#The Seinfeld Sensei

[parfaitecopys]

Aizawa-sensei: hey i need you to master this weird dude's quirk real quick

Me: *Seinfeld theme*

[johnkremer]

The Startup of Seinfeld: A Multimedia Approach to Learning Entrepreneurship by R. Scott Livengood, The Seinfeld Sensei In The Startup of Seinfeld, you’ll learn about the best—and worst—entrepreneurship strategies. What can Kramer teach us about the entrepreneurial process? Does George’s risk-taking make him a better entrepreneur than Jerry? Which entrepreneurial trends does Elaine miss? Written…

[kinnie-email]

Masterpost of GIFS that make me go apeshit

[upwiththekai]

Tag Masterlist S - Z

A guide to my blog’s S to Z tags, for my own and your convenience! More tags will be added as time goes on.

Please feel free to let me know if any of the links are broken.

S

♡  Sailor Moon ♡  Saint Young Men ♡  Sakamoto desu ga ♡  Sanrio ♡  Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei ♡  Science ♡  Scooby Doo ♡  Scrubs (Tv Series) ♡  Sculptures ♡  Seinfeld ♡  Sekiro: Shadows die twice ♡  Sesame Street ♡  Shaman King ♡  Shoes ♡  Show by Rock ♡  Signs ♡  SK8 THE INFINITY ♡  Skullgirls ♡  Slayers (Anime) ♡  Slime (Aesthetic slime) ♡  Snoop Dog (Celebrity) ♡  Snoopy ♡  SOMA (Game) ♡  Sonic the Hedgehog ♡  Soulcalibur ♡  Soul Eater ♡  South Park ♡  Space ♡  Space Dandy ♡  Speed Racer ♡  Spiderman ♡  Splatoon ♡  Sports ♡  Spy Kids ♡  Spy x Family ♡  Stardew Valley ♡  StarFox ♡  Star Trek ♡  Star Wars ♡  Steven Universe ♡  Stim (Relaxing) ♡  Story ♡  Stanger Things ♡  Stray (Game) ♡  Street Fighter (Game) ♡  Sudeki (Game) ♡  Superheroes (Comics) ♡  Superman ♡  Super Mario Brothers ♡  Supernatural (TV Show) ♡  Super Smash Brothers ♡  Sweden (Sweden Related) ♡  Sweets (Food)

T

♡  Tamagotchi ♡  Tearjerker ♡  Tekken (Game) ♡  Text ♡  Text pic ♡  The Avengers ♡  The Case Files of Lord El Melloi II ♡  The Evil Within (Game) ♡  The Evil Within II (Game) ♡  The Flash ♡  The Hobbit ♡  The Hulk ♡  The Iliad ♡  The Matrix ♡  The More You Know ♡  The Muppets ♡  The outbursts of Everett True (Comic) ♡  The Path (Game) ♡  The Sims ♡  The Simpsons ♡  The Vampire Dies In No Time (Anime) ♡  The War at home (TV Series) ♡  The Way of the Househusband ♡  The World Ends With You ♡  Thomas the Tank Engine ♡  Thor ♡  Tiger & Bunny (Anime) ♡  TikTok ♡  Toilet-Bound Hanako-kun ♡  Tokyo Mew Mew ♡  Tom & Jerry ♡  Tomodachi Life ♡  Touhou Project ♡  Touken Ranbu ♡  Train posts ♡  Transformers ♡  Trigun ♡  Trinity Soul ♡  Tsubasa (Series) ♡  Tumblr posts ♡  Tumblr tags (You’re tagged!) ♡  Twilight (Movie series) ♡  Twisted-Wonderland ♡  Twitter posts

U

♡  Uma Musume: Pretty Derby ♡  UNDERTALE ♡  Unknown anime ♡  Unravel (Game) ♡  Until Dawn (Game) ♡  Until Dawn Rush of Blood (Game) ♡  Uramichi Oniisan  ♡  Urotsukidoji ♡  Uta no Prince-sama ♡  UTAU

V

♡  Vampire Hunter D ♡  Vampire the Masquerade (Game) ♡  Video ♡  Vine (+ TikToks) ♡  Villains (Comics) ♡  VOCALOID ♡  VOCALOUJI

W

♡  WataMote ♡  Welcome to Night Vale ♡  Wholesome ♡  Winnie the Pooh ♡  Witch Hat Atelier ♡  Witch Hat Atelier Kitchen (Kitchen of Witch Hat) ♡  Wonder Woman

X

♡  Xena: Warrior Princess ♡  Xenoblade ♡  X-Men ♡  xxxHolic

Y

♡  Ya Boy Kongming! ♡  Yakuza (Game series) ♡  Youe Egao (UTAU) ♡  YouTube ♡  Yuett Egao (UTAU) ♡  Yu-Gi-Oh! ♡  YuKaiLoid (UTAU) ♡  Yukai Iak (UTAU) ♡  Yukai Ouy (UTAU) ♡  Yume Nikki

Z

♡  Zodiac signs as… ♡  Zootopia

[weclassybouquetfun]

Two.

