogue suggest this rather strongly, and at the very least it is stated explicitly in the last episode of the anime that all of the competitors on the last day had won 19 matches.

The 6 winners:

By basic math, a single-elimination tournament with 6 winners and 20 rounds would imply that there are about 6.3 million entrants to the qualifying tournament. That number of students at the school seems to be effectively impossible. For comparison, the population of New York City is about 8 million people, and the total number of high school students in Japan in 2011 was about 3.5 million. So this seems unreasonably large as an absolute number.

In addition, the number is too large relative to the size of the school. The area of Hagun Academy is said to be more than 10 times the size of the Tokyo Dome (according to http://rakudai-kishi.wikia.com/wiki/Hagun_Academy); using that figure, the average population density would be about 5 people per square meter (more than 100 times as dense as the most dense city in the world). In addition, we've gotten aerial shots of the school, and while large, it isn't nearly big enough to contain that many people.

So, I'm wondering, is this really the right number of students at the school? If not, is there some explanation for how the tournament has 20 rounds, or is this just a plot hole?

Hagun Academy (破軍学園 Hagun Gakuen) is one of the seven Mage Knight schools -> there are only 7 schools.
We have a rule

  With the competition, six students defeat 10 different students earning them their spot as Hagun Academy’s representatives for the festival.

So looks like we have less students in Hagun.

BTW, it's LN logic !!!


Why didn't Kabuto resurrect Jiraiya during the Great War? During the Great War, Kabuto resurrects a lot of very, very powerful shinobi (Madara or Hashirama the 1st, e.g.). However, he doesn't bring someone as powerful and impactful as Jiraiya.

My girlfriend pointed this out a few days ago and since now, I wasn't able to find a reason. I see that this Edo Tensei no Jutsu brings up some questions (about more Uchiha's or even Orochimaru) on the table, but it seems that everyone forgot Jiraiya in this equation.

Why didn't Kabuto resurrect Jiraiya during the Great War?

Actually, this case of Jiraiya's resurrection had been brought up by Kabuto while discussing the secrets of the Edo Tensei  with Obito. He had also mentioned about Shisui Uchiha.

The reason as to why Jiraiya couldn't be revived according to Naruto Wikia:

  When the Fourth Shinobi World War starts, Kabuto Yakushi expresses interest in reincarnating Jiraiya to have him fight for Akatsuki, but unfortunately is unable to reach him as his body rests in the lower depths of the sea.

But in the manga, Kabuto expresses that he could obtain enough DNA (to revive Jiraiya) from the weapons used by the Paths in their fight against Jiraiya. But Obito comments not to push his luck, as reviving Jiraiya, as well as Shisui, could be overkill.

Naruto chapter 520, page 14:


When does Son Goku learn to fly? In chapter 202 of the DragonBall manga, Goku floats into the air to see where his child is:

Then when he is travelling along the green scale road, he flies a portion of the way there. He also flies to assist combatting the Saiyans after his training with the Lord of the Worlds.

When did Goku learn how to fly, when previously he had only used Kintou for aerial movement?

It was never shown, how he learned to fly, so that's pure speculation. The DragonBall-Wiki has a possible explanation:

  Goku likely learned how to fly from Kami during his long training at Kami's Lookout, as he was unable to do so before and demonstrated his abilities to conclude his World Martial Arts Tournament fight with Piccolo.

Source: Dragonball Wiki


Why do the names of the Sankakusu sites match the surnames of Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto? In ep. 2 of season 3 of Sailor Moon Crystal, Mamoru says that the amusement park Chibi-Usa is going to is in Sankakusu, which is on reclaimed land. Later, Artemis tells Luna that there are three reclaimed sites that comprise Sankakusu: Tenohzu, Kaiohzu, and Meiohzu.

It struck me that the romanised forms of these three sites can be produced by appending "-zu" to each of the surnames of the Outer Senshi (excluding Saturn). (The civilian names of the Guardians concerned are Haruka Tenoh, Michiru Kaioh, and Setsuna Meioh.) After some experimenting with romanization schemes (tenohzu, which is the official romanisation, does not produce useful search results, but tenouzu produced a lead) and running some searches, I found someone who claims that these three sites have the kanji 天王洲, 海王洲, and 冥王洲 respectively. In each case, the first two characters correspond to the surnames of the Senshi that I named earlier.

Is there any in-universe reason for this correspondence between the names of the sites and these Senshi's surnames? (I might shrug away "Kaiohzu Park", which appears in ep. 7 of Sailor Moon S as a one-off coincidence, but it would be unlikely if all three names matched up by chance.)

It makes sense that Haruka and Michiru have helicopters that are named Tenohmaru and Kaiohmaru, since they own these helicopters, but it seems doubtful that they would have plots of land named after them.
Perhaps their identities are completely made-up, and the surnames came after the sites were named? (Perhaps they chose their new identities based on the names of the sites?) However, at least in Sailor Moon S, the identity "Haruka Tenoh" seems to have existed even before Haruka became Sailor Uranus (per the characterisation in the flashback of ep. 17 of Sailor Moon S), even if it makes sense that Sailor Pluto would need a new identity (not being from the present).

As an aside, with slight spoilers for Sailor Moon S:

   It makes sense that Saturn is excluded. Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto consistently work together in Sailor Moon S, whereas Saturn only appears towards the end of that season. I imagine that this might also be the case in the manga and SMC. Moreover, it's clear that at least Saturn has a  real-life identity that has not been falsified.

Only Tenouzu (天王洲) appears to be based on a real place, Tennouzu Isle (天王洲アイル), officially called Tennoz Isle in English). It was reclaimed from Tokyo Bay in the 1920's and 30's and then redeveloped in the early 1990's. The other places appear to be derived from the other outer senshi's names by extension.

Both Sailor Uranus's (セーラーウラヌス) name and her alternate identity's family name, Tenou (天王), are taken from the planet Uranus, which in Japanese is called Tenousei (天王星). Similarly the names of the other two outer senshi are also taken from the names of planets, Neptune (kaiousei, 海王星) and Pluto (meiousei, 冥王星).

