Counting Down the 20 Coolest Characters in Anime - #9 Utena Tenjou, Revolutionary Girl Utena

Lets begin with this, Revolutionary Girl Utena without a doubt is the strangest anime that I have ever watched. Yet at the same time, it was one of the best animes that I've ever watched. Seems strange that I would like an anime since it's title in Japanese literally has shoujo in it. So yea, I like a show that aimed mostly at teenage girls, doesn't keep this show from being awesome. However, if you do watch it, be prepared from some things that will make you uncomfortable and don't expect to understand everything right away. But what am I doing? This isn't a short review of Revolutionary Girl Utena but rather a discussion about what makes it's protagonist, Utena, so freaking awesome.

At some point Utena became a master swordsman (swordswoman?)

So at her surface Utena is pretty protagonisty, she's got the heart of gold that protagonists have, she has her weird personality quirks (she wears the boys school uniform instead of the girls), she's super athletic. She shows up at Ohtori high as that pretty new student who immediately becomes the jewel of all the guys and the envy of all the girls. Then, almost unwittingly Utena gets sucked into the world of the duels (trying to protect her friend of course). It's in this arena of sword fighting that Utena really fills her badass quotient. For starters, she wins her first duel with a wooden kendo sword while her opponent wields a sword with magical powers that practically make it's user unbeatable. So yes, Utena is really just the standard protagonist when the show begins but we certainly get to know her more as it really gets going. Revolutionary Girl Utena is similar to Neon Genesis Evangelion in the respect that both are deconstructions of their respective genres. Evangelion started out as a show about 14 year olds who piloted giant robots to protect the fate of the world before becoming a commentary about how maybe thats not such a good idea in later episodes. Utena is a similar show in the fact that it starts off as a fun high school romance anime about a cross-dressing girl with sword fights and typical shenanigans on the side. Then things start getting really dark and guess what? Utena becomes a deconstruction of that genre too. (they don't call it Evangelion for girls for nothing) So this brings us back to Utena because she herself represents a deconstruction of the great hero who tries to save everyone. Utena certainly begins the show as the noble, pretty much perfect protagonist until it hits a darker tone to the point where she's manipulated and deconstructed as a character. You could probably put together an essay on the character study of Utena Tenjou because she's so interesting.

Revolutionary Girl Utena provides a cynical viewpoint on the role of the hero in literature and in anime. That aspiring to be that invincible hero who is able to save everyone is simply impossible. However, this doesn't keep Utena from doing her best to be that hero. This is where the critics come in and say that Utena being the standard, invincible hero is boring and unfeasible. Perhaps this is true, trying to save everyone may be nearly impossible but that shouldn't discourage one from trying. Perhaps what makes Utena such a cool character is that even when her vices are brought out into the light you still feel like she's the most good character in the show and that she still remains the hero that she aspires to be. This is what makes her one of my favorite anime protagonists of all time and one of the coolest characters in anime.

Saying Goodbye To How I Met Your Mother

This Monday, the 23rd of September will mark a sad day for me and other fans of How I Met Your Mother. It's the final season premiere that the show will enjoy after 8 great seasons. I can't say that I'm as dedicated to the show as those who have actually been following the show since it's debut in 2004. I only began watching the show this past year and finished the eighth season this past May. That being said, I still love the show dearly and I will miss it when it reaches the end of this season.

The modern sitcom arrived in the form of Seinfeld, a show that was literally about nothing. It was just the rather monotonous adventures of a group of friends in New York City. Before Seinfeld, sitcoms were usually about families that would try to appeal to a certain demographic while preaching family values relevant to said demographic. Following Seinfeld came shows like Friends and How I Met Your Mother. However, I really don't like to compare How I Met Your Mother to any of it's contemporaries because it's a show all it's own. In Ted Mosby, Robin Sherbatsky, Marshall Eriksen, Lily Aldrin, and Barney Stinson we had five characters that we could relate to. These are five characters that everyone seems to have in their life. We all know a Ted Mosby, that hopeless romantic who seems to just have the worst luck when it comes to dating. We all know a Lily Aldrin, the mother figure who you can always talk to when you have a problem. We all know a Barney Stinson, that guy who can cheer you up no matter how down you because he's that awesome. We all know a Marshall Eriksen, that guy in your life who has a fantastic moral compass. We all know a Robin, that girl who will always be your bro. How I Met Your Mother always seems to have the viewer in mind, always hitting you in spots emotionally because you've been in those situations with the characters. It's rare in a show with a laugh track that you can get characters that feel real and that you can actually grow a personal attachment to. These are characters who encounter the trials and tribulations that anyone goes through. Part of How I Met Your Mother's appeal is to make the mundane problems that all of us face in our lives compelling watching material. Everyone can pick one episode of How I Met Your Mother and say that they have been through that same situation before.

One of the great criticisms of How I Met Your Mother is how long the show has run. At times, the show seemed to forget it's original premise of being a story about how Ted went on to meet his future wife. In the more recent seasons, Ted's adventure was passed over in order for the four other main characters to develop and face their own challenges. Barney began to mature, Robin began to change her outlook on life, Marshall and Lily struggled with the challenges of married life and parenthood. Meanwhile, Ted's goals took a backseat. It felt as if the show had begun to neglect it's original premise. This causes many people who don't follow the show avidly to say things like "jeez how long does it take to tell the story of how you met your wife?" However, this show has always been more about the journey than it has been about the destination. The show isn't titled "How I Met Your Mother, Had Kids, and Spent the Rest of my life with her." No this show is about the journey that everyone faces when they're looking for the love of their life. Love stinks, love can hurt, you're going to date many people and get your heart broken several times before finally finding that person that you truly love. Some people have it easy, like Marshall and Lily, but they're often the exception to the norm. Ted's story is one that everyone has experience a bit of at some point.

So as How I Met Your Mother begins it's final season on Monday, I will watch it with a bittersweet taste in my mouth. I'm going to miss this show, it's characters, it's antics, and it's lessons. I personnally believe that the show is the best sitcom of it's generation and actually deserves a mention when discussing the best shows of the past ten years. In an age where sitcoms have been declining as most comedies now are single camera shows without laugh tracks (The Office, 30 Rock, Modern Family) How I Met Your Mother still manages to be relevant and fresh while enjoying the kind of longevity that shows kill for nowadays. I will enjoy this final season, but I will also a little sad when it finally comes to an end. Nevertheless, How I Met Your Mother will continue to occupy a special place in my heart.

Counting Down the 20 Coolest Characters in Anime - #10 Sousuke Sagara, Full Metal Panic!

Russian Guard: [on the floor, paralyzed by the stun device] You...
  Who... Are... You...
Sgt. Sagara Sousuke: The garbage boy.

As I said in my earlier review of Full Metal Panic!, it is an anime that succeeds on the merit of the superb interactions between it's colorful cast of characters. It's a show thats definitely not like many others out there and it's protagonist, Sousuke Sagara, is a hero that many shows don't really have. He's the perfect balance of humor and badassery. He's also the main focus of one of the most unique mecha animes out there.