As in series two of STAGED starring David and Georgia Tennant and Michael Sheen and Anna Lundberg, which has dropped on BBC iPlayer. 

double the bickering, double the isolation and quadruple the celebrity guest stars. 

Sheen returns to Fox for series two of PRODIGAL SON.

or two as in series two of Hailee Steinfeld’s DICKINSON which returns to Apple+ this Friday.

joining the cast is Finn Jones.

So loved as Loras Tyrell on GAME OF THRONES (loved by me because I was House Tyrell all the way. Forever “Growing Strong”). 

So hated as IRON FIST.

Unlike Jones’ Danny Rand/Iron Fist, Steinfeld has a home on Disney+ when HAWKEYE premieres. She’s been cast alongside Jeremy Renner as Kate Bishop. 

I hope Finn Jones’ character sticks around on DICKINSON should it get a third season. IRON FIST was axed after two seasons. He was replaced on PRODIGAL SON by Tom Payne and his Quibi series SWIMMING WITH SHARKS (starring Diane Kruger, Thomas Dekker and Donald Sutherland) went the way of Quibi - which is down the drain. With Quibi being killed before SWIMMING WITH SHARKS was even released, it’s in limbo but reportedly the service is in talks to sell their library to Roku. 

Three. 

As in series three of COBRA KAI which front-kicked its way to Netflix on New Years Day.

The fight for the soul of the Valley wages on with the series originally created for Youtube Red, then picked up by Netflix after Youtube Red stopped producing scripted content.

Alliances have shifted as Johnny Lawrence’s former dojo has been coopted by his former sensei Kreese and Daniel’s Miyagi Do is fractured after the events of S2.

A tad lighter on the comedy than the previous seasons, the series is still strong and as enjoyable as ever. Plenty of fan service for fans of the franchise.

The big question going into season three was 

Is Miguel (Xolo Maridueña) okay? 

I won’t say, because - spoilers. But I can say that Xolo is fine!

Four as in - 

How the f*ck did SEARCH PARTY get a fourth season?!!

Originally on TBS, SEARCH PARTY moved to HBOMAX for its delayed third season. But it was worth the wait as the show turned on its own characters for the better.

Unlike SEINFELD whose characters went unscathed as they ruined the lives of other people, Dory (Alia Shawkat) and friends - who are often self-serving, narcissistic, selfish users - finally get a karmic reckoning. 

Will season 4 be a rebuilding season for these kinda really awful people? 

[metahulk]

3 Great Underrated Manga You Should Be Reading Right Now!

Manga are dime a dozen, so I'm here to give manga recommendations to make it easy for you. Finding an underrated manga is special feeling, Kounodori, Kanou-sensei or Kusuriya no hitorigoto might be your next best manga. Let me know how you kind these manga, or if you are already reading them then what is you opinion on them?

The New Spy Shonen Manga is Absolutely Wholesome And Hilarious | SPY x FAMILY: https://youtu.be/_Sp7jC0SAIE

Songs used in order:

- seinfeld-theme-song.mp3 (Seinfeld)

- Kimi wa Wasurerareru no (Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso)

- Rust (Violet Evergarden)

- Aruarian Dance (Samurai Champloo)

- Nostalgic Rainfall (Instrumental) (Koi wa Ameagari no You ni)

- Dreams Of Love and Literature (Doki Doki Literature Club)

- But not for me (Matsuri Jazz version) (Sakamichi no Apollon)

- Mirror Mirror (YouTube Royalty Free Music)

T-shirt's & Hoodies Designed by me: https://teespring.com/stores/metahulk-collection

Find me at:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/metahulk98

Discord Group: https://discord.gg/v8fZtEr

AniList: https://anilist.co/user/Metahulk

MyAnimeList: https://myanimelist.net/profile/metahulk

[daleisgreat]

Cobra Kai - Seasons One & Two

I never considered myself a hardcore fan of the original Karate Kid films. I enjoyed them growing up, and the first film held up when I re-watched it with a friend three or four years ago. A few years ago, YouTube picked up the rights to have their own exclusive series that features the characters from the original movies and have it pick up where those characters are today, 30 years after the original trilogy left off. It is called Cobra Kai (trailer), the name of the rival karate school that series antagonist Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka) attended. The first episode of both seasons one and two are available to stream for free, but to see the rest of the seasons you will have to be a paid subscriber to YouTube Premium, or you can be like me and pick up the DVD set that combines the first two seasons for under $20. The first season picks up in the present, nearly 30 years after the original trilogy wrapped up. It starts to focus on where deadbeat Johnny Lawrence is currently at in his life, barely able to make ends meet on his own and finding himself recently out of a job. He reluctantly helps his neighbor Miguel (Xolo Maridueña) out of a jam with some bullies. Miguel is impressed with Johnny’s karate skills and wants him to be his sensei, and once Johnny stumbles into some money, he re-opens the Cobra Kai school.