The name of reclaimed island and the Japanese name of the planet Uransus  being similar seems to be a coincidence. The planet name, tenousei, literally means sky god star, referring to the Greek god Uranus's role as god of the sky. Tennouzu Isle is named after the Shinto/Buddhist god of disease Gozu Tennou.

I doubt there's any in universe explanation of why these sites happen to have similar names as the three new sailor senshi, just as there isn't any explanation on how all of the senshi's family names coincidentally reflected the sailor senshi identities that most of them would only acquire later. I think its simply a case of taking a real world place name that happened to be similar and extending it, only implying some sort of connection. For example, while Sailor Moon's family name Tsukino (月野, literally "moon field"), suggests a mystical connection to her role as Sailor Moon and her being a reincarnation of a moon princess, it's really just a pun. Her full name in Japanese is pronounced "tsukino usagi" which could also interpreted as "tsuki-no usagi". That translates to "Moon Rabbit", the Eastern equivalent to what we in the West call the "Man in the Moon".

Here's a screenshot of the map shown of the "Sankakusu Delta" in episode 28 of Sailor Moon Crystal and scan of the same scene from the Sailor Moon manga. If you compare that to what Tennouzu Isle looks like on Google Maps, you'll see that they placed the fictional Sankakusu and it's Tenohzu, Kaiohzu and Meiohzu districts smack dab in the middle of the real Tennouzu Isle.


What are these pixeled-out places from the Endymion special? In the Index-tan special for the Toaru Majutsu no Index: Endymion no Kiseki movie, the following two images appear, pixelated-out, during a conversation about landmarks in Tokyo:

What are these places?

The first place is the Asahi Beer Hall (i.e. the Super Dry Hall, スーパードライホール). (cf. Google Street View)

The second is Saw, Sawing, an art installation by Claes Oldenburg located at the Tokyo International Exhibition Centre (aka Big Sight). (cf. Google Street View)


What does Accelerator say to Dark Matter at the end of their fight? After Dark Matter's defeat, he stabs Yomikawa to further hurt Accelerator, which causes Accelerator to sprout his black wings and then tell him something in angel language.

The English translation says:

  “—yjrpEVILqw”

What does he say in Japanese though? I tried finding the raw but couldn't, and my Japanese-fu isn't that good. Anyone familiar enough knows what he says there?

「——ｙｊｒｐ悪ｑｗ」

Volume 15 (Old Testament), chapter Dark_Matter, section 4 (p. 320).

悪 (あく / aku) means "evil". The surrounding letters don't appear to gain any additional meaning in Japanese - they're probably just gibberish.


What illness did Tanjiro's dad have? In the anime, we have a flashback that mentions Tanjiro's dad who was very ill when Tanjiro was still at a young age.

So, what is the cause of Tanjiro's dad's illness?

Its never stated in the manga why he is so sick.

But if you read the manga you will have a theory

  Tanjiro's dad have The mark, Its stated by upper moon 1 every demon slayer who has the marked will be died before they turn 25 years old. We don't know if Tanjiro's dad have the mark or even he is a demon slayer before, but because he can use breathing technique Dance of the Fire God it's safe to assume he was once a demon slayer. even though it doesn't guarantee if tanjiro's dad ever have The Mark, because not every Demon Slayer have The Mark.


why is Zen-Oh portrayed as child? What I want to know is the writers reasons.
Does he say why he did it?
I would assume he wanted the innocence of child but the moodiness and lack of any logical behavior doesn't go well with all that power.

I think it's mainly to incorporate humor into the plot. This is not the first time we have seen characters like this. We've seen Majin Buu back in the Buu saga who acted like a child despite being insanely powerful. Toriyama is known for creating characters of this manner. The fact that we get to see the strongest beings in the universe, the gods of destruction be terrified of these kids, incorporates a lot of humor into the storyline


What is the bondage-like rope Yui Yuigahama from Oregairu is wearing? I just started watching Yahari Ore no Seishun Love Comedy wa Machigatteiru, and the black rope-like object I see on Yui looks like bondage ropes. I doubt it really is, so what is it?

Just watch the first episode of first season and pay attention to Yui.

I haven't been able to find an official screenshot showing this, but fan art of Yui seems to be consistent in showing the cords being part of an undershirt with a saw-cut edge:


Is Hyouge Mono historically accurate? The anime and manga, Hyouge Mono, is set in the Sengoku era and follows tea related items. I can see that in general the events of the era seem to be more or less accurate, and all the wacky outfits probably aren't accurate (or are they?), but I'm wondering about the tea related aspect of the series.

Did the warlords of the time (especially Oda Nobunaga) have tea masters and treasure master crafted tea-ware in any way like they're portrayed in Hyouge Mono? Are any of the crafted items, at least the ones with proper names, real items from the period?

All characters on the show are based on historical figures. Furuta Sasuke is in fact Furuta Oribe but he will only change his name later in life.
Same goes for Sen no Soeki who will become famous under the name of Sen no Rikyu.


What happend to Zuko's Mother (Avatar the last airbender) So when I watched The Legend of Kora the grandaughter of Aang asked Katara what happened to the mother of Zuko wich Katara didn't get the answer because she was interrupted. I still don't know if Zuko's mother chose to go away, got killed, or maybe got forced away. I only saw the series I don't know if they explain in the manga.

This was answered in the Avatar comics, as you suspect. In particular, it was the second graphic novel released, The Search. The title refers to Zuko's search for his mother.
In the comic, everything about Fire Lord Azulon's death is revealed, as well as what happened to Zuko's mother, Ursa. I'll summarize here based on the wikipedia article and my own hazy memory. Ursa provided Ozai with a poison to kill Azulon, and after that succeeded, she was effectively banished by Ozai as a precaution. During her exile, Ursa got a spirit to change her face and erase her memories, married her childhood sweetheart whom she was engaged to before Ozai showed up, and had a daughter. During the course of the story, Zuko eventually finds his mother and her memories are restored.