The standard problems of putting a hardened soldier in high school

Sousuke arrives at the high school with the mission to protect Kaname Chidiori, who as it turns out is one of the "whispered". So theres that plot, but we don't really care so much about him protecting Kaname do we as we do about the most ridiculous ways that he can ensure her safety. This is includes taking down panty thieves, stalkers with cameras, and the regular high school student just trying to ask her out on a date. Yes, Sousuke Sagara can use his badass military training to make even the most mundane of criminals pay for their crimes, with hilarious results. Of course, this shouldn't overshadow the fact that he might be the best Arm Slave pilot on the face of the planet. Not only that, but he's the only who can make the absurdly powerful Arbalest work. Sousuke is one of the few characters who can balance being hilarious (though most of the time he never means to be) and a serious badass. Sousuke will be making you laugh one minute then making your jaw drop with how awesome he is the next. Theres also not many main characters in mecha anime who can kick ass when they're out of the cockpit either. Lets be honest, Shinji Ikari and Amuro Ray would struggle when not supported by their high class mechas. Sousuke on the other hand is a trained soldier who can cut through enemies like it's nothing. It's that fact alone that separates Sousuke from the crowd.

With help from Kaname, Sousuke develops greatly as a character

What makes Sousuke such a hilarious character may also be his biggest character flaw and his main source of development throughout the series run. He's been trained since he was very young to be a soldier, knowing nothing else other than how to fight and advanced military tactics. But for all of his military genius and skill as a soldier, Sousuke still has no idea how to fit into normal Japanese society. This fact is played mostly for laughs in the first season but is then treated much more seriously in The Second Raid and becomes his main source of growth in that season. Kaname points out that Sousuke isn't even comfortable getting his hair washed at a hair saloon because it leaves him completely vulnerable. Over the course of Full Metal Panic! we slowly see Sousuke humanized, rather than simply being R. Lee Ermey's child. Like Balalaika earlier on this list, Sousuke is a commentary on the damaging effects of war. Sousuke is only of high school age and yet he has more than a decade of battle experience under his belt. That is why later in the series it is so rewarding to see him finally shed the military act and become more of a regular guy. Kaname is the main source of his character development, mostly because she's the main love interest. However, this being Full Metal Panic!, the two characters really bounce off of each other and have amazing chemistry. Sousuke is a fantastic character and one that is unique, even in a mecha anime, a genre which runs on cliches. I found his character development to be really well done and I couldn't help but love his character.

Full Metal Panic! separates itself from the often generic genre of mecha anime on the basis of having amazing characters. Sousuke Sagara is the main proof of this. For all the sweet mecha fights, for all of his badassery, Sousuke's character is less about that than seeing the tragic, broken soldier deep down. Sousuke is an awesome character because he's unlike any other mecha protagonist.

Counting Down the 20 Coolest Characters in Anime - Honorable Mentions

And so with this post we mark the halfway point in this series that I started last month. Often when someone makes a list like this people are much more focused on who isn't on the list as opposed to the characters who ARE on the list. Believe me, there are several characters that I've left off this list. To be honest, the current list doesn't entirely have to be a list of my favorites. There are plenty of characters that I may like more that don't make the list but the characters on the list generally are stronger and better developed characters. So without much ado, here's a short list of characters that I love that just missed the cut.

Lets start with the man pictured above, Jeremiah Gottwald from Code Geass. If this list was based purely off of who is the biggest badass of all-time, "Orange-kun" would rank very high on the list. The dude is literally a walking mountain of badass. However, the reasons that he fails to make the cut is that in terms of character development, the guy is lacking. He does get a bit of a break because the reason he became such a badass is because the writers had no idea that he was going to become so popular. For most of the first season he's just an elitist asshole who gets curb-stomped by Lelouch's tactics on numerous occasions. However, the fans took to his characters and the writers brought him back as a badass cyborg who spouts nothing but hammy, badass lines while performing feats of badassitude. He's so badass, he's been brought back from death twice!! However, the writers never really explored or developed his character enough which is why he doesn't make the list.

Then theres Hiei from Yu Yu Hakusho and Vegeta from Dragonball Z. Both of these characters, like Gottwald, are plenty badass. Unfortunately, they suffer from being all to similar characters. To make this list a character needs to be original and exciting. Unfortunately, these guys, as badass as they are, are essentially the same character. Awesome in their own series for sure, but in the grand scheme of the genre, too similar.

Melissa Mao from Full Metal Panic! is another example of a character who has all the qualities to make the list but unfortunately she's not the first of her type. She's essentially Misato Katsuragi from Neon Genesis Evangelion, even played by the same voice actress. Melissa was easily my favorite character from the show but I had to give the nod to the original Misato Katsuragi.

No doubt, Hellsing's Father Alexander Anderson is a badass character of the highest class. However, he's another instance where a lack of character development holds him back. He can fight one on one with Alucard and hold his own, despite the fact that he's a human. Not to mention the loads and loads of blessed bayonets that he somehow is able to store in his robes. Unfortunately, I felt that Hellsing never really developed his character beyond the fact that he was a badass. For that reason, I couldn't include him in the 20.

G Gundam's Domon Kasshu made being a badass by the merit of your own unstoppable manliness cool almost a decade before Gurren Lagann did. Neo-Japan's Gundam figher is a pretty legendary character in anime just on the basis that he's full of hot-blooded rage. I love Domon as a character, over the top yelling and all, it's just that his character at times is so absurd that he's hard to take seriously. G Gundam is a show you watch as somewhat of a guilty pleasure due to the fact that it crosses over into So Bad It's Good territory frequently. The cold, hard fact about Domon is that as awesome as he is, he's full of cliches and stereotypes. For me a character needs to be deeper and more original than that.

Notice a common trend here? The characters that currently populate the list that I have created are all deep and complex characters. It is hardly enough to commit deeds of badassitude on a regular basis, after all I outlined the requirements for a "cool" character in the first post of this series. As I begin the final ten characters in this list I hope that you'll all enjoy the wide variety of awesome characters.

Anything Code Geass Can Do, I Can Do Worse - Guilty Crown Review

I consider myself the type of person that can see the good in most things. I've watched plenty of movies that I have been told are terrible that I have found some enjoyment in. I would hardly classify any of them as cinematic classics but I can see what the movie is trying to accomplish and at the end I feel a little disappointed but entertained nonetheless. For example, I saw Green Lantern and yes, it sucked. However, I thought that Ryan Reynolds actually portrayed the character of Hal Jordan well. The problem was that the writers botched the script so poorly that he got dragged down with the ship. So when it came time to watch Guilty Crown I thought that I could see the good in a series that is literally the definition of Love It or Hate It. Never have I been so wrong in my lifetime. You know, I should have seen this coming. I should have listened to all the people that said "Don't watch Guilty Crown! You could be doing so many other, better things with your life! Why????" Perhaps I'm a glutton for punishment or maybe I finally wanted to see what it was like to watch a bad anime? All jokes aside, Guilty Crown is an incredibly frustrating series. It's one that wants so bad to be a combination of Code Geass, Neon Genesis Evangelion, and Revolutionary Girl Utena that it copies directly from the pages of said works.

