Dancing: the SJ way
Shounen Jump has covered everything from Go to tennis, but there’s one area it has yet to cover- the world of ballroom dancing. Fortunately, here at Tuesday Rumble we’ve got the situation covered, with a brand new series entitled Dance Off! Here’s a run down of what you can expect from the thrills and spills of the Dance Off world.
Misaki Shirou has never danced a step before in her life, but when her parents take her to a professional performance, she gets the dancing bug! Determined to become a professional herself, Misaki starts attending classes, but the road ahead will be tough.
Story arcs
- Misaki attends her very first lesson, but to her disappointment, she seems to have two left feet- she even falls over in front of all her classmates! Will she ever find a partner when she can’t even stand up straight?
- Through destined power, Misaki has magically mastered all the basic steps, and she longs to move up to the intermediate class- but her teacher will only let her if she can win the amateur dance competition. Cue a tournament arc as Misaki and her partner Koji try to put together their best ballroom routines.
- When Misaki’s progress astounds everyone, she finds herself leaving Kouji behind- and with no other partners available, she might have to hang up her dancing shoes for good. Hope comes in the form of another dancer looking for a partner- until Misaki learns that it is another woman! In a desperate attempt to keep competing, Misaki cuts her hair, dons a tail suit and learns the men’s steps so that she can partner this new girl.
- Disaster strikes when Misaki’s cross-dressing secret is discovered and her first place title is stripped from her. With her rival now in the lead, Misaki decides to take action by joining the Dance League- even though everyone in the league is far ahead of her in terms of experience.
- Having surged to the top of the Dance League with more main character power, Misaki is picked for an elite dance troupe, but can she keep up the pace? And why is someone trying to sabotage her efforts with a serious of vicious practical jokes?
Meine Liebe Potter
It’s been a while since our last Meine Liebe crossover, but now the bishies are back, and this time they are attending Hogstohl School of HARD GAY Wizardry, a place where they learn the magic of seducing other men. Let’s take a look at the line-up.
Orpherus Potter: The destined main character.
Ed Weasley: The red-haired sidekick.
Naoji Granger: The accomplished feminine friend.
Camus Longbottom: The useless but benign ally.
Bernard Snape: Takes over as headmaster in his predecessor’s absence, seems evil at first.
Nicholas Malfoy: The ultimately insignificant rival.
Beruze Voldermort: The evil behind all other evils.
Bartholomeus Dumbledore: The invincible headteacher.
Eilos Quirrell: A teacher of minor evil.
Sadly, Lui declined to participate, believing that no one in the Harry Potter universe could possibly match his 1337ness.
Sisters of Wellber 9
“…for HARD YURI?”
“I promise it will just be a quick one!”
“Fine, but nothing too kinky, okay?”
“Yay, let’s get undressed straightaway!”
“I’ll get you warmed up with a kiss.”
“That was…strangely pleasant.”
“What an impressive ‘weapon’!”
“Hello, I am generic bald retainer #1- you may have seen me in other series.”
Random Thoughts: Zhou Yu
This week we talk to yet another face from the Three Kingdoms era- Wu strategist Zhou Yu. First up, we’d like you to talk about your relationship with Zhuge Liang.
Well, as two well-endowed men (in every sense of the word), we were rivals from the get-go, but I won’t deny that there was a lot of sexual tension between us. We both wanted it, but we were each afraid that the other one would be bigger and better.
In the ROTK anime, how did you feel about being portrayed as a squint-eyed villain?
I wasn’t happy about that at all- that anime was really Shu-centric, and it suffered for it. Everyone knows Wu is the best kingdom.
What was the atmosphere like on the set of Koutetsu Sangokushi?
So many virile young men wanting to get into each other’s pants- what do you think? We had arguments, of course, but as long as we all got some it tended to calm down in the end.
Were you told that you would be killed off in episode thirteen?
I had a sneaking suspicion when everyone else had their contracts renewed for the second half of the series and I didn’t hear anything. You hope it’s just lost in the post or something, but when I got on set and the director took me to one side I thought “ah-ha, this is it”. Of course I’m sad to leave, but I think I did a good job in the episodes I was given.
And finally, just how good are you at your Flute?
Which one?
This Week in Anime
Painting 1/1 scale models is a task for the dedicated enthusiast only.
“It’s that damned cherry pie again- I just can’t help myself.”
How many Pizza Hut signs can you spot?
McDonalds fights back against Pizza Hut domination.
Eat healthy oranges, however, and you might just get a free dog!
Anime World Tour: Avenger
Welcome to future Mars- not the beautiful blue planet Aqua that you know and love, but a more depressing vision of the red planet. We freely admit that there are one or two minor problems here, such as limited resources, the inability to conceive children and the trivial matter of Earth’s Moon being about to crash into the planet, but we urge you to put these trifling issues aside and enjoy the unique delights we do have to offer. Whether you fancy having a mechanical doll to attend to your every need, or you just want to spice up your day with a front row seat at local coliseum for a spot of gladiatorial combat, we’ve got you covered! Particularly daring visitors can even step into the arena themselves, and before you think twice about risking your life on a daily basis, be advised that the reward for victory is a life of luxury as the local gladiatorial representative! So don’t delay, pay a visit to Mars today!