Does Madara's age make him immune from the Death Note's "124 years old" rule? Disregarding for a second that

   Madara is now dead, after ceasing to be a Jinchuuriki

The Death Note has a rule which states that

  You cannot kill humans at the age of 124 or over with the Death Note.

The timeline isn't well explained, and I tried to reach a conclusion with a friend, but couldn't eventually.

The question is: Is Madara over 124 years old? And thus immune to the effects of a Death Note?

I don't think he is, he is of an age with Hashirama Senju, as seen from when they were children together, and his slightly younger brother was the master of Hiruzen Sarutobi, who was only 69 when he died.

The age gap between master and student varies, with Kakashi less than twenty years older than Naruto and Jiraiya more than thirty years older than Naruto, but even if Tobirama was forty years older than Hiruzen, that only puts him at 109, and seeing as they were both kids at the same time, Hashirama can't be more than 115 or so, and Madara at most maybe 118.

Looking at it another way, Hashiraama's granddaughter Tsunade is 55 after the timeskip,  and on average grandparents tend to be between fifty and seventy years older than their grandchildren, making it unlikely for Hashirama to be older than 124, but possible.

It's also important to note that after entrusting Obito to resurrect him, Madara did pass away, I'm not sure for how long, but most likely at the minimum for a year or two.

I would guess that Madara was born about 100 to 110 years ago, and spent one to ten of those years dead, making him susceptible to the Death Note.


Why has the Hayate no Gotoku anime switched studios so many times? The anime version of Hayate no Gotoku has been done by three different studios so far:

Season 1: SynergySP
Season 2: JC Staff
Movie, Season 3, Season 4: Manglobe

Each studio's version is a little different. For example, SynergySP focused a lot on parody while JC Staff focused more on romance.

I've seen a few shows switch studios once, but switching twice seems extremely rare.

Why has it switched studios so many times? Was the creator unsatisfied with what the previous studios did to the story? Was it just some financial matter?

(I'm Japanese, so please excuse my English.)
First a bit of background:

Season 1: This season was a Sunday morning anime in Japan. Sunday morning anime means children anime. SynergySP is known as an anime studio for children.
Season 2: After this season, Hayate moved to the midnight anime for adults in Japan. To produce an anime for adults is the contrary to the SynergySP's corporate philosophy.

After that, you can read the Hayate's author, Hata's thought:

TVアニメが始まります。
第三期ではありません。
今回は新アニメ。
新しいハヤテのごとく！です。

Translation

The TV anime will start.
It is not the 3rd season.
It is a new anime.
New Hayate no Gotoku!

As for your question:

I've seen a few shows switch studios once, but switching twice seems extremely rare.

Typically when the timeslot moves from a morning/children anime to the midnight/adults anime, often times you will see a studio switch.


What does 'moe' mean? I've now watched quite a few anime and I'm still at a loss as to what the term moe represents. Is there an agreed upon definition for it? If a character is moe, what does that mean?

Here is an academic paper1 with an analysis of the concept of moe, including its history and origin, relationship to the socio-economics of Japan, previous academic studies of moe, otaku and fujoshi psychology, and a very in-depth analysis of what moe actually is.

A short table of contents of the topics covered:

Japanese critical discourse
Emergence of the moe form
Otaku discussions of moe
Moe desire and sexuality
Moe in relation to 'reality'
The female approach to moe
Fujoshi exposing virtual potential in reality

To quote from its conclusion,

  Both otaku and fujoshi describe moe fantasy as 'pure,' or set apart from reality, and it precisely because it is pure that it can give birth to such perverse and polymorphous possibilities. The moe character is a 'body without organs' and it engenders virtual possibilities without limits or control. Stated another way, moe describes affect, or an unstructured intensity in response to the virtual possibilities of fantasy characters. Whether it is the girl-child popular among men or the homosexual boys popular among women, these young characters are not part of the 'real' world and do not demand their partners be socially mature and responsible adults; with moe characters, men can experience love outside the confines of manhood (defined by work) and women love outside the confines of womanhood (defined by childbirth).

1 "Moe: Exploring Virtual Potential in Post-Millennial Japan", by Patrick W. Galbraith. Published in the Electronic Journal of Contemporary Japanese Studies, article 5 of 2009; first published on 31 October 2009.


In what order does the Akatsuki capture the Tailed Beasts? In Episode 83, two or three episodes after Hidan and Kakuzu capture the Two Tails, Nagato says that only 4 beasts are left. But in the anime, only two beasts were shown to be captured (Shukaku and the Two Tails). So 7 beasts remain. Are there any movies in between or did I miss any episode?

Timeline as figured by me
1.Kokuo(Han) was captured BEFORE shipuuden start

Kokuō, after living in an unspecified forest, eventually fell into the possession of Iwagakure and was sealed into Han, but was captured and extracted by Akatsuki.

2.Gyuki was captured BEFORE shipuuden starts

In the anime, during a joint Chūnin Exams between Konohagakure and Sunagakure, Fū attempted to stop the Suna-nin Hōichi from extracting Shukaku from its host Gaara. Her failed attempt caused her to draw the attention of Hōichi, who also began extracting Chōmei from Fū.[6] Ultimately, the extraction was stopped by the intervention of Neji Hyūga, who used his Gentle Fist to block the chakra points from which Chōmei was being extracted, thereby repelling the chains.[7] Fū was later captured by Akatsuki members Kakuzu and Hidan, leading to Chōmei being extracted from its jinchūriki and sealed within the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path.[8]

Shipuuden Starts
3.Deidara (and Sasori) capture Shukaku (Gaara) - Naruto Returns

During Gaara's time as the Fifth Kazekage, Deidara and Sasori from the Akatsuki were assigned to capture Shukaku.

4.Hidan and Kakuzu capture Matatabi (Yugito) - Akatsuki Suppression; Asuma Dies

Soon after her introduction, Yugito was captured by two Akatsuki members, Hidan and Kakuzu.