The story takes place in Japan during the year 2039. The country is in ruins, recovering from "Lost Christmas", an incident that happened ten years in the past and infected a large number of the Japanese population. With the country in such ruin, an organization known as the GHQ has taken control of the country to govern and control the spread of the Apocalypse Virus. Our protagonist, Lelouch Lamperouge...err...I mean Shu Ohma is just a normal high school student who tries his best to make it through each day with little attention. However, one day when he gets home from school he meets a mysterious girl named C.C...I mean Inori who will change his life forever. Essentially, Shu accidentally winds up right in the middle of a fight between the GHQ and the rebel Funeral Parlor group who are trying to take back control of Japan. During this initial encounter with Inori, Shu ends up being granted the "power of the king" (seriously...this is getting way too familiar), the Void Genome which allows him to pull weapons out of people known as Voids. (Voids are given a bit more explanation but they're essentially that)  So Shu ends up siding with the Funeral Parlor (dumb name), aiding them in their fight to remove the oppressive GHQ from power (yes, the guys who are keeping the deadly virus in check). No, I haven't described the premise of Code Geass, this is actually the plot of Guilty Crown. The story then grows and expands, getting extremely dark at some points and theres plot twists galore. The plot is actually, what I have the biggest issue with. Yes, it's a complete ripoff on Code Geass and yes I understand that the way Shu pulls out Voids looks exactly like this from another legendary series. However, my main gripes aren't so much with the fact that they copied from these shows but more that fact that it did such a crappy job of it. Guilty Crown loves to be cryptic, asking questions that it can't answer, making Ass-Pull moves everywhere and calling them plot twists, leaving holes in the plot like swiss cheese, and making everyone's character development as deep as your local kiddie pool. The plot loves to throw in plot twists everywhere, trying so hard to make itself the next anime, like Code Geass or Steins;Gate, that makes your jaw drop each episode and give it a 5/5 because you felt attached to the characters and the sheer shock you got from each episode makes you love it even more. However, those shows actually were able to pull such things off because they had coherent plots and the plot twists actually made sense in context and genuinely surprised you at times. In Guilty Crown you can see them from a mile away. It's one thing to not be an original anime, there are plenty of works that are rather generic and don't do anything groundbreaking but succeed in the fact that they do those things well. Guilty Crown fails at replicating the shows that it's trying to copy. Why watch Guilty Crown when it's essentially a crappy version of Code Geass?

Boy meets strange girl, strange girl gives him powers, powers cause him to be involved in a terrorist group trying to liberate Japan from an oppressive government? Never seen that before...

The next thing that Guilty Crown tries to be is the new Evangelion or Revolutionary Girl Utena. It will go through episodes, leaving the viewers with questions. Obviously, we wait, expecting that the show will reward our patience by eventually answering the questions. Instead, Guilty Crown will leave these answers until very late or not answer them at all. Extremely important points related to the plot won't be answered even when the show is in the middle of an incredibly important scene. It really robs the viewer of their understanding of what was going on. This leads to the show throwing tons of information in your face at once (most of it still doesn't even make sense). It wasn't unusual for me to throw my hands in the air and yell "what the hell is going on?" or "this scene would actually be interesting and compelling if someone would just answer one simple, stupid question." Sometimes it feels like the show is just saying to you "this is happening because...stuff." Don't even get me started on how the plot will solve many of Shu's issues with extremely plot convenient things. The final episode of the show was an abomination considering how much buildup there was leading up to it. Part of me wonders if there was some missed potential with Guilty Crown that could have been achieved if the show was better written. Utena and Evangelion succeeded in being cryptic and mysterious because you felt that you learned something new every episode that would contribute to your main understanding of the plot. Guilty Crown actually does have some really cool concepts that could have made a really awesome series if they had been done properly. However, it's way too busy trying to be Code Geass when it should have been embracing the things that made it different (as few as they seem).

A cast with loads and loads of lame characters

Guilty Crown would love nothing more than for Shu to be Lelouch Lamperouge's successor. It tries so hard and it's actually kind of sad. Lelouch was a deep, complex character who you could sympathize with even when he had to compromise his morals and be an asshole. Guilty Crown tries to do the same thing with Shu, except he just comes off as a whiny, angsty, asshole. Shu's character will develop by leaps and bounds in one episode before reverting back to the same whiny kid in the next one. When a character has to make several morally compromising choices we should sympathize with them even when we don't agree with the choice. It's often a gut-wrenching choice but deep down we know that it's the only choice the character could have made and that it hurts them as well. Shu makes a choice, acts like an asshole and remains an asshole before whining like a schoolgirl about how nobody understands what he's doing. In the end, Shu isn't Lelouch but he's only a pale imitation like most of this show. Then there's the incredibly forgettable cast of characters that follow him that are walking stereotypes that walk around spewing cliches. Yes, there are episodes that focus on Shu's classmates that are suppose to let us find out more about their characters but these simply come off as stale. The show rushes into these situations way too fast and suddenly characters are interacting and growing before our eyes (quite poorly I may add) before their previous characterizations had been established. Later, the show makes every character do ridiculously out of character things because the plot needs to advance before reverting them back to exactly how they were before. Inori is probably my least favorite character because her character in general was just lazy. You might as well place a giant "generic love interest" above her head and call it done. Her whole romance with Shu feels forced considering how fast they move as a couple and the fact that Inori doesn't really do anything that important for Shu other than pulling out her Void. Shu claims that she's the only one who understands him and she's the most important person in his world. Yet at the same time, she never really seems to do anything that merits such a distinction. All she seems to do is sing at times that never really call for it because apparently her song has "magical powers" or some ass-pull explanation like that. These scenes are supposed to be really serious, emotional scenes but they instead come off as narmy and silly. I never really felt much of an urge to care for Inori or any of the characters. Even the leader of Funeral Parlor (still a dumb name), Gai, is an incredibly weak character. He's supposed to be the badass leader of a rebel army thats trying to take back Japan except that his motivations for doing so are incredibly unclear. After all, it's established that the GHQ is actually caring and providing aid for those who contracted the virus so wouldn't removing them do more harm than good? Every time Shu asks a member of Funeral Parlor why they follow Gai, they just get all offended and respond with varied versions of "you'd never understand" Maybe we would if someone would just tell us for once then I'd be able to sympathize with him. (Don't even get me started on the completely out of character ass-pull he pulls off in Episode 12)

Ok, so I've just ranted for several lines about what I found wrong about this anime. Despite the seething words I have written above there are actually some things that this show does well. From a strictly action point of view, the show succeeds greatly. The action is very visually pleasing and Shu's powers are really cool onscreen. It's when the show slows down and tries to be dramatic and character focused that the show struggles. Like I said before, I do rip on the plot of this show quite a bit but I do believe that the potential was there for this to be more than just a Code Geass clone. The first half of the series actually sets the show up for a really compelling ending. In fact, if the show was 12 episodes, instead of 22, and did a better job explaining things in the shorter span it could have actually done really well. However, it bogs itself down with poor writing and bland characters. I couldn't help but think that there was some missed potential here and I think that its where most of my frustration comes from. Guilty Crown seems to be content playing things to the chest and following cliches. It wants to be Code Geass or Evangelion but is too afraid to take the risks that those shows did. Overall, theres missed potential here and it's really a shame.

