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Cardfight Vanguard G: Z turn 21 thoughts

Void and Vanguard

That’s quite a line-up we’ve got here. They are not pictured in this screenshot, but Amaruda and Shiranui were also shown, which made me really happy. I would have liked to know how Shiranui was treated after returning to Cray though. I doubt he was trusted from the beginning. And, I would have liked to see how the Units were preparing for the war in general. 

Dran Z transforming into Chronojet Z was a nice reminder of them being actually the same person (?). However, I’m a tiny bit disappointed they kept the same voice. Should have used deeper one for Chronojet. Chrono’s VA would have worked.

Wow. Guess this is Gyze’s throne. Though, it looks more like a giant mecha landing.

Looking back at the previous episodes, Kazumi traveled to US, then was sent to Relics and now was dropped back in Japan...He was basically moved from place to place in the span of a few hours, without being able to solve much...I still feel bad for him.

Well, Rive staying back turned out to be meaningless. The ruins disappeared just like that. He didn’t get to have a say on that matter...

There is a chance he might do something though. 

Interestingly, mostly monuments and important buildings are being erased. 

Whoa this looks so nostalgic. How many years has it been since I last saw a phone like this...I was very small.

But yeah, with electricity gone because the power plant was erased, returning to stuff like this is.

Taiyou had a pretty good moment this episode. It’s like the frustration he built up in the past episodes helped him escape the situation. Hiroki also had a bit of spotlight. He stuck with Taiyou, despite being a lot easier to save himself, which goes with his morality and proves what a good friend he is. I feel like he also seemed more mature in this scene.

So those black stains turns into fighters and use the same deck as the opponent. It’s similar to the shadowy fighters from before, yet different. It’s so weird that they use actual tables though...

Looks like Taiyou forgot about his broken leg. his reaction when Hiroki offered to carry him was so on point xD

Normally, I would have skipped through the fighters defeating those black stains (don’t get me wrong, I’m happy to see some of them again), but this caught my attention. Morikawa and Izaki are fighting as well. They never got involved in any of the supernatural stuff going on around them. Actually, I believe they were kept out of it by the rest of the cast. But now, they are also helping out.

More importantly, Morikawa won O_O Did someone give him a proper deck? Or, since the opponent is using the exact same deck, he has a higher chance of winning. I like how Miwa seems like he’s the leader of the gang. By the way, Shingo is missing.

They keep coming one after another xD I know the part with Kazumi was supposed to be serious, but when Rin arrived ready to complain, and then Taiyou declaring he’s willing to fight (even though Hiroki has to carry him) made me chuckle xD

Back to Kazumi, the important thing he had to tell Chrono was that Kazuma is still around. And as proof, he brings up the moment he called to him, as well as the place he was dropped to. No wonder I thought it looked familiar...

Well, this isn’t exactly news for us, but probably Chrono needed to hear that.

I think the transitions between the scenes weren’t that good here. Anyway, Jaime simply fails at keeping secrets xD I liked how Rin made him spill the beans.

Mamoru still has to accept that his little sister is growing up. Or maybe he accepts it, but can’t help but worry.

Pff xD It’s hard to believe Chrono was declaring war against Gyze just a second ago xD Dammit Jaime. The way it was animated is like Chrono’s made out of rubber xD

But he did a good job at relieving the tension and just telling those 3 to be themselves. That may seem very cliche, but it’s important. Otherwise, you end up forgetting why you’re doing something in the first place and feel nothing after accomplishing it.

Hmm, from Chronojet’s line, I guess him, Altmile and Ahsha will join Try3.

At first I thought it will be some battle royale kind of fight, but in the preview they seem to be in different location. Gyze might separate them. 

[akiharashizuka]

Yu-Gi-Oh Vrains episode 42 thoughts

Stardust Road's Guidance

How fitting to add the title when the closest spot to the Stardust Road is showing. 

That first scene with Revolver looking at the glowing sea was pretty nice. It made me wonder why is he so eager to fulfill Kogami’s wish. Sure, they are father and son, but I don’t feel like it’s a strong enough reason. There’s clearly something that has to be revealed here.

I have to admit that I completely missed the moment Playmaker set a card face down during the previous episode. Luckily, someone pointed it out to me during this past week.

That card turns out to be a quick-play spell. I love these. Basically, they can be played anytime, not only during the player’s turn. 

Then, he does the consecutive Link summonings, which leads to nothing really...just to using Storm Access. It feels like it’s been ages since I’ve last seen that. Well, we’ve had only master duels lately, so it certainly has been a while.

During last week’s episode, it was mentioned how dangerous that area it is, with all those stones. And now we get to see it. I honestly got worried there, especially when Playmaker lost his arm and even he was thinking that it’s over. At that point, surprisingly, Ai saved the day. I still don’t trust him, but I gotta give him credit for that. He fixed Playmaker’s arm and guided him through the Data Storm. I asked myself why he didn’t do that from the beginning, but from the dialogue, I guess it’s because Ai wanted to play it safe.

He even said stuff about atoning, probably for lying to Yūsaku. Not sure if he’s being sincere here, but he did a good job nonetheless.

About time a new Code Talker appeared. This time we get the Earth one. So, only Water is missing. It would be nice if that shows up before this arc ends. I’m not a huge fan of the design, but I like the effect. Which was used so nicely this time, in combination with Decode Talker’s to power up both of them.

Why am I not surprised...No, really. When Ai disappeared, it wasn’t that emotional. It sort of just happened. No sad background music, no one reflecting on the situation. That’s weird. I was more surprised by the fact that Ai actually disappeared. Then this happened xD Which explains everything.

Playmaker’s reaction to it was...as always, hard to read, but I guess he was relieved that Ai was ok. Of course, he won’t admit that, so he asks him about getting shrunk xD Well, I’m actually glad that was mentioned because I was worried my eyes were playing tricks on me.

This part left me speechless. First off, Revolver also decides to use Storm Access in those dangerous conditions. Whatever he is doing all that for is extremely important. The rivalry with Playmaker has a role as well, since he said that if Playmaker could do it, so he can. It’s like an encouraging/motivating factor.

This time I was getting worried about Revolver. Yūsaku had Ai, but Revolver doesn’t have anything to help him out. Or so I thought before everything froze and Kogami showed himself. Honestly, I never expected him to care so much, to regret involving his own child in all this. He never showed remorse for kidnapping 6 children and making them suffer so...