Mini-editorial: OEL, its purpose and future
When manga started becoming popular in the West, it seemed as if there was going to be a great way for artists and money-makers to jump on the bandwagon- namely with a home-grown knock-off imitation style that would come to be known as OEL (Original English Language) manga. Although I personally have ventured no further into the OEL scene than buying a single volume of Van Von Hunter, it seems to be commonly accepted that overall, it just isn’t up to par with the authentic manga scene.
Now, just why should this be- surely Japan cannot have some kind of monopoly on good artists and storytellers? Wasn’t the American comic scene thriving long before we knew about manga? By rights, there should certainly be people in the West who can produce a good series to be printed under the OEL name, so where are they?
Perhaps it is simply that OEL as a whole is just attracting the “wrong sort” of people, namely those who only wish to ape their favourite style without caring about whether it has any real substance. Whether it’s for fame (“yay, everyone will read my story, the next great series about a boy with a magical sword!”) or another of Stu Levy’s moneymaking attempts to whip up a hit, groovin’ series under his d.j. milky alias, the end result always seems to be akin to a light bubblegum product- bright coloured and appealing to the kids, but generally unsatisfying.
So, to those more experienced with OEL than I, I must ask- are there any worthy titles out there, or is it all just one big moneymaking venture that happens to be cheaper than licensing real manga? Thoughts in the comments section, please.
Harem of the week: Yukito (Air)
He may be new in town, but he quickly gains the attention of the ladies with his main character charms. He’s also notable as one of the few likeable harem masters.
Harem
Misuzu: The sick girl with added clumsy cheerfulness and odd habits. Gao~
Kano: The energetic one with a positive exterior that masks a darker secret.
Minagi: The quiet and shy one, also with a tragic back story.
Haruko: The older women with a taste for alcohol.
Hijiri: Kano’s sister and the town doctor.
Michiru: The cheerful younger girl, there is more to her than meets the eye.
Amusing Search Terms
pearls vs. coral mai otome: the specifics of the Otome world are worth writing a thesis about.
kira yamato the in the and the and the: in the what? Kira Yamato the HARD GAY in the bedroom with Athrun and the sex toys and the Zhuge Liangs…?
Mint CD no desu wa! Tokyo Mew Mew charac: I know everything about Tokyo Mew Mew, surely I do…
“mai otome” +fanservice is removing my b: I wish this hadn’t been cut off- was it bra? Buttocks? Better Half?
Is tabby (hack roots) sexy?: If you can’t decide for yourself, the divided opinions of the internet won’t help.
anime boys: makes a change from the constant searches for girls, I guess.
koutetsu sangokushi gay: It sure is.
Fate Stay Night Tactics: I’m thinking more of making Fate/Stay Night Warriors.
How the poor lived in victorian England: Azure Flame, the place to go to when you need help with your homework assignments.
Aagh: Quite.
pictures of (fat men) anime: some people have strange tastes.
azure-nude.net: I’m almost tempted to see if this domain exists.
topless bathing: Mai-Otome Zwei episode 3.
An anime pic of mother crying: Is your mother in anime?
Amusing Spam
“Kalina…
I could not believe the amount of quality material on this site. The site is extremely eyecatching and pulls the reader straight it, the articles are great quality and are very professionally written. I have seen too many of these sites where it looks…”
“Fred…
I just wanted to tell you that your site is really awesome and is of a fantastic quality. The content is great and I will be returning….”
It’s great to be praised…by bots.
“vitamin supplements…
The best whore slut news may take a bit of time to get at….”
Well it will do if you’re looking up vitamin supplements.
“If you want do delete your site from our spam bases – just email us with domain of your site: abuse-here@inbox.ru
thank you!”
Yay, I got one too.
>>“mai otome” +fanservice is removing my b: I wish this hadn’t been cut off- was it bra? Buttocks? Better Half?
I’m gonna go with ‘brain’ on this one. 😉
>>azure-nude.net: I’m almost tempted to see if this domain exists.
Hmmm, I’m getting nothing on that. 🙁 :p
That’s not generic bald retainer #1! He doesn’t have a scar over his right eye! Surely you must’ve been thinking of generic bald retainer #4.
On the topic of OEL manga, most of my forays into that sordid niche have been less than fruitful, to say the least. If the art is good, the story is usually lacking, and if the art is bad, the story is still lacking. However, the first volumes of both East Coast Rising and Fool’s Gold were generally pleasant surprises, and I even intend to get my hands on further volumes of both.
Ravage: I like your guess…maybe now is the time to register azure-nude.net and make millions.
Krypfto: I bow to your superior knowledge of generic bald retainers ;p. At least there are two OEL titles that show promise, which is a start. I would give them a try, but then I remember how much manga I still have to get and it seems like a distant plan.