The action scenes are one redeeming quality of Guilty Crown

From an A/V perspective the show does a phenomenal job and this is where Guilty Crown recoups some points in my book. The soundtrack is clearly well thought out and definitely had a younger audience in mind. At times it sounded like a mix between Gurren Lagann and Code Geass (surprise!!). However, it succeeds in this area because the music does match the themes and tone of the show. This is one instance where I can forgive it for copying Code Geass because here it actually makes sense. The voice acting is hampered by the fact that the script is absolute garbage at times but the VA's do a good enough job with what they have. After all, it's not their fault that the writers wrote them bad material. Visually, the show is absolutely gorgeous and captures the moods and feelings of the show.

Overall, Guilty Crown is an incredibly frustrating series. I find it hard to recommend because there are so many shows out there that do what Guilty Crown does, only better. The show does give glimpses of it's potential and from time to time it can be really enjoyable. However, most of the time you spend watching it you'll find yourself face palming at how poorly it's written and how mismanaged the plot is. Like I said before, it's missing a few things that could make it an enjoyable watch but those few things are so vital that I can't give this show a passing grade. I'm glad that I've finished watching it and I hope that by reading this review I can spare you some disappointment.

My Score: 2/5

Counting Down the 20 Coolest Characters in Anime - #11 Alucard, Hellsing

"The world would be so boring without idiots like you to amuse me"

Theres a lot of talk about vampires these days and unfortunately it's the wrong kind of talk (eff you Twilight). The world needs a reminder as to what an actual vampire is capable of. Hellsing takes vampires and bring them back into the realm of awesome with the all-powerful Alucard as it's frontman.

How can one not be scared shitless by this?

Hellsing isn't short on awesome characters, after all pretty much every character is required to be unreasonably badass at all times. Alucard stands above most of them however in the fact that he's basically invincible. Some consider him the "pet" of the the Hellsing Organization instead of the powerful weapon that he is. Of course, thinking of him as a hero is entirely out of the question. No, Alucard is more of an anti-hero who serves a heroic purpose out of servitude to his master, Integra Hellsing (also a grade-A badass). His powers are unbelievably awesome as he's devoured the souls of every person that he has killed/devoured (these are standard powers of vampires in Hellsing except Alucard's are taken Up to Eleven). Alucard has devoured entire armies over the course of his entire life, giving him a nearly unlimited arsenal of familiars the unleash (the Hound of Baskerville is a personal favorite). So when you kill Alucard, you're really only killing one of the millions of souls that inhabit his body; he's essentially invincible. This added to the fact that he wields the Jackal (the black pistol shown above) that weighs 16kg and has a firing power that would rip off any human's arm. He does this without even flinching most of the time. Even more impressive is when Alucard releases all of his restrictions and releases all of his familiars at once. The man is a walking army that won't hesitate to slaughter anyone who conflicts with Integra's wishes. The only drawback to Alucards awesomeness is that he's so freaking scary pretty much all of the time. Theres just some scenes that make me cringe because he's just so damn creepy. No question that if he wasn't so creepy he'd be higher on this list.

I do love Alucard's character in the series, especially when it comes to the deeper side. In a sense, Alucard detests his immortality and actually admires humans for their ability to age and die. He thinks that this is beautiful. Of course, he's not entirely ashamed that he's immortal, he loves being a vampire. However, part of him is a death seeker but only at the hands of a human. Throughout the series he shows his distate for the word monster and refuses to let any other monster kill him. When Anderson, his human rival, shows the grit and determination to kill Alucard; Alucard shows his excitement over the fact. However, when Anderson uses the Nail of Helena to become a monster himself, Alucard is not pleased. After all, a monster of god is a still a monster. Alucard respects those with the ability to age and die, perhaps wishing that he could have the same fate. It's a running theme throughout the series, the clash between mortality and immortality. Humans that are too weak to face their own mortality that they run and become monsters to preserve themselves. Alucard loves strong humans who can fight him because they respect and embrace their mortality. So, Alucard believes that it is an honor to be killed by one. Alucard spends a great deal of his time killing and overall being unbelievably scary but he also shows his soft side to those he trusts. Seras, Integra, and Walter are all cases in which Alucard actually shows that theres some sensitivity within the monstrous shell that surrounds him.

So yes, Alucard is a badass and an all around awesome character. You shouldn't expect any less from Hellsing considering that theres another character from the series on this list. If it wasn't for the fact that he creeps me out a ton, Alucard would probably rank higher on this list. However, one can't ignore how great he is not only when he's in action but the role he plays in conveying the series themes to the audience. Overall, Alucard is a can't miss character from a can't miss series and that's why he's #11.

Counting Down the 20 Coolest Characters in Anime - #12 Claire Stanfield, Baccano! (This one is rather SPOILER heavy)

Many characters on this list are here because I love the way that they develop as a character. Other characters here are honestly just so awesome that not including them on this list is simply a disservice to how utterly amazing they are. Claire Stanfeld from Baccano! is the latter.

Yea this is messed up...

Claire Stanfield goes by many names; he's the "Young Conductor", "Vino", "The Rail-Tracer". He might even try and make you call him god. Claire is unbelievably arrogant at times, while at the same time can be a really good guy. Nevermind the fact that he's a sadistic killer on par with his rival, Lad Russo. Nevermind the fact that he's an expert assassin who does the Gandor family's dirty work. Claire Stanfield possesses all the regular things that make one an awesome character (awesome personality, badass skills, dashing good looks). Like most characters in Baccano! he's a quirky, Bunny-Ears Lawyer who is so good at his job that it makes up for most, if not all, of his personality quirks. You know, like thinking he's a physical god, covering himself in his victim's blood, interrogating people above train tracks in order to find out where his crush lives...you know...normal stuff. He refuses to believe He's the only character who's able to out-talk Ladd Russo and kick his ass in the process. Jack Bauer could take interrogation lessons from this guy; JACK BAUER of all people. Claire lurks in the background for most of the series, posing as a conductor on the Flying Pussyfoot before taking action as the "RailTracer" when hell breaks loose on the train. Need I say more? Claire Stanfield is a badass.