5.Tobi and Deidara capture Isubo the three tails - Naruto starts his wind training

In the manga, Tobi and Deidara confronted the beast around the same time Naruto Uzumaki had begun his Wind Release training, to which it responded by beginning to chase Tobi. With the Three-Tails distracted, Deidara moulded an explosive clay fish in an attempt to capture it. This was a filler arc in the Anime, wherein Leaf tried to capture the beast and failed

6.Kisame capture Son Goku(Roshi) - Itachi is pursued; Sasuke Vs Deidara

After an unseen and difficult battle with Kisame Hoshigaki, Rōshi was defeated and captured by the Akatsuki member

7.Anime only: Saiken (Utakata) is captured by Pain

In the anime, in an attempt to stop the Fury technique from causing untold destruction, Utakata went into his full Six-Tails form to shield the blast. Later, Utakata was confronted and captured by Nagato's Six Paths of Pain. Afterwards, Saiken was extracted from Utakata's body, being sealed into the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path, thus killing the jinchūriki in the process.
So 2 beasts were captured before anime started. The 4th Mizukage's beast was roaming alone for some reason and Utakata's beast I am not sure about. In Anime, its shown after Roshi, need a rewatch to confirm. As I remember Utakata was captured while Sasuke fought Itachi and Jiraiya, Pain.

8.9.Gyuki and Kurama capture failed by Kisame and Pain.
EDIT: Added relevant quotes for all the beasts from the wikia (Source)


Is the strange reproductive process in The Twelve Kingdoms based on a myth or legend? In The Twelve Kingdoms, babies are born from Ranka, or giant eggs that grow on trees.  Is this based on an myth or legend?  Or is it just a way the author invented to explore what happens to a society where the women do not have to give birth?  The idea of babies growing in eggs on trees seems like something I've heard of before somewhere else, but I can't recall where.

I touch on this in my answer to your other question. Eastern and Buddhist myths often use the cosmic egg to explain creation. In Chinese mythology, it is Pangu who hatches from the egg. In Hindu mythology, it is Brahma. In Buddhism, Buddha himself is depicted as hatching from the egg as seen below.

The myth of the World Tree is another that pervades religion.


What is the name of an anime about a special forces, socially inept high school student bodyguard? I remember watching an anime about a special ops soldier who is assigned to be the bodyguard of a high school student. He is also socially inept in that he interprets almost anything as a threat to her. I believe it has two seasons, the first season of which is actual plot, and the second season is episodic, comical episodes.

To formalize what has been stated in the comments:

The anime series in question is Full Metal Panic, based on the light novel series. Mech-specialist Sgt. Sagara Souske is tasked to protect Kaname Chidori when she is targeted by a terrorist organization. He is a skilled fighter, but fails to react normally in most social situations.

It features 3 seasons (as of 2014):

Full Metal Panic - the first season is very plot driven.

Full Metal Panic? Fummoffu - the second season takes a more comedic approach, with many of the episodes being broken into 2 half-episodes.

Full Metal Panic: The Second Raid - the third season is much like the first, with more of a plot focus (13-episodes).


Why doesn't Greed harden fully? Fighting the Elric brothers in an early episode of the FMA: Brotherhood anime, Greed eventually hardens his entire body, making him impervious to damage aside from directly transmuting his armored skin.

Later in the show, Greed has multiple fights against foes that do not use alchemy, and thus he should have an enormous advantage over them. However, he never again hardens his entire body—he almost always armors his limbs, but his chest, neck and head always remain vulnerable—and these weak spots always end up exploited.

We see him use his full power again in episode 58 in a battle against some nameless mooks, right after a near-total defeat in an important duel where he only protected his arms.

Why does Greed never armor himself fully when it actually matters?

There's a few things in play here.

 Recall that in the latter half of the series, Greed shares his body with Ling, his "host".

Greed is often forced to share control of his body as a result; his host is a far superior fighter against certain opponents later in the series. However, his host has no control over the hardening of the shield. So, Greed puts the shield on, then lets his host take over (since he is a superior warrior). Likely the reason Greed doesn't fully cover his host is that it will reduce his speed and agility. (When fighting the "nameless mooks", the advanced combat abilities are not needed, so Greed maintains full control.)
Related to the above point, later in the series, the shield may symbolize how much of the body Greed is actually controlling. Since Greed's host is usually in control in a fight, his face being composed of skin may represent this.
It's also worthy of note that parts of the body not covered by the shield are able to heal themselves.
And the last point is one of personality; Greed is cocky and vain, and likes people to see him as he is. Since his shield turns his face into something more robotic and toothed, he prefers not to use it.

Sorry to let you down, but I've been holding back. [The complete Ultimate Shield] obscures my handsome face, so I try not to wear it that much.
  — Greed, Brotherhood episode 13, 18:33


Why Vegeta doesnt learn Goku's techniques after being fused with him? After defused from Goku, in the Buu arc, Vegeta remembers how they badly beated Buu. If Vegeta has memories of the times being fused with Goku, why doesnt he learn his techniques such as the teletransportation, Genki Dama and Kaioken?

In the Dragon Ball Z anime, fusion of two characters do NOT result in either characters learning each other's moves and abilities. Example: When Gotenks ran out of time, neither Gotenks or Trunks knew each other's moves.

Hope this answers your question.


Are these constellations real? Are these poke-constellations real ? If so , then how do the constellations relate to the Pokémon , of vice versa ? And would you also please explain any other information you may have about the constellation and Pokémon relationship ? Or are these constellations just and only in the anime ?

Believe it or not, constellations are a thing in the Pokémon universe.  Well, sort of; they don't really have any lore behind them at all.

  Pokémon constellations appear multiple times in the Pokémon games and anime. Currently, no star charts or lore exist for constellations in the Pokémon world.

This brings me to your image; with the exception of Milotic and Gardevoir, none of those constellations exist in any media related to Pokémon, according to Bulbapedia.  Pokemon Channel is the only media in which both Milotic and Gardevoir appear as far as games, and in the movie Jirachi:  Wish Maker, they are seen as well.

...Also, your particular picture is unofficial art work, so the likelihood of it being canon at all is pretty much nil.