Well, in the end he helped Revolver out just so he can win and fulfill the goal, but if that was all, he wouldn’t have made that speech in the beginning. Not to mention that the path he made resembled Stardust Road, which seems to have sentimental value for these two. He even used Revolver’s real name, so definitely, Kogami cares.

The newly obtained Topologic Dragon is of interest, but I would like to focus on something else. When he was still talking with his father, it was hinted that something would happen to him. And, as soon as Revolver emerges from the Data Storm, he is constantly checking that heart rate monitor. Clearly, Kogami’s condition took a turn for the worse after helping Revolver.

30 is an extremely low for a heart rate, and we see it being slightly irregular, until it finally drops to zero. Rather than winning, I guess Revolver mostly wanted to end the duel as soon as possible and rushed to do so. That’s why he forced a draw. That was the last thing I was expecting, honestly. After reading the summary, I thought it might get interrupted, but a draw didn’t cross my mind. They are rare occurrences after all...

If he dueled normally, it could, probably, reach a proper conclusion. However, in that moment, his father’s condition was more important. 

There’s once more problem. As Kusanagi pointed out, they might get turned into data. They are dangerously close to the tower and no one really won that duel...

In the preview, however, both seem to have returned to the real world safely, so something sends them back. In Yūsaku’s case, it could be Ai’s doing. As for Revolver, he might have a gateway prepared. More importantly, they are going to confront Revolver. He left the Stardust Road hint, so Yūsaku already figured things out, most likely. Imagine Kusanagi’s face when he finds out that one of his regular costumers was Revolver all along xD Lots of questions should be answered as well, so I can’t wait.

[akiharashizuka]

I find it funny that you mention Gyze looking like 4th form Aizen. Looking at various forums, alot of people actually say he reminds them of Yggdrasil, the host computer/God of the digital world in digimon. Funny thing is that despite being God he acts as a villain in many digimon stories hoping to bring about the death of either humans or digimon (kinda like Gyze….huh) including in the Fifth series Digimon Savers where the main character beats him by errr………punching him https://youtu.be/GjjMULn1-Sk

….Maybe thats how Chrono and Chronojet will beat Gyze O.O…..

_______________________________

Well, I never watched any Digimon anime, so yeah xD

The similarities to Yggdrasil are more obvious though. And the target audience for Vanguard is closer to Digimon’s, rather than Bleach’s, so I can see the final battle ending in a similar fashion.

[akiharashizuka]

Cardfight Vanguard G: Z turn 20 thoughts

Dragon Deity of Destruction, Gyze

Wow. They really went all out with the design for the upgraded Relics. Which looks amazing. I like what they did with the Gyze symbol.

There were several background characters shocked by this, not only the important ones, so I’ve been wondering if everyone can see it, not only those with high imagination. Then, they showed a plane flying casually...so maybe that’s not the case. Oh well, that’s not that of an important aspect.

It looks like Gyze decided to change the location to the new relics. And he dropped the cape as well. This outfit was already previewed, but sure looks great. I like the Gyze symbols on the coat. 

Something about this part caught my attention. I thought Q4, New Nippon and Kazumi were the only ones waiting for the Apostles, but it seems this wasn’t the case. Since there’s that random scientist there helping Makoto. Or he could have arrived afterwards...

Hmm Try3 were shown earlier at an airport, and now Iwakura gives them a ride. which means that they just returned to Japan and chaos began.

I was actually wondering about these 2. Hiroki didn’t show up in a while and I was worrying that they have forgotten about Taiyou. Not that he can do anything though...And he knows it. I feel so bad for him right now.

Ever since Gyze’s cards have been revealed, I’ve been looking forward to seeing how they work in the anime.

First part of it is the starter, Neon Gyze, which goes to the G Zone after riding a G1. However, it doesn’t count for Generation Break. Otherwise I think it would have been unfair because Gyze players would get access to GB skills very early.

The important effect is that whenever a triggers shows up, a ZR goes to the Bind Zone. And it was a nice addition showing each of them in different parts of the world. The one that caught my attention was Stark in a snowy area because the artwork. It is depicted in what looks like a polar area. Zoa also showed up in an interesting place. It’s the Zeroth Dragon of Death Garden, and it shows up in a desert, where vegetation is limited to cacti and other plants adapted to an arid climate.

You have no idea how happy I am to see Shiranui and Kazumi actually being a team, with the same goal in mind.

How the roles have switched from Next to Z. Yet, it’s so different. Kazumi's way of approaching the situation that is. Unfortunately, Gyze shows to sign of backing off. Well, he’s the final villain with overpowered skills, so no complains.

I was moved when Kazumi called his brother strong. Before only Chrono had said that. 

And now, the 2nd part of Gyze’s effect: calling all ZRs from the bind zone to the Rear Guard circles. Hmm, Megiddo gets shoved aside this time, but that’s still one terrifying sight. Especially because they can’t be targeted by skills. So Kazumi can’t dominate them...

The anime portrayed it as the G0 Gyze becoming the G4 one, but the Gyze card is actually double sided. On a side its Neon Gyze and if you flip it, you get the G4. It’s quite interesting. I wonder if they’ll make more cards like that in the future.

For a moment I thought I was watching the wrong anime, or accidentally opened a Bleach episode in another tab. Cause suddenly Aizen’s voice popped up. Damn, they chose a fitting voice for Gyze. Not that Kazuma’s VA wasn’t doing a good job. In fact, he was excellent, but it makes more sense for the Units to have different voices than the hosts. Even though they used the same VAs up until now, they still performed differently, depending on who was speaking. And, when the Unit is in the host’s body, it makes sense to have the same voice, but when not, a different one might be better. 

For those who haven’t watched Bleach, Aizen is the most iconic antagonist from the series. He is always collected and “just according to plan”-type of character (though he doesn’t really say it). He managed to massively troll his opponents at least 4 times. And his goal is to become a god-like being, which he kinds succeeds. Oh...now I realized what Gyze’s design reminded me of...

Back to the main topic. We also get a flashback elaborating on the brothers’ past. Mainly, showing Kazumi’s perspective on that. It seems that he also gave up, just like Kazuma. I always had the feeling he didn’t quite like his family, but this confirms it. He dislikes it even more than I thought. However, Kazuma’s presence seems to have made things better. 

Hmm, even in that terrifying situation, Kazumi thought of a way he could deal damage. Of course it didn’t work...

Kazuma calling to him at the end really got me. And he used “nii-san”. Remember that at the end of Next, Kazumi was teasing him, wanting to be called “onii-chan” (I still want to hear that, even if it’s little Kazuma in a flshback xD), but that didn’t go anywhere. After that, it didn’t seem like he decided on a way to address his brother.