So yes, Claire is a badass (despite the first name but this is Baccano! where characters with names like Jacuzzi Splot exist). But he's an awesome personality as well. When he's not kicking ass and taking names, he's generally being an awesome guy. In the last few episodes we get to see Claire interact with the rest of the cast, with hilarious results. We get to see that this guy is more that just the crazy killer we've gotten to know over the course of the anime, he's a human being. (resulting in the quote from the top picture). Yes, Claire is absolutely hysterical in the moments when he's not doing his job. We also get to see how much he loves Chane, the girl he met on the train, becoming way more human than one would expect. In this way, Claire really becomes a complete character in my book and one who is unrelentingly awesome. Have you noticed a trend with the characters on this list? Most of them are awesome in the conventional way, being a badass and possessing humorous and engaging personalities that make them feel real. At the same time, they have multiple layers beneath them. Claire is the personification of this. Yes, he's messed up and gets pretty sadistic when he's on his job but he's still human underneath. Since Baccano! only runs a total of 16 episodes we probably don't get as much development from Claire as we get from other characters on this list. Yet despite this, he still packs a major punch in the badass department and the depth department. (a testament to how well Baccano! is written)

So yes, Claire Stanfield is one of my favorite characters ever. Of course, the fact that we only see him for such a limited time does hold him back a bit on this list. This doesn't diminish how strong of a character he is however. When you do eventually watch Baccano! (seriously...watch it right now...even though this post is littered with spoilers) he'll easily become your favorite character. Unless, you prefer Isaac and Miria to which I'll say I don't blame you. Either way, Claire is great and he's #12.

Counting Down the 20 Coolest Characters in Anime - #13 Haruko Haruhara, FLCL

"It takes an idiot to do cool things. That's why it's cool."

As an avid anime watcher, it's not uncommon to hear the adjective "weird" describe many of the things you watch. Certainly, many animes that I have watched cover many weird and peculiar characters. I don't think any character exactly fits the category as well as FLCL's Vespa-riding, bass-guitar wielding, Haruko Haruhara. She's a character who, like the series itself, defies explanation or common sense. Despite her idiosyncrasies, it's impossible not to enjoy her as a character due to how damn awesome she is onscreen.

FLCL in a nutshell

Bear with me, because describing Haruko's relation to the plot gets pretty wacky. In short, she's an alien from outer space who comes to Earth looking for the space pirate Atomsk; hoping to obtain his vast power. In the process she meets a boy named, Naota who she greatly enjoys whacking in the head with her Rickenbacker bass guitar (or running him over with her Vespa, either one). She winds up working in Noata's house as a maid to be closer to Naota because his head acts as a portal with which objects from space are pulled through. (You can't make this stuff up, this show is actually this ridiculous. Still it's quite good) Naota is the main character, but the show heavily features Haruko and her nearly endless run of antics. She spends most of her time messing around with Naota and she's easily the heart and soul of what makes FLCL the fantastic show that it is. Sometimes she's dressed up as a nurse or Elvis Presley and never fails to be hilarious in those roles. Other times she;s taking on highly trained military agents. Haruko certainly can fill the badass requirement that any character should have if they want to be on this list. However, she's a different badass from the rest, not that her badassery is entirely different, she just pulls it off MUCH differently. (Writing about FLCL is causing even me to make no sense). This is a list of awesome characters after all, which means that they can be awesome for all sorts of reasons. Haruko is and incredibly enjoyable character, from her silly antics to her fighting giant monsters with her bass guitar.

As I said up above, Haruko is the heart and soul of FLCL and is the representation of the themes present in the series. The main protagnist, Naota, is bland mostly because he tries to act older than he is. Meanwhile he's flanked by two older girls who are representations of childhood and adulthood. Haruko represents adulthood for Naota and so he pursues Haruko as a romantic interest for most of the series because she's older. However, when she leaves, Naota is left stuck in adolescence, which is where he belongs. FLCL is a fun series that is nonsensical but there is a point to all of the craziness: Don't grow up too fact, childhood is worth enjoying. This is what makes Haruko's character so great, she's fun and random, a perfect example of what the show is all about. She reminds those going through adolescence that even though someone is older it doesn't mean that they should ever lose touch with their childhood. This, of course, turns into a great lesson for Naota.

Strange as she is, the message behind her character is undeniable

There are plenty of strange characters in anime, but Haruko Haruhara stands out as one of the strangest. However, she's an incredibly entertaining character that is the driving force that makes FLCL so good. Any character that is able to carry a series by themselves deserves to be on this list and Haruko is no exception. She's a wildly fun character who like Isaac and Miria is able to make you smile whenever she's onscreen. FLCL is definitely worth checking out, especially Haruko who comes in at #13.

The Ballad of Vash the Stampede - Trigun Review

There are several animes that came out in the late 90's that are considered classics. Cowboy Bebop, Neon Genesis Evangelion, and Dragonball Z are credited for making the genre popular overseas in America. Trigun is one of these legendary works possessing a fantastic english dub and a western theme (same reasons why Bebop and Evangelion became popular in the states). So I bought the DVD set over the summer to finally check out what I'd been missing all this time.

Trigun takes place in the the crapsack world of Gunsmoke, which for the most part is a barren wasteland where most humans struggle for their own survival. One of the legends of the world is the one of Vash the Stampede, a legendary gunslinger known for being a sadistic killer that has destroyed entire towns. Because of the amount of damage caused to the world, the Bernadelli Insurance company sends two of their agents, Meryl Stryfe and Milly Thompson, to find Vash and rein him in the destruction that he causes. The two find Vash and discover that he's actually a pacifist, goofy, sometimes idiotic guy who loves donuts. Of course, the two quickly realize that theirs much more to Vash than meets the eye. He's the expert gunman that everybody makes him out to be, capable of causing destruction but the damage caused is mostly by the people who chase him down for the 60,000,000,000 double dollar bounty on his head (idk how double dollars translate to actual dollars). This added to the fact that Vash himself has never actually taken a life due to a promise that he made long ago. The plot starts off rather slow, consisting mostly of Milly and Meryl's adventures trying to find Vash (they originally don't believe that Vash is actually Vash when they first meet him). However, Vash's past soon starts to catch up with him and the plot begins to get dark before getting even darker and even darker again. Vash finds himself being hunted by a mysterious group known as the Gung-Ho Guns and a familiar figure from his past. Vash and the gang also team up with a wandering preacher known as Nicholas D. Wolfwood. The plot itself while starting slow gets really good once it gets going. Every episode is beautifully done and the dialog between characters is great. My only gripes with the plot is that the final episode felt a little rushed. Other than that, the show is brilliantly paced, using those first episodes to really establish Vash as a character so we can watch him develop over the show's run. There are a couple filler episodes along the way, but even those are quality. While watching I could not help but notice the similarities to Cowboy Bebop despite the fact that both shows came out at the same time.