Do some Devil Fruits allow the user to swim in water? If someone had for example a "wood" devil fruit, his body would be entirely made out of wood. Would it be possible then to swim on the water, because naturally wood "swims" or at least floats in the water?

Or does the sea eliminate his wood power and give him his normal body back, so he would drown?

No, there are no Devil Fruits that allow a user to swim in water. Every Devil Fruit user has the same basic weakness.

Since wood is lighter than water, he might be able to float on the water though. While floating on the water, you are submerged for over 50%, which would result in energy drainage for fruit users and make the user unable to move and even if he could master some energy to move his arms or legs, if he wants to move through the water he has to put them in the water, submerging himself more and losing even more energy. So my guess would be that the user would not drown and be able to motionlessly float around the ocean. He has to go into the water laying face up though or he would not be able to breath and still drown anyway (but not sink). So I guess if such a user falls into the water and would emerge with his head first fast enough before passing out, he might be able to survive, but probably not for long.


Old Anime (similar to Pokemon) that involved going to different places (/times?) and capturing monsters in their eggs? I've been trying to find the name of this show for YEARS. I watched it every day when I was young (around 10 years ago now). I'm pretty sure it was on Channel 5 (for all you English people) in the early morning since I would watch it before school.

All I can remember is that there was a group of kids and they'd travel to different places (maybe times too?) and would have to capture some kind of monster (similar to Pokemon/Digimon) that was causing havoc. Each monster I believe was recaptured in an egg (each egg was also unique) and there was usually just one per episode. There may have been some kind of scientist involved with a machine that sent them to these places? But my memories may just be getting confused with Pokemon at that point.
I know it wasn't Monster Rancher as I've had suggested by friends but beyond that I've no clue.

Any ideas? I really loved it and it would be amazing to rediscover it after all these years.

It sounds like Flint the Time Detective

  It is the 25th century. The dark lord has 'infected' history with time-devices that could damage history beyond repair. Flint and his father lived in the prehistorics when they got turned into fossiles. They are discovered and Flint ges turned back to his original state. With the help of his father, a boy Tony and a girl Sara he has to travel trough time to bring the time-devices back to the land of time so history will be saved.

In particular there are creatures called time-shifters that can assume different forms, among which there is an egg-like form (monster egg).


What would have happened to Gon, Killua, and Kurapika if they had lost the coin game against Gotoh? What would have happened to Gon, Killua, and Kurapika if they had lost the coin game against Gotoh? Would Gotoh really have killed them, or was he bluffing all along?

First of all, this is speculation, since you asked about 'what if'.

I believe to answer your question, we first need to understand Gotoh's personality. From what the story depicted, we can fairly well assume that Gotoh cared deeply for Killua. With that in mind, we can say that regardless of the outcome of the game, Killua would not have been killed.

As for Gon, Kurapika and Leorio, I believe he wanted to test them, probably by seeing how they would react to the different situations he created during the game. The reason for that would be because the Zoldyck are assassins, which meant that they for sure are hated by a lot of people (e.g. victims of the family's assassinations) and any strangers posed a threat, Gon & Co were no exception. The fact that they passed the Testing Gate and Canary was proof that they were no ordinary people and carried the potential of harming the Zoldyck.

During the game itself, he tried to see how far Gon & Co would go for Killua, as far as doing something that would not benefit them in any way; saying that he would kill Canary, a member of Zoldyck's household, if they lose (in the event Gon wanted to harm the Zoldyck and lost, resulting in Canary getting killed, it would be in Gon & Co's advantage to have less people to fight against, and thus would likely not take the game as seriously, but this is straying a bit too far).

At that point, if Gon really lost, it can be hard to say what would have happened, but I would tend to believe that following Gon's reaction, Gotoh determined then that they meant no harm to Killua. Should Gon have lost, Gotoh could possibly have instead refused them meeting with Killua assuming that Gon was not strong enough to protect Killua if needed.

Conversely, I believe that if the way Gon reacted during the game was different, hinting that Gon couldn't be trusted, only then, would Gotoh attempt to kill the three of them.


Why are shows like Gundam and Dragon Ball not available on iTunes (or other services)? Will they ever be available? I see that at least Dragon Ball is on Amazon video streaming, but only in SD.

I own some of the blu-rays, but it would be nice to have them in digital format instead!

Any question of "Why hasn't X happened?" tends to be tricky to answer, because there isn't really much information on it unless there were already plans to do something (it's like asking "Why hasn't my favourite manga/light novel/video game/ukiyo-e been turned into an anime?" - the answer is just that no-one's bothered doing it yet and there's no real way of knowing if anyone even tried).

That said, here are some reasons that are mostly speculative:

The distribution rights are complicated, because of the way that international distribution rights work (which, if you were wondering, is "poorly") or because iTunes isn't a streaming service so the way licenses work is likely to be different to something like Crunchyroll.
The distribution rights are currently tied up in other licenses (e.g. perhaps Crunchyroll or some other service has exclusive rights to online distribution).
Apple are asking for too much money and the distributors don't think they will make a profit from it.
The distributors really hate Apple.
The distributors don't actually have the rights to release the shows on iTunes for some reason (see also the first point).
The distributors don't know that iTunes does TV shows now (just covering all possible bases, however unlikely).
The distributors are in talks with Apple to put the shows on iTunes, but for various reasons they're stuck in negotiations.

I'm sure there are more reasons, but hopefully those are enough to go on for now.


Do characters announce genjutsu before casting, like regular jutsu and taijutsu? In Naruto, they usually announce their jutsu's (i.e. fire style, fireball jutsu), but do they do the same for genjutsu?

When it comes to Sharingan, only once it was announced, before even the jutsu was used. It was by Itachi when he was fighting Sasuke. But When Sasuke was fighting Danzo, he used  Tsukyomi on Danzo, but Sasuke didn't announce it before using the genjutsu.

When it comes to Byakugan, Neji and Hinata announce jutsus before using it.

As with Rinnegan, Nagato didn't announce when he used Gedo Rinne Tensei no justsu to revive the people of Konoha. That might be due to already he was exhausted and on the verge of death. But during the Fourth Ninja War, Madara announced before he used the Gedo Rinne Tensei no justsu.