I have to say, this part was executed so well. From Kazumi being surrounded by the dragons, reflecting on the past, to Kazuma calling him, the 6th damage, the 6 dragons joining together and that light at the end. Can’t forget the epic soundtrack either.

Ok...that’s disturbing...Yeah, I know they pulled off something similar with Aichi and Harmonics Messiah in the movie, but I wasn’t a fan of that.

Hmm...Wonder what happened to Kazumi. Hope he is at least ok, somewhere.

That preview looks weird at first glance. Did I just see Aichi as Blaster Blade facing a copy of himself? Same with Viktor and even Taiyou as Gurguit. Looks like a similar concept to when they destroyed Relics. Try3 seem to be making preparations. The summary states that all of them will face Gyze, so yeah. 

But, more importantly, the lines. I like how Ryoko Shiraishi (child Kazumi’s VA) and Masaya Matsukaze take turns to speak. It was heartwarming, but also sad, especially that “thank you for being born”. 

[akiharashizuka]

But if Aoi‘s not one of these children she won‘t be relevant anymore

Not necessarily. The writers might have another kind of role for her.

[akiharashizuka]

Yu-Gi-Oh Vrains episode 41 thoughts

The Distorted Truth

Oh, they’re coming back. Thought they will remain knocked out somewhere after being blasted off in the previous episode.

I got worried a bit when Frog’s tail got cut. Thought he might turn into data right away, but it doesn’t seem like these 2 will. His tail also got fixed rather quickly, so guess they’ll be fine.

I should get used to Kusanagi displaying angsty tendencies. It’s justified after all. As long as he doesn’t end up going the wrong path. Seeing that he still worries about Yūsaku’s safety later in the episode, guess that won’t be the case.

So, he wants to reveal everything to Jin. I wonder if that will be of any help...He’s always shown so detached from everything (not in a good way). The truth about that incident could snap him out of it, but I can’t bet on it.

Ooh, Yūsaku asks directly for answers. Too bad Revolver doesn’t give a proper one right away.

I thought it might be a problem if the duel is shown to everyone, including what these two have to talk about, but since the reporters have no choice but to keep their distance, it’s ok.  Part of me would like to see how the viwers would react to that though.

Pff...poor Frog. Luckily, they heal instantly. Guess it’s difficult to duel and keep your eyes on the surroundings. Guess Pigeon should have chosen a bird with better dodging abilities. Sure, he wouldn’t be Pigeon anymore...

Ok...Ai is definitely suspicious and is definitely hiding something. But I never thought he was faking the memory loss. What a twist...

The bigger surprise is that the Ignises are modeled after the captured children. And Ai is modeled after Yūsaku. I think a theory like that has been around for a while, but I had a hard time believing that because Ai and Yūsaku have opposite personalities. Then again, Yūsaku went through a traumatic experience, which changed him, so who knows how would he have been if he wasn’t kidnapped. 

This makes me wonder who of the Ignises seen in the first episode were modeled after Jin and Specter. If I have to take a wild guess, the yellow one for specter and the green one for Jin.

There’s also something that’s bothering me. In the flashback there is a girl with twintails. And there’s also a blue Ignis with twintails. That lead to the speculation that Aoi might have been kidnaped as well. I think someone would remember that. Even if Aoi had memory loss for a reason or another, Akira would have been aware. I took a closer look at the girl’s silhouette and it seems the twintails are shaped differently than Aoi’s. So, I still think it’s a different person. Twintails are a common hairstyle among little girls after all. And she might have read the same book Aoi did (or someone else read it to her). 

It’s so funny to see Ai panicking. 

Ok...so Ignises were labeled as dangerous because they created a virtual world for themselves. I don’t know...I mean, Kogami wanted to create AIs with free will, and that’s the proof that he succeeded. It doesn’t seem like they want to kill the humans. Unless there’s more to the story.

Revolver wants to convince us that Ai is dangerous because he lied. It is a valid reason, and he indeed shady. But he stands out even from others of his kind. So, I don’t think all of them should be thrown into the same category. Of course, Unless Revolver hasn’t told everything.

I liked when Playmaker said that Ai is just a hostage and nothing else xD He didn’t show any sign of actually getting attached to the AI, so no surprise there.

Well, well. I was thinking Revolver was being too obvious, but it was for a reason. He knew Yūsaku might play defensively, so he chose the cards in order to force the Monsters in ATK position. 

Of course, when Yūsaku’s side of the field remain empty, he takes the first chance to finish it off. And it ends right when he lunches the 2nd attack. Usually, when the episode ends like that, the protagonist escapes somehow. Though, he didn’t set any cards. I checked the ones in the Graveyard, but I don’t see any helpful effect, unless one of the new cards has a yet unrevealed one.

The summary also confirms that he manages to survive, so yeah. It seems next episode will focus on Revolver’s past. Finally. And we also get to see how he actually looks like. Hmm, thought he might have yellow eyes, like Kogami. Oh well. 

[akiharashizuka]

Yu-Gi-Oh Vrains episode 40 thoughts

The Thirst for Victory

We start off with Playmaker explaining the situation. Basically how Revolver kind of forced Gō to swarm his side of the field with powerful Monsters in attack position. One thing I forgot to mention last week was how all of them were Link Monsters, which can’t be set into defense position. Revolver made sure that was the case.

Imagine if Gō’s Monsters weren’t Links and he also had a face down card that can change the Monsters’ battle position. The moment Revolver activated Mirror Force, he could have chained with that card. Its effect resolves first, so all Monsters go to defense position and Mirror Force becomes useless. Guess the only benefit is that he still doesn’t get attacked.

So yeah, Revolver planned it very well. And, I personally don’t see Gō running defensive cards.

That was a pretty good reaction. He neither was mad about it nor got discouraged. He seems more motivated nonetheless. And managed to not leave his field completely empty.

Revolver is finally using his Rokket/Vullet Monsters. I was getting worried we won’t see them. This archetype was introduced as Revolver’s and it feels weird to see it seldomly.

At last, the final new Gouki teased in the previous episode. I think the summary mentioned it as well. That looks quite impressive, with a base ATK of 3000. And he powers up even further.

With this, Revolver’s LP are brought a little below Gō’s. The hype is building up.

Am I the only one who thought the bullet will come from that gun barrel on its head? They even showed it being loaded. So...I was taken aback by this.