Don't be fooled this man is DANGEROUS

The characters were my favorite part about Trigun. You could really tell that the writers and animators really had a blast creating these characters and bringing them to life. Vash the Stampede himself is one of the most legendary characters of his time. Some may argue that he's a whiny protagonist who harps way too much on his "I won't kill philosophy". However, I really liked Vash as a character. He's proof that you can be a badass without killing anyone. It's easy to watch those first couple episodes and say to yourself "man I thought that Vash was some legendary badass" while he's acting like a fool, stuffing doughnuts down his mouth, and shamelessly hitting on women. However, as the episodes go on you start to realize that this is only the persona he puts on. When people are in danger he's quick to leap into the frame and protect the people he cares about. He's the kind of protagonist that should exist in an anime like this, super idealistic despite the extremely cynical world that surrounds him. It's this conflict and Vash's hidden layers that make him such a famous and strong character. The other characters in the ensemble are also well done. Meryl was a particular favorite of mine. To be honest, when I first saw the two insurance girls onscreen I thought that they would end up as damsels in distress that Vash would be saving the whole time. Instead, Meryl and Milly ended up being extremely competent on their own, even at times when they find themselves in over their heads. Meryl was the perfect character to complement Vash and not just a standard love interest. The fact that she can handle herself (loads and loads of Derringer pistols) is just a bonus to that fact. I liked Milly as a character too, even though she was the more ditzy of the two. She was a lot like Mayuri from Steins;Gate, a ditzy character who sometimes has a better grip on situations than the other characters. Rounding out the crew of protagonists was Wolfwood, who was probably my favorite character in the entire show. He served as a foil for Vash, someone who possesses many of Vash's characteristics but lacked Vash's hesitation about taking the lives of another. This was a constant source of conflict between the two and yet the two remain great friends throughout the series. I really liked Wolfwood as a character, not just because he's a total badass (I mean his weapon is a giant cross that possesses a stupid amount of firepower), but because his personality and humor is awesome. (his cross is so heavy because it's full of mercy) The villains of Trigun were fantastic as well, especially the Gung-Ho Guns. Like I said before, it's clear that the team behind the show had a lot of fun designing these characters because each of the Gung-Ho Guns are diverse and unlike many run of the mill anime villains. The only thing I wish is that they had a little more character development behind them.

Like I said before, the main conflict of Trigun comes from the fact that Vash is an incredibly idealistic person in a world that is hardly that. It is this idealism too that hampers Vash later in the show. Despite never taking a life by himself, there have been many lives lost because of him indirectly. The show makes a good point by showing that Vash's philosophy isn't always right, despite being idealistic. In the context of the show there are many points where taking a life would be Vash's best option. This is simply the world that Vash lives in. Many of the people that occupy Gunsmoke are not nearly as idealistic as Vash is, which often puts Vash in danger. This is where Wolfwood comes in who believes more in self-preservation and preserving the lives of his friends. Vash's reputation as a killer can be a danger to everyone in the group as he is frequently hunted down for crimes that people believe him to be responsible for. Trigun provides an interesting view on the idea of compassion and idealism and that many times such beliefs can land one in the same danger as Vash. However, the show does strike a good balance and shows that idealism and compassion will always have a place, even in a world as messed up as Gunsmoke.

Being a 90's anime, I can't say that Trigun especially wowed me in the looks department, considering that this came out at the same time as Bebop which set the standard for the era. However, the character designs in particular are phenomenal, really striking a firm balance between the sci-fi aspect of the show and the western aspects. It's the same feeling I had when I first saw how Bebop adapted a western atmosphere to space. Trigun pulls off it's theme just as well as Bebop did and feels just as unique as Bebop did on first watch. It's hard not to compare the two since they came out in the same era. All of this being said, Trigun certainly looks it's age but still holds up. In fact, the whole look of the show is part of the experience. Soundwise, Trigun is phenomenal as well. It has the westerny feel to it, twangy guitars and what not, while also working in some more sci-fi-ish music as well. The english dub was excellent as well. Considering that this show is known as one of the pioneers of the genre in the U.S. I wasn't surprised. Johnny Yong Bosch is phenomenal as Vash and all the other voice actors are strong as well.

I had heard that Trigun was a classic and it certainly didn't let me down. It has the perfect balance of seriousness and humor that most animes should have. It's characters are phenomenal and the plot dark and well done. Theres a reason why this show is considered a must watch for any anime fan and I'm glad that I finally got around to watching it. If you're looking for a show that will make you laugh and wow you with badass action, Trigun certainly won't let you down.

My Score: 5/5

Summer Transfer Window Review - Arsenal's Glee, Liverpool's Strides,and Man U's Ineptitude

And so the summer transfer window has slammed shut. Months worth of rumors all culminating into one final day in which some hearts were broken and some hearts soared among the clouds in glee. We had a record signing (Gareth Bale to Real Madrid for 85mil), an emerging superstar finally left the comfort of his homeland to come to Europe (Neymar to Barcalona), and the summer's most fascinating transfer saga (Luis Suarez attempting to force his way out of Liverpool) ultimately amounted to nothing. With these things said, let's take a look at how the Premier League's top clubs faired this window.

Arsenal

In: Mesut Ozil (Real Madrid), Emiliano Viviano (Palermo), Mathieu Flamini (AC Milan), Yaya Sanogo (Auxerre)

Out: Denilson (Sao Paolo), Andrei Arshavin (Zenit St. Petersburg), Gervinho (AS Roma), Marouane Chamakh (Crystal Palace),  Andre Santos (Flamengo), Sebastien Squillaci (Bastia), and a whole host of other young players.

Mesut Ozil is the perfect signing for Arsene Wenger's style of play

It certainly was a roller coaster of a transfer window for the Gunners. The summer began with Arsene Wenger and Ivan Gazidis bragging about the spending power they possessed. We heard names such as Wayne Rooney, Gonzalo Higuain, Luis Suarez, and Luiz Gustavo all linked heavily with Arsenal only for those rumors to amount to nothing. Heading into the season, all Arsenal had accomplished was the signing of an unproven striker for France's Ligue 2 for free. Wenger had also trimmed his wage bill by dumping most, if not all, of Arsenal's deadwood. As a result, the lack of signings left the team very thin in the depth department. Following Arsenal's abomination of a season opener against Aston Villa, the fan's rightly revolted and lashed out at the club for their lack of spending. This lack of spending would continue into the late hours of the window's deadline before the fanbase was rewarded with the massive signing that they had been clamoring for. Wenger finally opened his chequebook and purchased playmaker Mesut Ozil from Real Madrid, smashing Arsenal's transfer window. Arsenal fans are absolutely ecstatic with the move, as they should be. This is the biggest signing since Arsenal signed Dennis Bergkamp. For years fans have been clamoring for Wenger to spend big on a star, world-class player and finally they have one. This signing isn't so much about Ozil as it is about the change of philosophy going on around the Emirates. Arsenal, after years of watching other team's poach their players and miss out on stars, they are finally willing to spend the money required to be competitive in not just England but in Europe as well. Ozil is a fantastic addition and he joins the team as they have entered a fantastic run of form. Olivier Giroud has been fantastic thus far and now the Gunners midfield is an embarrassment of riches. The other signings this window are not nearly on the same level as Ozil but are still quality. Emiliano Viviano will push Wojciech Szczesny for the No. 1 spot in Arsenal's goal. Mathieu Flamini, returning to Arsenal after 5 years, will provide versatility and grit in Arsenal's midfield (not to mention he was fantastic in his debut against Spurs). Yaya Sanogo is a signing for the future and his performances at the U-20 World Cup will certainly have Arsenal fans excited to watch him grow as a player. Overall, it was a successful window for Arsenal despite leaving their business exceptionally late. Arsenal fans now have a world class signing to boast about and things are certainly changing in North London.