What is Japanese version of the pun word, "slife"? ... and term for adult friend? At time code 21:40 of Episode 1 of That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime, the protagonist Satoru refers to his new life as a slime as a "slife" (sub).  I'm guessing there was similar word play in Japanese.  Could someone explain what it was?

Also, just prior to that he had made friends with a dragon, but as a 37-year-old (former) human, seemed embarrassed to use the term "friends".  Does Japanese tend to use a different term than "friend" for adults?  I get the impression Satoru thinks the term would normally be used by kids and teenagers.

It's a play on 人生 (jinsei, lit. human life) with スライム生 (suraimusei, lit. slime life).

'Slife' is an accurate portmanteau here. Since it's Slime + Life.

Friends are friends regardless of age. There are more formal words like 友人 (yujin), but how it's used is circumstantial and highly contextual in nature.


What is this jazz song in the first episode of Gundam Thunderbolt? I've been looking for the name of this jazz piece in the first episode of Gundam Thunderbolt. I'm more curious to know whether it's an original song for the OST or not. It can be found at the following times:

1:57 - 2:27
3:27 - 4:16

This one that maybe your looking for :3

Gundam Thunderbolt OST 01 - Thunderbolt For Main Theme (Io Fleming Song)


When would Sakamichi no Apollon have taken place? I have a clue on one event as I saw two of the characters saying that John Coltrane passed away and that was 1967.

Edit: I know it started in 1966, but is there a rough estimate of when the episodes/events took place?

The story goes from 1966 to 1977. Here's a breakdown for every episode with some exemplary screenshots for every period. This doesn't detail every single event since many episode span a larger time, but it should be easy to extrapolate from this:

1966, start of the first year in high-school. I found no mention of 1966 in the anime, but it's in the manga. At the latest we can infer this later on, when we hear about Coltrane's death in ep7.
Still summer 1966

End of summer 1966

Christmas 1966

January 1967 (first day of school after winter vacation)

April 1967, start of the second school year

Summer 1967

Since they have the festival afterwards and festivals tend to be held in autumn afaik, the episode might span a few months.
Winter 1967 (plans for Christmas)

Since Jun came back this summer and wasn't disowned yet when he last appeared, the flashbacks must be referring to the very beginning of the Anpo protests, which according to Wikipedia started only in 1968.
Christmas 1967

Starts (probably) after winter vacation, so it's January 1968. Continues until summer 1968 (by now they are in their third and final year).

~Autumn 1968, last school festival

~March 1969. Graduation from high school.

"Eight years later", so probably 1977


What is the context for Rimuru's joke about taking five minutes for the audience to quiet down? In an episode of That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime, Rimuru is beginning to talk to his villagers. See episode 3, timecode 17:30.

  Right, it took five minutes for all of you to quiet down.

He waits momentarily to give them a chance to respond, then thinks to himself after no response:

  They didn't get my best joke?!

Unfortunately, neither do I. It appears to involve the fake mustache, which he discards soon after that.  My guess is that this scenario would be familiar to a Japanese audience.

What is the "joke" Rimuru is making? If it is something from Japanese culture, why would he think the evolved goblins and direwolves from this different world would understand it?

What is the "joke" Rimuru is making?

As stated on 絢瀬絵里's comment and W. Are's comment, most likely it refers to a school principal/teacher.
Reading the live-reaction of Japanese fans when that specific scene was broadcasted, all referred to "school principal"

どこの校長先生だよｗｗ (which school's principal lol)
校長ネタ(´^ω^｀)ﾌﾞﾌｫwww (school principal joke lol)
校長先生みたいなことを言うなww (don't say something a school principal likes to do lol)
校長先生気取りｗｗｗｗｗ (school principal pretension lolol)
固有スキル＜校長＞ (Native Skill <School Principal>)

Another Japanese fan also wrote an article about this, in which the writer acknowledged their own experience,

「皆さんが静かになるまで5分かかりました」の元ネタは学校の先生ですね。笑
そういう先生いませんでしたか？私の周りにももれなくいたのですごく笑ってしまいました。
「皆さんが静かになるまで5分かかりました」先生は全国区なのかもしれないですね。
Looks like the origin of "It took 5 minutes for all of you to quiet down" is a school teacher. lol
Did such teachers not exist? Because without a doubt there was one around me, I laughed very hard.
These teachers are probably a national constituency.

So, this is not only an entertainment trope, but it's also a real-life reference.

If it is something from Japanese culture, why would he think the evolved goblins and direwolves from this different world would understand it?

No one knows... but considering he likes to spout his local jokes, I don't think it's too surprising for him to do this... maybe a habit as a humorous person?

Live reaction sources:

アニコ便 (Japanese)
ころアニ (Japanese)


Song from Tokyo Ghoul season 1 episode 10 at 08:25 when Ayato enter a coffee shop What is the song from Tokyo Ghoul season 1 episode 10 at 08:25 when Ayato enter a coffee shop?


Why don't the citizens use the underground port and factory to escape the Birdcage? People can use the lift to go down. The Birdcage wouldn't possibly be deep enough. Also, the cage won't do any harm since it is a port and there is sea-water. The path can be created by any strong character to lead to the uderground place like Fujitora, Chin Jao, etc.

Also the Scrapheap where Kanjuro was held could also be used for refuge!

This is the depth of the underground space:

Why isn't Oda using it?

It would not make sense for them to go down there. Most of the citizens don't even know about the underground port and everybody also witnessed Pica's strength. If they would go down there they would be sitting ducks. Doflamingo would be able to throw attacks at them and use Parasite until they all die, or Pica would be able to just bury them all alive.

Keep in mind that we know more than the people in One Piece know. Most people don't know about the port and a lot of people don't know about the sharpness of the cage. Normal citizens in general don't know about the port, because it was always kept secret, while those that were turned into toys, have a big grudge against Doflamingo and would be going straight for him to take revenge. There was also a short time period where the citizens believed Doflamingo and wanted to end the game by capturing the criminals.