The Giant Ogre demonstrates his boss status by negating effects. I liked the part in which he deflects the bullet with the sword and there’s a big explosion in the back. 

Dueling alone, fighting for ourselves, these are things you don’t hear very often in Yu-Gi-Oh. The friendship power and “you’re nor alone” stuff predominated in the past, but Vrains wants to take a different route. Which I find quite refreshing.

Here Gō makes a reference to the title, announcing that his goal is simply to be the strongest. That actually goes with the traits shown when he was introduced. I first saw him as self-centered and arrogant, and these traits are still present. Because people don’t really change overnight. Well, he had character development and mellowed down the arrogance. Aside from that, he also shows his noble side by telling Revolver to give everything his got. Otherwise, Gō won’t truly become the strongest.

Everyone was expecting Borrelload Dragon, we got Borrelsword. With also a base 3000. It’s interesting because Giant Ogre’s effect activate when the opposing Monster has the same amount of ATK. 

I tend to think this one is slightly better though, because it has very useful effects and the conditions are minimal. From what we’ve seen until now, since this card had just been revealed. 

A bit of a funny moment here xD From the reporters getting blown away, to everyone’s reactions when the transmission gets interrupted. Guess that means it’s better if no one sees the outcome of the duel. And no one will see Playmaker vs Revolver after this. Or hear what Revolver has to say about the incident (I’m sure he will reveal something). 

Also, I guess Frog and Pigeon won’t be turned into data now.

You know when you see something falling off and cracking, it’s a bad omen (in anime). And when it’s a photo of someone, that person is going to die.

Guess it’s better they didn’t see the outcome. But something tells me the adults know something’s not right, but want to believe otherwise.

Damn it, that ending. They give us a bit of hope that Gō might survive, but crush it right after xD 

So, from this dialogue, this duel was to give Playmaker and idea of Revolver’s strategy. But, I still found it entertaining and worth watching. Especially for that Mirror Force xD

It would be something is Revolver will use other tricks entirely....

We end off with a dramatic stare down, as the wind starts blowing. Wait...that’s a Data Storm.  Now I get it...

We also take a brief look at the tower, which gets closer to completion as the final ring starts forming. At least I guess it’s the last one...For the real game named Tower of Hanoi, the number of disks varies. The one I come across the most is with 4 disks, but this one is at the 5th. Hmm, now that I think better, it will most likely go for 6. This number is like a recurring symbol in this anime.

When I first watched the preview and saw the Data Storm, I was slightly confused, since it was dangerous to summon one so close to the tower. But I guess it formed spontaneously at the end of this episode. Unless it was Revolver. It seems they are heading to the top of the tower and, in the meantime Revolver starts talking. There was a brief scene in which Yūsaku gives Ai a questioning look and the AI looks slightly worried. There’s definitely a very important reveal coming up.

[akiharashizuka]

Editing Studio: Diaha Studios

Please do yourselves a favor and check out this epic Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters MEP! The theme here is showing character struggles of a character and how they triumphed!

Editors: 

Part 1: Mia Hikari // Character: Mokuba Kaiba Part 2: eurythmica // Character: Mai Kujaku Part 3: eurythmica // Character: Valon Part 4: AnimeBabeXX // Character: Jonouchi Katsuya Part 5: NightmareTroubador // Character: Yuugi Mutou Part 6: xCountChronos // Character: Seto Kaiba Part 7: Thea Queen // Character: Yami Yuugi Part 8: moongouda // Character: Ryou Bakura Part 9: AkiharaShizuka // Character: Malik Ishtar Part 10: xSweetoKyeForce // Character: Noah Kaiba Part 11: Mia Hikari // Character: Yami Bakura Part 12: XxAkaiNecrofearxX // Character: Thief King Bakura Please be sure to click the links and follow these wonderful editors if you enjoyed their parts!

[akiharashizuka]

Cardfight Vanguard G: Z turn 19 thoughts

Choice of the Jester

The title was initially translated on the wiki as “The Clown’s Selection” which kind of misled me. That’s why the events in this episode surprised me a lot. The official translation is more accurate though.

We start off with a brief explanation on how this fight works. Tag fights are slightly different than normal ones. And this is a 2 vs 1, which may raise some questions. But, I think Aichi and Kai explained clearly enough what’s going on. This was definitely necessary since we didn’t have tag fights in a long time.

Good thing it was pointed out that Chaos Breaker can only attack the person who went before him. It seems fairer this way, since the other one will be at a lower grade.

Oh, he really did bring the Reverse incident up O_O More to piss of Kai, it seems, since it doesn’t have much relevance now. 

While I’m perfectly fine with sending these 2 to the scene, it really bothers me because the only reason Chrono was able to access the space where Gastille and Ibuki were was because of him being Gyze’s vessel at the time. Arata and Makoto have no connection to Gyze, thus I don’t think they should have been able to enter the Relics subspace. Noa being able to tell that they’re nearby, as well as hearing each other’s voices is fine though.

Chaos Breaker gives us an explanation on the Relics subspace, which I guess makes sense. The interesting thing is that it can be reconstructed by absorbing certain souls. And that’s why he didn’t put any effort in running away.

It’s clear that he only does that because he enjoys spreading despair. At one point he’ll end Gyze’s happiness after his ambition comes true (guess that line was slightly later), which is a strange statement since Gyze hadn’t shown any kind of emotion so far.

Hmm it’s like Kai and Aichi are directing their words to Noa and they are actually reaching him. He already grew more hopeful after managing to find them and knowing they are around once again gives him more reason to try and break through. Knowing that his teammates put so much effort into finding him is moving. And, as I said a bit earlier, I liked that they could hear each other’s voices. That brief moment when Noa gains control was also welcomed. 

Now that Makoto mentioned participating in the next U20, I want to see that covered at the end of Z. Taiyou also mentioned he wants to form a team different from Chrono’s, so yeah. Since they teased it a few times, they’d better show it, at least briefly.

I don’t think this was mentioned, but the tag partner can guard for you. I remember this from Asia Circuit. Mainly because the characters (especially Kamui) were making a big deal out of it xD Guess Chaos Breaker should have thought twice before challenging them to a 2 vs 1.

Last time Stark was used, not much was revealed, but now that I took a better look at its skills, I believe it’s one of the hardest to deal with ZRs, alongside Dust and Ultima.

How did Kai predict that crit...?

Imagine if he was wrong though xD It would have turned into quite a funny moment. Also, Aichi would have still won because he still had to attack with the Alfred stride.