Chelsea

In: Samuel Eto'o (Anzhi Makhachkala), Willian (Anzhi Makhachkala), Christian Atsu (FC Porto), Mark Schwarzer (Fulham), Andre Schurrle (Bayer Leverkusen), Marco van Ginkel (Vitesse Arnhem)

Out: Romelu Lukaku (Everton - Loan), Victor Moses (Liverpool - Loan), Marko Marin (Sevilla FC - Loan)

Hasn't taken long for Jose Mourinho to bring his charm (and controversy) 

Jose Mourinho's return to Stamford Bridge has certainly been interesting to say the least. He's already gotten into the head of United's new manager David Moyes (more on him later) and has caused a fair bit of controversy around the league. For most of the summer, Mourinho spent his time pursuing Manchester United's wantaway striker. However, his persistence paid off as even his blatant attempts to unsettle the player didn't affect United's resolve.  He even said all the right things about Rooney and his relationship with Man U after the game (in typical Mourinho fashion). However, that didn't keep Mourinho from getting other business done. He successfully highjacked Tottenham's move for Willian after the player had done a medical for Spurs. Not to mention reuniting with old pal Samuel Eto'o from the Special One's days at Inter. Mourinho even put star midfielder Juan Mata on the block for no reason other than to troll every other top club in the Premiership. Yes, it certainly seems that the Trolling One is back in grand style for Chelsea. Moving on to the questions at hand, Chelsea is left with a glut of extremely talented players at the midfield position. It will certainly be interesting to see how Mourinho juggles such a talented bunch. One would assume that Juan Mata and Eden Hazard would be locks to start, but anything is possible. Chelsea's striking problems look to be solved with Eto'o and Atsu arriving. I was really looking forward to seeing how the young Romelu Lukaku would fare at Chelsea after tearing it up on loan for West Brom last season. Instead, Mourinho shockingly loaned the young striker out to Everton. In similar fashion he cleared out some dead weight from his midfield by letting Victor Moses and Marko Marin go out on loan as well. Mourinho is back people, in style.

Liverpool

In: Luis Alberto (Sevilla FC), Iago Aspas (Celta Vigo), Kolo Toure (Manchester City), Mamadou Sakho (Paris St. Germain), Tiago Ilori (Sporting Lisbon), Victor Moses (Chelsea - Loan), Aly Cissokho (Valencia - Loan), Simon Mignolet (Sunderland)

Out: Andy Carroll (West Ham), Stewart Downing (West Ham), Fabio Borini (Sunderland - Loan), Oussama Assaidi (Stoke City - Loan), Jay Spearing (Bolton), Pepe Reina (Napoli - Loan), Jonjo Shelvey (Swansea City)

Great business such as this has Liverpool on the rise

Brendan Rodgers has certainly been a busy man in the past 12 months. His transfer business seemingly intent on erasing the ugly stains from the Damian Comoli era in which ludicrous fees were paid for players not even worth half (Downing and Carroll being the poster children). While Rodgers didn't succeed right away (Joe Allen and Fabio Borini both struggled mightily). He has nailed it with his moves since the beginning of the year. Philippe Coutinho and Daniel Sturridge have been fantastic signings. So with those guys in the fold I was really curious to see what Rodgers would do for this third act and he certainly hasn't disappointed. He's reinforced Liverpool's back line with the signings of Sakho, Toure, and Ilori, added attacking flair with Moses and Aspas, and found himself a great goalkeeper in Simon Mignolet. He continued the clearout of the wrong Kenny Dalglish guys like Carroll and Downing while keeping the right ones like Jose Enrique and Luis Suarez. Wait? Did I just say Luis Suarez? Yes, Liverpool were able to hang on to the star striker which was probably the biggest win of the transfer window. Liverpool had a great transfer window, getting fantastic value for what they paid. Mamadou Sakho is one of Europe's most talented young centre backs and should anchor Liverpool's back line for years. Rodgers is adept at finding talented players who are rotting away on other team's benches. He found Sturridge and Coutinho like this and this window went out and got Sakho and Victor Moses; two players underappreciated by their old teams that should find regular player time at Anfield. Sure, Liverpool missed out on that one "big" signing that the fans wanted (Henrikh Mkhitryan, Willian, and Christian Eriksen all examples of this) but they landed several young, hungry, and talented players. The Reds are now incredibly deep and can definitely make a run for a Champions League place.

Manchester City

In: Stevan Jovetic (Fiorentina), Jesus Navas (Sevilla FC), Alvaro Negredo (Sevilla FC), Fernandinho (Shakhtar Donetsk), Martin Demichelis (Atletico Madrid)

Out: Carlos Tevez (Juventus), Kolo Toure (Liverpool), Gareth Barry (Everton - Loan), Maicon (AS Roma), Scott Sinclair (West Brom - Loan)

Carlos Tevez definitely wore out his welcome leading to his sale

Looking to rebound from their laughable title defense last season, Manchester City certainly wasted no time hitting the transfer market running. Before Manuel Pellegrini was even brought in as manager the team had already brought in Jesus Navas and Fernandinho. The team would buy big later as well, Jovetic and Negredo following soon after. City also unloaded Carlos Tevez off of their wage bill, probably a good thing considering how enigmatic and moody the player has been the past two seasons. This was an important window however, City needing to send a clear message to United that they're serious about taking the title back this season. The most important move of the off season however was the hiring of Pellegrini. He's a fantastic manager, one who certainly overachieved with Malaga, a team that was hugely in debt and mostly made of cast offs from other teams. He'll bring more stability to City's locker room which was occasionally implosive over the course of last seasons campaigns. New additions are always expected at the Etihad at this time of the year so more importance falls on the subtractions. Maicon and Scott Sinclair were reminders of Roberto Mancini's failures last season and they were both promptly shipped off. Gareth Barry, a favorite of Mancini's, is now relegated to reserves with the arrival of Fernandinho and was quickly sent off as well. City's additions should do quite well, Negredo and Navas have settled in right away and Fernandinho has provided creativity in the midfield. It's always a busy window for City and one can certainly say that they overpaid for their additions but it wouldn't be City if they didn't.

Manchester United

In: Marouane Fellaini (Everton), lots of imaginary players, figments of David Moyes' dreams

Out: Nobody of much consequence other than Paul Scholes' retirement

Doing little during the window and losing to Liverpool has not endeared Moyes to fans