Dressrosa is a pretty big country and is in a state of confusion. Aside from the fact that they just wouldn't all fit in there, most citizens take the most logical decision and that is running away from the most imminent treat. Those at the suburbs would notice the cage coming closer and would run towards the city center, while those at the city center, would see the Donquixote family being close and would try to run towards the cage as they don't know it is closing in and is as sharp as it is. The citizens are powerless and would just run until this is all over.

Additionally, the tunnel under Dressrosa is filled with water, so they either have to swim out of there, or take a boat. Since there are many people that cannot swim (elderly, kids, even adults, Devil Fruit users), they should all be carried or taken on a ship. Yet most citizens don't even know how to navigate a ship and there just are not enough ships available to carry everybody. So in any case many would have to be left behind.

When they would eventually reach the outskirts of the country, they should go somewhere. Yet they are in open sea, so there is nowhere to go. The only thing they could do is, build a tunnel upwards or make a net to climb the huge boulders and wait until the fight is over. While this on its own sounds very unlikely to be done, when they get out, Doflamingo would just redo the birdcage over the entire island, destroy the tunnel/net and start over from the beginning.


How did Waver appear in Iskandar's reality marble? In the final episode of Ufotable's adaptation of Fate/Stay Night, we were shown a glimpse of what Waver looks like years after the events of Fate/Zero:

In Fate/Zero, we are shown that Iskandar's reality marble contains all of his comrades from the past. One of the soldiers who appeared in his army looks very similar to Waver:

So is that really Waver? If so, how did he appear in Iskandar's reality marble?

According to the type moon wiki, Iskandar's reality marble is created with help from people who "shared his dreams and pledged allegiance to him after many victories and defeats"

Thus, in essence, Iskandar's reality marble is created by his followers, which Waver is, essentially, by the end of Fate/Zero.

Therefore, Waver is included among the rest of Iskandar's followers inside the Ionoi Hetairoi. However, you might ask how it's possible for older Waver to be here already. Servants and their magic are noted to exist outside of time, so as with Shirou and Archer, it's not unreasonable for the two to exist in the same time through the power of Rider's noble phantasm.

EDIT - Several other things of note, as suggested by :
First, consider Waver's oath to Rider. On the last day of the 4th Grail War, Waver uses all of his command seals on Rider, effectively stepping down as Rider's master. However, Rider insists that Waver ride into battle with him as a friend. Furthermore, after Rider's death, Waver promises to live in order to tell the story of "his king." All this lends support to the idea that Waver is a follower of Iskandar, just like everyone else inside Rider's Noble Phantasm. source.

To elaborate on how Servants exist outside of time, according to this heroic spirits are "freed from the constraints of time itself and removed from the ring of reincarnation, moved to the Throne of Heroes" which exists "outside of both the world and the time axis"


Is Klein gay? Is he gay for Kirito? At the end of episode 1, Klein tells Kirito that he looked cute, and was totally his type (script):

  You were actually pretty cute.

  That's my type.

Does this mean something different in Japanese?  Was something lost in translation?  Or is Klein gay for Kirito?  Or is Klein gay in general?  I can't recall another anime that I've watched that had similar dialogue, but I don't watch anime where dudes are explicitly hot for each other either.

I'm re-watching SAO and I never noticed this the first two times through.

I re-watched that episode because I also did not notice this. But it looks more like a friendly joke to me, given the events in that episode. If I remember correctly, Klein does not show any hints that he has romantic feelings to Kirito nor men in general throughout SAO.

Why was I able to say it was a friendly joke? Klein probably meant it as a joke that Kirito's face looks like a girl's that's his type. Also, as stated here, 'Klein is also a "bachelor" and is shown trying to get together with various women in the series, such as Asuna, Freyja, and even Kazuto's sister, whom he had yet to meet.' If he was gay, he would be going after men or would have at least an episode or two to discuss his backstory as to why he felt that way.


Why does everything suddenly change at the end of episode 8, "Happy Family Planning", of "Paranoia Agent"? All throughout episode 8 of Paranoia Agent, "Happy Family Planning", we see the main characters for that episode trying to kill themselves and failing in slapstick-y fashion, over and over. Then the oldest of the three, Fuyubachi, starts to take a pill, suddenly seems to be having an attack of whatever the pills are supposed to ward off, it seems like he might die...

... except he doesn't, and then it seems like everything just ... becomes okay.  They're still talking about committing suicide, but they seem like they've actually decided to just enjoy life instead.

What's going on?

The strong reaction Fuyubachi has in the parking lot isn't because he's having an attack with no medication to take for it...

   ... it's because he's finally realized, he and the other two are dead.  It's a sunny day, and everyone else in the park is casting a shadow; the three of them are not.  Earlier in the episode, one of their suicide attempts succeeded in bringing about their deaths, but they didn't know it, and continued trying to kill themselves.

There are clues beforehand that such a thing is possible...

   Namely, the man they saw who jumped in front of the train, and whom Zebra then saw walking out of the crowd.  Everyone's reactions to the death indicate that it left him in a horrible state - so bad that our three protagonists decide that even if they want to die, they don't want to do it in a way that leaves you looking like that.

 Yet the man Zebra sees is moving under his own power, and while he's bloody, and complaining about how it hurts, it's nothing like the utter mangling one would expect.  More to the point, no one else in the crowd seems to see the man.  He is a ghost, who only thinks he's still alive - and the only reason Zebra sees him, presumably, is because Zebra is also a ghost.

If you re-watch the episode knowing what Fuyubachi realizes at the end...

   It seems that our protagonists must have died in the building that was being demolished.  When Zebra and Fuyubachi run away from Kamome, not wanting her to die along with them, they have shadows; when they are going to the train station, they cast no shadows on the ground, but a passing bike rider casts a very visible shadow.

 Ironically, it means that their deaths probably weren't even a result of their suicide attempts, except indirectly.  Fuyubachi and Zebra both take pills and try to inhale the carbon monoxide inside the building, but Kamome shows up later than that, and still dies; it suggests that they were killed when the building was demolished with them inside, something they didn't plan for.