Gotta admire Noa for still having no ill feelings about Chaos Breaker. Speaking of which, I don’t believe what he just did. Guess he’s more of a sore loser than I thought. 

Like the other Apostles, his voice also deepened considerably after leaving his host’s body. Which is quite a nice detail. Surely a dragon can’t have the same voice as a 14 years old boy. For a moment I even questioned whether he was voiced by the same person, but the ending credits didn’t point that. So, I opened this clip in Sony Vegas and made the pitch of the audio higher and it does sound like Noa. So yeah, definitely same VA. They probably made the voice deeper with some audio editing software. I wouldn’t mind if that’s the case, since the VA is  there’s a limit to how much a human can do. And Noa/Chaos Breaker’s VA has been fantastic. 

I wonder if this means that Chaos Breaker basically killed himself...Or he might come back once everything’s over.

So, not only Relics makes a comeback, but Darkface’s virus was more complex than expected and is messing up the system again. Unfortunately, Wakamizu is unconscious...I believe he can do something about it. It’s his knowledge Darkface used. Well, Darkface is quite intelligent himself, but Wakamizu can compete. Plus, he might have some of his memories.

Oh snap. So Relics being revived makes the ZRs return to their master. Hmm, I guess Darkface’s virus is more of a way to troll them now...

If Gyze’s effect wasn’t revealed earlier this week, I wouldn’t be so worried about ZR gathering in the same place. I’m not sure if he can use it in this case, because Neon Gyze.'s effect is necessary...There’s also the possibility of not using the effects that require ZRs...But then what’s the point of gathering all of them...Either way, Kazumi will have a hard time with this. I wasn’t really expecting him to win, but now I think he might end up traumatized...I’m gonna feel so bad for him next time (which is 2 weeks because of the Olympics)...

Also, he smiled O_O I wonder if this means Gyze actually feels emotions or is something else.

[akiharashizuka]

Yu-Gi-Oh Vrains episode 39 thoughts

Just an FYI: I decided not to cover episode 38 because there wasn’t much going on. There were like 2 things I would have talked about and thought it would be better to mention them as we go. They’re bound to be brought up again anyway.

Bullet Buried in Darkness

I have a feeling the title refers more to Revolver’s mystery card.

A Data Storm, huh. And it disappeared as soon as Playmaker reached the bridge. I’m pretty sure Ai wasn’t lying about not doing it. And the way Playmaker was talking about it...

Ok, I’m calling it now. Revolver summoned this Data Storm.

As a manager, he can’t let Gō log in, but as a friend (I guess) or a guardian, the problem is solved. So Gō goes (no pun intended) ahead and fires him. Hmm, if it stays like this, his career as a charisma duelist might change a bit. 

I mentioned he acts more like a friend or even guardian to Gō because all he wants is for him to return safe. And he is very aware of Gō’s personality quirks, so he knows there’s no way to stop him.

These two are being cocky right from the start, expressing how they don’t want to listen to each other. Gō only views Revolver as a messed up villain, while Revolver looks down on him.

The moment Playmaker was mentioned, he got angry. Guess it’s understandable, since Revolver basically discredited him. But Gō didn’t let that control him. He calmed down and remembered about the terrifying card.

Interesting that the reporters decided to tell Playmaker about the duel. And he concludes immediately who is involved. Now I’m starting to wonder what if there was anyone else wandering around...

And these 2 still insist on covering this xD Loved how Playmaker just left them talking. At the beginning of the episode, they also said they’ll continue filming until they turn into particles. I was thinking it might be a death flag, but after this short comedic moment makes me believe otherwise. 

He arrived faster than I thought. 

Looks like Revolver wasn’t very pleased with Gō getting distracted. Then he proceeds to make use of his Monsters to turn the situation in his favor. How he destroyed Thunder Ogre was pretty interesting.

Pff xD Ai is like the younger mischievous brother, while Yūsaku is the older responsible one who has to keep an eye on him xD

Before the duel started, all of Gō’s Monsters were shown, 3 of which were shadowed. And we see one of them in action, getting rid of Revolver’s ace. This way, Gō also payed him back for the previous turn. Quite a nice effect he’s got there.

It’s called Shadow Ogre, but manipulates flames...That doesn’t quite make sense, but I guess it’s a wrestling reference that I’m missing.

Hmm it’s like Revolver is forcing Gō to gather as many Monsters and go full on offensive. Well, if he couldn’t, he would have just ended his turn, but that’s not a difficult task for him, it seems. And another new Gouki Monster is introduced this way. Which is used to add more Monsters and also power-up. He’s really going all out on this turn. Which is a bit worrying. The moment Yūsaku remembered the set card, it was clear what was coming.

It seems Revolver actually has some respect for Gō, in the end... I couldn’t have guessed it.

The terrifying card everyone was so wary of...The one that started glowing so brightly that it blinded anyone watching was Mirror Force all along...WHAT?!

I can’t be the only one who feels like this, right? Once I realized it was Mirror Force I started laughing loudly xD Honestly, I was expecting some new overpowered card, but instead we get an old card that was around since DM. But it sure is a really good card that can save the player from a bad situation. Now that I took some time to think about it, I feel kind of dumb for not noticing the similarities earlier...When Revolver used it against Emma, her Monsters got whipped out when she declaring the attack. That’s exactly what Mirror Force does.

Hmm, I guess the fact that it wasn’t used in an actual anime duel in a long time contributes to this. I went to the wiki and the last time this card was used in a duel (not seen with other cards in the background) was episode 44 of Zexal. Which aired almost 6 years ago.

In a way, I guess it’s better that it’s Mirror Force and not some new card. Because a new card could have had a secondary effect which prevents the card of being destroyed, or allows the player to get it back from the Graveyard, or some other trick. But Mirror Force can be destroyed while set on the field. It’s a matter of whether it is really on the field and how many of these Revolver has. He can have only one, or a full set of 3.

Clearly Gō isn’t done yet, so we’ll see what else he can do next time. Judging from the title, he might get more characterization. 

[akiharashizuka]

Cardfight Vanguard G: Z turn 18 thoughts

Dawn of the Decisive Battle

By this title, it seems that Z is approaching the climax. Considering that it will end in April, it might have around 7 episodes left (without this one), so guess it’s a good choice to start already with the final battle. This is more like a prequel to it, though.

The North America Branch lives up to its name if it really can hold up the materialized ZRs. As long as the system keeps working. Hmm, interesting mention there.