It's pretty easy to make fun of how piss-poor United's window was. Of course, as an Arsenal fan we were mostly stuck in the same boat for most of the summer but now that we've got Ozil...HAHAHAHA MAN U SUCKS!!!! Alright, now I'll settle down. United's summer did mirror Arsenal's with new manager David Moyes striking out on literally all of his key targets. Cesc Fabregas was a doomed venture from the beginning (the guy has literally said he'll only play for one club in England: Arsenal), the bids for Leighton Baines awfully low, Thiago Alcantara jumping to Bayern at the last minute. United fans were even holding out hope that Ronaldo would come back or Gareth Bale would forget that it's always been his dream to play for Real Madrid and he'd join Man U instead. (Seriously, Man U fans are a thick headed bunch, many of whom probably still think Ronaldo plays there). It's laughable to think that Robin Van Persie left Arsenal and now he's surrounded by a totally dry on creativity midfield. Don't tell Man U fans this though, they'll claim that Shinji Kagawa and Michael Carrick are on equal terms as Xavi and Iniesta. I can just imagine David Moyes frantically making phone calls just begging players to come join him. "It's the Man U you know and love! I mean, Sir Alex doesn't work here anymore. But I'm his handpicked successor...kind of. Please join?" Seriously, Manchester United lost a huge amount of their prestige because they went from Sir Alex Ferguson to a guy whose biggest accomplishment was getting Everton to Champions League once and then putting in a piss-poor showing the following season. I guess Moyes did save face a bit, signing up Fellaini, who actually slots in phenomenally well for United. However, he was easily Moyes' seventh or eighth choice for a big summer signing and probably could have signed the player up in July if he had made an actual sane bid for him. Looking at the picture of Moyes and Fellaini, Moyes has on this embarrassed face that basically says "you're happy...right? right? please?" Worst...poker face...ever. This window does make me wonder though, was the Sir Alex the main attraction when players signed for Man U? Moyes certainly was a great player on the transfer market when he was finding bargain stars at Everton. But when it comes to playing with the big boys and the big stars, Moyes appears dazed and confused, still amazed that he got the United job. During the process of Mesut Ozil's transfer to Arsenal, the player turned down offers from PSG and Manchester United because of the connection he had with Arsene Wenger. Having a manager with an illustrious record gives you a huge boost on the transfer market. Maybe Moyes gets there some day, maybe he doesn't. But it's clear this window that this is a new team and maybe they miss Ferguson even more than they already think.

Tottenham Hotspur

In: Erik Lamela (AS Roma), Christian Eriksen (Ajax), Roberto Soldado (Valencia), Paulinho (Corinthians), Etienne Capoue (Toulouse), Nacer Chadli (FC Twente), Vlad Chiriches (FC Steaua Bucharest)

Out: GARETH BALE (Real Madrid), Steven Caulker (Cardiff City), Scott Parker (Fulham), Clint Dempsey (Seattle Sounders), Benoit Assou-Ekotto (QPR - Loan), Tom Huddlestone (Hull City), Jake Livermore (Hull City)

106mil and still in Arsenal's shadow

Tottenham's window was the exact opposite of Arsenal's. The Gareth Bale deal was locked up back in July, let's not bullshit here. The Spurs instead tried to hold the sale until the last minute because they knew that the market would open up once Bale moved. Clearly, that move backfired on them and Arsenal ended up with a world-class midfielder named MESUT OZIL (still can't get over that we signed him). Not only that but for all their spending (around 106mil) they still lost to an Arsenal team that had Nacho Monreal playing left-wing for the last quarter of the match. This team misses Gareth Bale. You can talk to me all you want about how Spurs only need more time to jell, that they have way too much talent to finish below Champions League again this season; you're still wrong. This team can't score from open play against opponents that actually play defense, their link up play is awful, their players give away the ball way too easily. Arsenal won 1-0, but that game easily could have been 3-0 if not for Hugo Lloris' super effort in goal. Tottenham relied so much on Bale last season. When the chips were down, he was the guy that was always there to bail them out (pun totally intended). Without him last year, they finish below Everton or even Liverpool last season. They needed Bale this past Sunday. Sure, they've stocked up well; Eriksen and Lamela are great young players, Soldado is a proven and prolific striker, but that all means nothing when put up against a cohesive team like Arsenal (or any of the top squads). Anyways, Spurs did add some quality players to their roster and have pretty dope uniforms this year (thats as nice as I'll be here). Clint Dempsey is an idiot for leaving the Premier League, taking the Landon Donovan route of staying in the MLS for no apparent reason. Dempsey clearly had something to offer a Premier League team, maybe not Spurs because of the way they've stocked up this window but at least some other team would have taken him. I guess he feels that his national team spot is secure and he's done growing as a player? Maybe he wasn't as comfortable in Europe as we thought? Either way, I'm not a fan because I was proud to see an American do well in the Premier League. Guess now I'll tune in to watch Jozy Altidore at Sunderland. But I digress, Spurs had a good window, I guess. But so far theres no proof that any of that spending has actually helped. I guess time will tell. But as an Arsenal fan I'll just thank Spurs for helping us get Ozil, mind the gap, and move on.

Counting Down the 20 Coolest Characters in Anime - #14 Isaac & Miria, Baccano!

"As long as we're together I could be a king or a queen! Even a joker!" - Isaac

If there was an award for the ditziest characters in anime, Isaac and Miria from Baccano! would probably be close to the top. However, they have an amazing quality about them, something that makes you love and cherish every moment that they're on screen. Yes, I'm copping out here by putting two characters in one slot here but you can't have one of this lovable duo without including the other.

Robbing from the mafia dressed up as baseball players

Isaac and Miria are the glue that connects all of the storylines that happen in Baccano! stumbling into the several different storylines that play out over the course of the series. Isaac and Miria are world famous robbers who are actually lethally efficient at what they do. However, they're also a pair of space cadets which leads to them pulling a few heists that are questionable at best. For example, Isaac once claims that they are "robbing gold from the Earth" by mining for gold (Miria also states that normally one finds gold in a river not a mine which Isaac promptly disregards) Other times however, they show themselves to be highly competent at their work despite being ridiculously silly while doing it. They get away with most of their crimes, sometimes even robbing people in broad daylight, because civilians believe them to be actors. They are the common bond that joins such a disjointed (and yet brilliant) series together. They show up in each of the three different storylines and find themselves embroiled unwittingly in the main plot. They have a propensity for getting themselves in incredibly dangerous situations and managing to wiggle their way out unharmed. Hilariously, later in the series the two become IMMORTAL without even realizing it (they hadn't realized that they hadn't aged in about 30 years).

Absolutely adorable

My favorite quality about Isaac & Miria is that they have this innate ability to make everyone around them happy. Sure they're absolutely ridiculous and hammy while doing it (they might not even know what they're doing to be honest) but they're incredible at it. In fact, theres an episode of Baccano! titled "Isaac and Miria Unintentionally Spread Happiness Around Them" in which they go around engaging in such activities. I think everybody has an Isaac & Miria in their lives. Somebody who makes them happy by simply being an awesome person. This is their role to many of the characters on the show whose lives become a lot more exciting and colorful when Isaac & Miria enter the fray. For example, the character Ennis had a pretty bland and boring life being Szilard's servants. Isaac and Miria instantly become her best friends and transform her life. Like I said before, Isaac and Miria are the glue that holds the show together. While the show loves to brag that it doesn't have a main character, Isaac and Miria are the closest the show has to main characters. They show up in every storyline making everybody's lives better. Despite their craziness, they tie everything together and sometimes speak the most sense of anybody. (Isaac is also voiced by the one and only J. Michael Tatum, who is probably the best voice in anime right now)

I loved Isaac & Miria when I watched Baccano! In fact they probably established themselves as my favorite characters from the show. Theres something great about an adorable (yet dimwitted) couple that do almost everything in unison and spread happiness all around them. Part of me wants to describe them as little happiness fairies but I think I'll just keep that to myself. For being humongously entertaining and awesome, Isaac & Miria are #14.