It also explains the reactions they get from others...

   ... which is mostly not being noticed at all, because the living can't see them.  The exceptions are:

 Shounen Bat (Lil' Slugger), who can see them but is presumably a little freaked that dead people are begging him to kill them, and ...

 The teenage girls at the end, who are shocked because Fuyubachi, Zebra and Kamome's photobombing turned the picture they took into a "ghost photo".


How many of the 26 reincarnators are known and what are their status at the time of the S series? In the Kumo storyline, 26 creatures reincarnated:

   24 students, 1 teacher and 1 spider (that received the human memories of the 26th student, that was Admin D in disguise).

Besides the eponymous protagonist, who where the others, and how are them at the time of the S series?

If someone wants to do a proper answer with specifics or has corrections, they can, but I can give a rough summary for now and maybe later reread some chapters and get the specifics.

This wont be perfect timeline wise either. I assume by S series you mean the side stories which start off with the reincarnated babies, then I will go a little farther than that, to the point where they are young teenagers or so, since some details I forgot or are ambiguous on the timeline until then.

For manga readers at least, this will be full of spoilers from the light/web novel, since this is all after our spider MC leaves the dungeon.

2-4 of them

   died while young and are not important to the story. It was at least 2, but up to 4. I don't recall specifically, and i believe the skill used to say they were dead might have been wrong about one or two of them, but its been a while and I don't remember nor have time to confirm right now.

2 of them

   were born in one of the major kingdoms, including one of them being a prince and younger brother of the one with the hero title, and the other a boy being reborn as a girl.

Another one was

   born as the next in line for the strongest swordsman

And all 3 above were sent to the same school, along with the Teacher, who

   was born as an elf, the child of the leader of the elves, though I recall it was a bit more complicated than that.

2 were

   born in a small village and became adventurers together after it was destroyed and everyone else killed.

One who became a major character was

   born in a town as the highest ranking vampire possible, to the local Lord of the land, and our MC meets her as a baby shortly after leaving the dungeon.

Another Major character

   Was born as a goblin.

The 2 above joined the MC and going further into detail why/when is heavy spoilers

Most if not all of the rest were

   kidnapped by elves and raised in their village, isolated from the world. A few of them were raised elsewhere still ended up in the elves village, like one from the church I believe it was.

That is at least 20-24 of the 27 of them accounted for, but I can't recall any more right now.


Do filler episode characters ever appear in the main storyline? Do any of the characters from the Naruto filler arcs or movies show up again in the main series, or they are just strictly made for the fillers and movies?

I was watching Shippuden season 1 and at some point the opening and closing songs had scenes from the Priestess Shion movie, or the first Naruto Shippuden movie.

Utakata was introduced during the so-named Tsuchigumo Kinjutsu arc, but he eventually makes his way in the main storyline as a reanimated ninja fighting in the Great Shinobi War.

It could be conjectured that he wasn't a filler character, but until Naruto chapter 515 at the earliest, the Six-Tails host was not identified by name.

In this picture, Utakata is second from the left.


Is shiki fuujin a summoning jutsu? As we know, shiki fuujin jutsu summons the death god which takes the soul of the summoner and target. But is it a summoning jutsu or just a kind of chakra attack (like rasengan, chidori etc)?

Indeed, Dead Demon Consuming Seal or simply Shiki Fūjin is summoning Shinigami. But first, let's recall what requires for Summoning Jutsu to work.

  Performer need to an additional donation of blood on the hand they signed the contract with.
  Mould their chakra with hand seals and then plant the hand they signed the contract with at the location they wish to summon the creature.

We know that when Hiruzen Sarutobi performing this technique, he skipped steps such as donate summoner's blood and plant summoner's hand to the ground, or anywhere. AFAIK, Summoning Jutsu is classified as Ninjutsu and Space-Time Ninjutsu, where Shiki Fūjin is classified as Ninjutsu, Fūinjutsu and Kinjutsu. As Space-Time Ninjutsu Definition says, all summoning-based techniques are space–time manipulation related, as they warp the targets through a dimensional void to the summoner's location. This makes a clear classification where Shiki Fūjin is not a Summoning Jutsu, because Shiki Fūjin doesn't classified as Space-Time Ninjutsu. I guess even though Hiruzen is indeed summoning Shinigami, it can't easily state that it is a Summoning Technique since Shinigami is type of soul creature, maybe it is a kind of Summoning Kinjutsu instead of Summoning Ninjutsu or some sort of thing.
In a nutshell, Shiki Fūjin is mainly Fūinjutsu, which seal objects, living beings, chakra, along with a wide variety of other things within another object, such as sealing scroll.


Did someone replace Uvogin in the Phantom Troupe? When

   Uvogin died at the hands of Kurapika in the York Shin arc,

did someone replace him? It is said that Kalluto replaced Hisoka. I wonder why him, specifically, seeing how Uvo left earlier than him.

Or should it be assumed that Kalluto just took Hisoka's number?

Did someone replace Uvogin in the Phantom Troupe? Yes, Illumi Zoldyck replaced him as No. 11. It is in Volume 36 Chapter 377. The image below is taken from the wiki.

As to why Illumi joined the Phantom Troupe, it is simply because Hisoka asked him to. He elaborated that Hisoka commissioned himself as a target to Illumi, and he joins just like that, and no questions were raised by the other Phantom Troupe members. So, if Illumi kills him, he gets a reward. Exactly what reward, it is not yet known. As to why Hisoka would want someone he is quite close to to kill him, I cannot say. He is quite unpredictable throughout the story.

However, when him and Illumi were hunting Killua and Alluka during the 13th Hunter Chairman Election arc, it is shown that he delights in the feeling of someone who have a desire to kill him. He is even debating on whether to gain Killua's or Illumi's hatred. (Chapter 330) This could be one of the reasons he asked Illumi to join the Phantom Troupe to kill him.

Should it be assumed, that Kalluto just took Hisoka's number? No assumptions need to be made as this was also made clear in the manga in Chapter 377. So, yes, Kalluto is the new No. 4.