I liked when the explosions went off and Kai is so calm about it. Guess everyone was expecting a flashy attack, so at this point nothing can startle them xD And it’s Darkface we’re talking about.

For once the good guys use this strategy. Normally the heroes enter the enemy’s base and they have to deal with all sorts of traps. It’s kind of refreshing to see it the other way around. Though, Chaos Breaker seems to enjoy himself.

This might seems kind of messed up, but Darkface is way too hilarious running around and throwing dynamites like that xD He even says “dokan”, which is an onomatopoeia for explosions xD

 And when he found the computer and “injected” the virus xD I liked how he suddenly shifted from the angry voice.

Chaos Breaker is so chill. He doesn’t even bother to run. Just walks away when Aichi caught up with him. And then he is patiently waiting for Aichi and Kai to “corner” him. It’s almost like he was looking for the best spot to have a chat with them.

Good thing Aichi has figured out what’s up.

Pfff xD Darkface’s explosive entrance was funny, but Kamui kneeing him was even better xD 

And when about to get trapped, he kicks out Kamui and grabs Misaki. He has to idea whom he’s messing with xD

We also find out why Kazumi was sent there. I must say, I didn’t think about that. Actually, I didn’t think Gyze will tag along to retrieve the ZRs. But they saw it coming, so Kazumi specifically went there in order to take him on. Which I’m glad they did.

Now, surely he won’t win this. The summaries for the upcoming episodes kind of confirm this as well. But if he really manages to bring out Kazuma’s conscience, then I’m satisfied. Also, let him use Drachma.

I was wondering why out of all people, Arata, Makoto and Misaki were handling the PC. Turns out that Chris taught the boys a few stuff. And, guess I shouldn’t be surprised about Misaki. She’s one of the smartest people around. That’s why Darkface grabbed her.

Also, this anime read my mind xD Because, when I watched the episode this morning:

Kamui: Is there anything I can do?!

Me: ... How about calling Chris?

Kamui: I know! I’ll call Chris!

Me: O_O

I love it when I think of something and then a character says it xD

So, Chaos Breaker summons a subspace of Relics. Guess we’ll find out later on what’s the deal with that.

And it will be a 2 vs 1 fight. Like how it was in the neon Messiah movie with Aichi and Kai vs Ibuki. You know, Arata and Makoto should have been there in this case. I know Kai mentioned earlier in this episode that they are not strong enough and that playing the support role is just as important. But he is the one who trained them. Indeed, Arata lost to Gredora, but now it was a good opportunity to show that he had learned something from that. There’s  also the thing with Makoto. He was shown to be the most negative of the two. His loss early on against Arata, plus his opponent changing from Chaos Breaker to Arata when destroying Relics hinted that he might have an inferiority complex. This could have been a good opportunity to dive into that and make him overcome it. I’m sure Chaos Breaker would have noticed it and make the most use of this aspect. I don’t know...It seems more like a missed opportunity.

On the other hand, Chaos Breaker mentioning their history give me some hope about the fight. Mainly because of Link Joker-hen references and establishing some connections between that and what’s happening now.

Well well, at least Darkface admits that he is an oddball. And he was so touched that Gredora accepted him like that. Ok, but she is his mother. It’s natural that she would do that. Gredora does have her sadistic side, but she showed that her children are important to her. And not just as powerful soldiers. Interesting that he also imagines her in Gaily’s body. Now I’d like to see how her and Wakamizu would interact with each other.

We also get some insight on Misaki’s motivation. Which is a nice simple reason. Hmm, with all the talk about the new generation, I started to think that showing Misaki with her younger self doesn’t really convey that. It might have been better if they put Tokoha there, for example, since Misaki was like a mentor to her during GIRS Crisis. 

I loved this part. Darkface was so convinced that he trapped her into a corner, but when she discarded the card as cost for the PG, not so much xD

This fight had a bit of a throwback to the early Genesis. I kind of like the new Minerva and the G guard. 

Ok, so Chris got rid of the virus. And it seems he holds no grudge against Wakamizu. Well, it wasn’t technically him who blew up his research facility, so yeah.

Handa’s movements are really strange though...

First Dumjid, then Valeos (kind of) and now Darkface curses everyone before returning to Cray...It might be just because they are sore losers and not have any effect whatsoever, but what if this will actually end up hindering the heroes in some way.

The post-ending scene reveals that there’s a disturbance similar to the one summoned by Chaos Breaker near Earth. We know that’s related to Relics, which is quite worrying, considering that they still have something in store for it.

Guess it will be explained in the next episode. Also, Aichi and Kai vs Chaos breaker should be exciting. Just because of the Link Joker references. 

We’ll also get to see a bit of Kazumi vs Gyze. I just realized...even if Gyze takes Drachma and Megiddo, Zoa was just secured by Misaki and Stark might be taken away as well. So, the ZRs still won’t be gathered. Will he go and defeat everyone in the building?

[akiharashizuka]

Cardfight Vanguard G: Z turn 17 thoughts

Land of Descent

This time around, they dropped the name of the location. So, they went to Samarkand, a city in Uzbekistan. Which makes sense for Rive to be there, considering that central Asia is quite an arid area, with deserts. Also, an interesting thing I noticed is that Shion’s Units have an Arabic/Turkish theme to them, which are quite close to this area.

The reason for using this screenshot is because of those plane winglets. They have Cray nations flags on them: Dark Zone, United Sanctuary and Zoo. And the chosen nations aren’t even random, because Try3′s clans are from these nations. 

Makes me wonder if these aren’t actually the association’s planes.

We also find out that not only Q4 went to the North America branch, but also New Nippon and Kazumi. That’s quite a lot of people for only 2 Apostles, but I guess they don’t want to be caught unprepared.

Hmm, I kind of expected Kazumi to have a fanboying moment when meeting Q4. Well, it’s not really the time to act silly, so it’s fine. 

So, Fides came to Earth in order to seal the ZRs. I believe something about that was mentioned in one of the early episodes. I kind of wish those locations were mentioned, just because I’m curious. It would something if those location were where each Apostle host is from. However, the majority of them are most likely from Japan, except for Gaily who is from Hong Kong, and Wakamizu who is Japanese but moved in Singapore. So, it’s unlikely.

I think it’s safe to assume they were sealed in Asia though. Since it also seems that Fides only traveled on this continent and finally settled in Japan. Also, I looked it up, and the distance from Uzbekistan to Japan is  6211 km. That’s a lot. Let’s not forget it was the 15th century, so Fides most likely walked this distance. Let’s not forget that Asia has quite a variety of environments, including deserts and tall mountains, which make travelling difficult. And who knows what wars were going on at that time. No wonder Fides needed help when he arrived in Japan. 

As expected, the interaction between Rive and Chrono are so awkward xD I kind of see why Mikuru thinks they are similar. 

I like that Tokoha is the one to lecture Chrono on that xD Out of the 3, I feel like she has the best relationship with her family. 

That was the most awkward fight challenge ever xD But it was kind of cute. I like how things started to go from there. It turned into a very sweet moment, especially when Chrono remembered when he used to spend time with his father.

It was nice of Rive to take out his G zone in order to make things fair. If only this was a full fight, with a proper conclusion on-screen. I headcanon that Rive won though.

Why did Chrono had to imagine that...This is like one of Saya’s shenanigans. Gredora wouldn’t be very happy about this xD Hmm, it would be something if she sent some of her soldiers to deal with Try3, but accessing that passage isn’t that easy. Plus, she isn’t the type to underestimate others, so she won’t send the grade zeros.

On a side note, the background looks stunning.

How they chose to deal with them was hilarious. Plan 1: run away. Plan 2: imagination. Shion using a sword like always. The design was quite neat. Didn’t think he liked skull designs. Not sure why Chrono chose boxing gloves though...The large hammer is a plausible weapon, but it’s hard to believe that Tokoha can lift it so effortlessly. 

I lost it when Rive noticed his son smiling like an idiot xD

The moment Dran showed up from behind the statue was so cute. So was the reunion with Chrono.

We are also filled in with what’s happening on Cray. So, Amaruda informed everyone and so did Shiranui, who switched sides. I would have liked to know how everyone reacted to Shiranui, because I doubt he was trusted right from the beginning. I guess Amaruda was on his side, being his teammate on earth and getting to know him, so that might have helped.

Who would have thought that Tokoha’s bond with Antero would have so much relevance. Chrono is the gear Chronicle Singularity and Shion is Fides’ heir, which makes them very important for defeating Gyze. That has been established for a while. And, as I was wondering what’s Tokoha’s deal, Dran delivered it. I have to admit that it is a unique case. Otherwise, his ghost wouldn’t watch over her, or give her a card.

So, for the final battle the Zodiac Time Beasts, and I’m guessing Altmile and Ahsha as well will descend to Earth themselves. Maybe some other units as well. That’s going to be epic, if done right.

Even for this fight, I wish Ahsha and Altmile actually said something to Shion and Tokoha. 

Ok, last week I said that it bothers me how Try3 don’t have any protective clothing to travel in the desert. It still does, but seeing that car makes me think that it’s ok without it.

I remember that at the end of Stride Gate, Rive told Mikuru that he still has something to do and can’t come home just yet. This kind of annoyed me at that time, but now it is explained what that “something” was. Someone has to guard that place. 

Also, well said Chrono! He’s better come home after all this is over. 

Gotta love how Darkface is the first to kneel down, while Chaos Breaker doesn’t even bother xD

So, they are walking straight into the trap. But they are most likely very aware of that. From the preview, it seems Gyze will wait outside. He’ll probably come as well eventually.

I don’t know why, but seeing Darkface with the dynamite was funny xD And it looks like Kai and Aichi will take on Chaos Breaker. This is hype. Though, I wished Arata and Makoto were the ones to take him on. They’ve been training for that. Misaki is also going to fight. It seems she’ll be using Genesis. Regalia, to be more specific. She will probably showcase some of the new cards from G-BT 14 as well. Kinda wish Verno would have made a comeback for that, but it’s been too long since I saw Misaki fight.

[akiharashizuka]

Yu-Gi-Oh Vrains episode 37 thoughts

My Mother Tree

Turns out I was half-right about Sunavalon holding the bridge. Didn’t think Specter would allow it because Playmaker used some reverse psychology on him xD 

If only it could be used to solve the problem with Akira...

Now that’s rare. I don’t even remember when was the last time a character responded like this to being called out for using dirty tricks. It makes Specter’s character even better, since he considers it a compliment because he looks down on Playmaker’s ideology.

I liked how Ai was pressing Playmaker to forget about Akira and play offensively, but getting completely ignored. Ai was shown on multiple occasions not being able to understand certain human emotions, and I guess this is one of them.

The card Playmaker used to prevent Specter from attacking kind of reminds me of the good old Swords of Revealing Light. I like that there are some differences though.

Of course the Link 4 Sunavalon has a way to counter Playmaker’s defensive wall. 

I gotta say, it looks very beautiful. The falling petals are also a nice addition. It makes the background a bit more vibrant. I’m glad we have good animation this episode, because it wouldn’t have looked as good without it.

A double knock out, that was brilliant. You lose a Monster, but it also destroys the opponent’s. It took specter a while to process that.

But...what will happen to the bridge if Sunavalon is gone...?

For a moment I thought Ai was imitating Playmaker, but he continues to pose by himself xD 

That’s terrifying. But also quite clever. It’s the same Link 4 Sunavalon, but with its effects negated. That’s why it doesn’t have the flowers anymore. And since it was brought from the Graveyard, they gave it this zombie tree look. 

Ai’s reaction to that was priceless xD It’s like he has to deal with one of those scary, impossible to defy mothers in anime.

Oh maaaan....He was so close to being saved too...

On the other hand, I feel like it’s a good moment for Akira’s character. This is the person who tried to make Playmaker give up on revenge, who wanted him to stop fighting. Which was with good intention, but he couldn’t see the full picture. And now that he understands Playmaker better, that he saw his sense of justice, decided to sacrifice himself, so he can move ahead. 

It was quite a shocking decision on his side. I certainly didn’t think this could be an option.

I guess this is the 2nd time we see Kusanagi get so angry. And just like the 1st time, it took me by surprise. When you see the friendliest character get this angry, something’s definitely up.

Well, guess he’s more frustrated rather than angry. He worked so hard to get Akira out, but it was all for nothing...

Specter definitely chose the wrong person to mess with. 

I’m guessing Playmaker had in mind a few ways to defeat Specter, but was holding back because of Akira. But now there’s no reason to hesitate anymore. Plus, he’s pissed off, so yeah. Time to get serious. 

Hmm, this dialogue might be important to keep in mind. More specifically, Specter’s line about doubt and regret not being the same thing. 

Regret refers to something which was already done, while doubt is more about something currently happening, or about to happen. That’s how I see it, at least. 

Maybe Playmaker does regret something deep down, but even so he’s willing to proceed. However, that regret might haunt him. It’s just an idea...

What a major shift in tone: from Specter walking away while laughing maniacally, to him standing in front of the burning tree and crying, as he remembers stuff.

This screenshot might stand out, compared to the others because there’s another person showed with Specter. I’m guessing she’s the employee at the orphanage who found him under the tree. She’s also wearing an apron, which children caretakers usually wear in Japan. No, I don’t think it’s his actual mother.

No matter how strange it is, having a tree as the most important being in your life sounds extremely depressing...I guess that’s what this scene was trying to convey. Specter’s life was that lonely...

It’s not unusual to see villains get redeemed in shounen anime. Especially when they have heartbreaking backstories. But this wasn’t the case for Specter. And, I didn’t see any hints that he might be redeemable. Usually, those villains would have some noble goal, or might be misled, or had some kind of realization after confronting the heroes. However, none of these apply to Specter. Well, the Knights of Hanoi to have a seemingly noble goal, but it didn’t look like Specter cared for that. He was just loyal to Revolver. 

So, I think it’s fine for him not to be redeemed in his final moments. Well, this might not be his final moments at all, since it’s Yu-Gi-Oh and characters are brought back at the end of the arc. Because they don’t actually die.

He does fall off in the end...?!

By the looks of it, next episode is going to be a recap...Not again -_-... Well, I’m guessing they’re going to show how Playmaker gets back on track as well. 

[akiharashizuka]

Cardfight Vanguard G: Z turn 16 thoughts

The Hope In Our Hands

Another quite fast-paced episode. Few minutes in and the fight already begins. We also find out that Chaos Breaker and Darkface took Gyze!Kazuma and left in a truck.

Hmm, Valeos could have went with them, but I guess he wanted to deal with the heroes once and for all. 

I find it funny that he started questioning why is he fighting Shion in the middle of the game xD Well, Shion is the one who challenged him, so guessed he couldn’t just refuse. I have to agree that Jaime would have been a better opponent, for now, solely because Thavas vs Valeos sounds like an interesting match-up.

Oh, and Shion uses the new grade 3 Altmile.

I like that they expanded a bit more on the reason why Valeos switched sides. It wasn’t only that Gyze was overpowerd, but the fact that even negative emotions turn into nothingness. Which does sound like a valid reason.

Is it me, or he becomes more and more nuts with each episode? He seemed pretty normal when first introduced, but after Gastille left the picture, he started doing this...I didn’t have a problem with this at first, but now I feel like he needs to chill out.

Well, that was better than expected. I didn’t think that Shion will bring up Altimle’s lore. But it’s quite fitting to mention it after surviving Megiddo’s turn. 

Not to mention that the flashback showing how Shion got into into Vanguard was one of my favorite moments in G, so it’s nice to see some glimpses of it again.

I don’t know if a resurrected Fides is a good idea...guess it’s because the explanation was kind of unsatisfying for me. 

I think it would have been slightly better if Altmile inherited the will of Fides’ holders and acquired power comparable with the sword’s. Something along those lines...

I liked when Valeos called Shion arrogant and greedy. He isn’t wrong about that xD And Shion knows it all too well, but still wants to cling to his ideals. Kind of the opposite to Valeos who switched ideals.

Jaime lifting up Shion like a child cracks me up xD How can he do that though? Shion is quite tall himself...

That was close...Shion got very lucky that Valeos left right before he could be cut. Even so, we see him trembling because of Valeos’ strong killing intent, even after he left his host’s body. 

That bloodthirst felt so real and it’s all thanks to his VA.

So, now they’re back to having 2 ZRs into custody. And all Try3 members will go with Chrono. I was actually thinking a day before the episode aired that it isn’t a very wise thing to let Chrono go by himself.  But now that Shion and Tokoha are tagging along, it should be fine.

Also, did they leave the host’s unconscious body in the hideout? It’s also like the middle of nowhere, so knows when an ambulance can get there... Assuming that they called one offscreen.

And, after the ending song, we have this extra scene with Gyze awakening. That was quite eerie.

Hmm to think that out of all the Apostles, the last 2 turn out to be Darkface and Chaos Breaker, who don’t really get along. It’s gonna be fun ~

Next episode will focus on Chrono’s trip. As expected, Rive will be there. It doesn’t seem like he will fight Chrono yet, but who knows. The summary also reveals that it’s the place where Fides descended on Earth, which gives a good reason for Shion tagging along. Other than being Chrono’s teammate. And Chrono needing bodyguards. 

One thing that was kind of bothering me is that they were walking in the desert without a protection cloak, like the one Rive is wearing. You gotta be careful in such a climate...

[akiharashizuka]

Q4 in Vegas

Kai: Ok Drachma is secure, we will join the security detail in teams of 2.

Kamui: Misaki-san! While we are on break lets try out the slot machines and games!!

Misaki: No way.

Kamui: Come on, I’m 18, I am old enough to go to the Casinos.

Misaki: I am not going to start you on a gambling habit.

(A few hours later) Shin: Hello this is Card capital.

Kamui: Shin-san…..I need your help!! Its Misaki!!

Shin: Oh no What happened! Did the Apostles attack!?

Kamui: No well…..I kept bugging Misaki about letting me try the Casino and…..

Misaki: Black Jack!

YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING, THAT’S THE 30th GAME IN A ROW SHE’S WON!!!

Misaki: And thats more winnings for me! This is going into Card Capital 3.0!!!

[akiharashizuka]

Ibuki sent Drachma to Vegas, this is the Luxor Las Vegas Hotel. Makes more sense plus Aichi might be able to use whatever connections he has in USA to help out.

____________________________________________________

OMG, you’re right. I never knew there was a place like that in Vegas. And it doesn’t pop up when I google search for “Vegas”...And it sure makes a lot of sense now. 

[akiharashizuka]

A little detail i really like about the new Shiranui Zanki, candles appear everywhere when onimaru rides him and on the card art. Shiranui is in mourning over his dead comrades (In story while Shiranui was on earth, Dragstrider luard kills all of shiranui's remaining followers trying to hunt him down). The effect of Shiranui Zanki is REALLY making me think that it will support Drachma. Shiranui's forced call and Dominate removes 2 cards from hand and Drachma removes 3 to make it a total of -5.

That’s a nice observation there. It sure was one memorable introduction for this Unit.

Coupled with the trivia on the Wiki regarding the naming, it sure makes me look forward to its lore.