Cobra Kai is not all about Johnny’s journey as fate leads to Johnny soon enough getting reacquainted with his rival, Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio). Daniel is in a much better place in his life; he runs a car dealership with his wife, Amanda (Courtney Henggeler) and they have a daughter Amanda (Mary Mouser) that Daniel has passed on his karate tutelage onto. Eventually Johnny and Daniel’s egos heat up once again and in their proper way of thinking the best way to exact revenge on one another is for them to train their prized pupil in order to win the regional karate championship to rub in the other’s face. Only Amanda is hesitant on getting back into karate and fate leads to Daniel taking Johnny’s estranged son Robby (Tanner Buchanan) under his wing where this eventually all builds up to Robby and Miguel squaring off in the finals of the all-important regeional karate tournament. By the end of the first episode I was completely on board, after originally thinking there was no way they can pull this off thirty years later. However, once you see Johnny and Daniel exchange words for the first time again all these years later it is readily apparent there is an organic chemistry between the two and it was eye-opening how the two did not miss a beat after three decades. Another factor that helps is Cobra Kai nails the tone it is going for. It retains just enough of that cornball-80s charm with elements of Johnny and Daniel still living in the past. Apparently Johnny boycotted new technology post high school and scenes with him discovering the Internet, smartphones and dating apps are all a riot. The humor is balanced out by playing it straight with the new younger faces introduced and going along for the ride with Miguel, Amanada and Robby’s teenage growing pains.

Seeing all the characters evolve over the course of the two seasons is a remarkable feat of television. Johnny goes on a journey from being deadbeat dad, to trying to be the same ruthless sensei that his teacher Kreese (Martin Kove) was to eventually learning a moral or two. Miguel’s and Robby’s season spanning arc is truly something else and watching them gradually become different people stayed with me. The build up to the season finale at the karate tournament hit all the right nostalgia wrinkles and I love how the tournament organizers overplayed it and properly recognized Cobra Kai’s AWESOME entrance. The karate tournament itself is masterfully produced and once again brought back fond memories of the original films with plenty of nice little nods and callbacks throughout. The final fight between Robby and Miguel lived up to the hype that built to it throughout the season. After picking up the DVDs I invited my brother over to watch this with me as I had a gut feeling he would appreciate Cobra Kai as much as I would, and sure enough by the season one finale tournament we both were unabashedly rooting for our favorites and feeling every kick and blow dealt throughout. Season two raises the stakes with an old face in the controversial original Cobra Kai sensei Kreese coming back to help with Cobra Kai’s expanding student-base while Daniel officially starts his own dojo, Miagi-do to combat Cobra Kai’s influence in the area . Season two focuses more on Daniel and Johnny building up their respective dojos and minor friends of Amanda, Miguel and Robby in season one have bigger roles in season two when they also pick sides in the high school karate wars. Seeing the dojos poke and prod at each other during the course of the season appropriately built up tensions in skirmishes in the mall and a house party before culminating in a epic 10 minute fight on the first day of school where apparently school security is worryingly laxed. The fallout of that tumultuous brawl for the ages has major ramifications for certain characters at the end of season two, and while season one closed on a mostly positive note for most characters, season two saw its finale swing in the other direction with most characters in precarious positions.

I dug season two almost as much as season one and liked how the kids were a bigger emphasis in the sequel season and we got to see more of the periphery characters shine in the second season. The adults still play a big role in the follow-up season with Danny patching up squabbles with the wife, and Johnny having a standout episode where he reunites with his fellow Cobras in a ‘special’ heartfelt episode. Krese is still as ruthless as ever and wears Cobra Kai’s motto, “No Mercy” on his sleeve. Watching both dojos try to expand their rosters and quarrel at school during the daytime got both my brother and I riled up as we anticipated everything would come to a boil at another karate tournament, but were thrown for a loop for the gratifying over-the-top fight scene at the school. Again, the consequences for that big fight were felt in the closing scenes of season two with a few added little twists that put the future of Cobra Kai and Miagi-do in jeopardy for season three. Speaking of Mr. Miagi, while Pat Morita passed away long ago, I will give props to how Cobra Kai has his presence remained a glowing constant on the show with frequent references and past clips implemented at poignant moments throughout the series. Almost every episode of Cobra Kai has quick clips and callbacks to the original movies, even The Next Karate Kid got a couple subtle nods (the Jaden Smith/Jackie Chan reboot got ret-conned out of cannon according to producer interviews). By the end of season two I was surprised how deep the writers and producers pulled for references and periphery characters that made a return, and I am grateful they peppered in brief shots of the original films to remind me of them.

There are a fair amount of extras for both seasons. The first season only has 20 minutes of bonuses with deleted scenes, audition reads, interviews with the composers for the series and two musical performances from William Zabka’s band. Season three has almost double the extras and aside from a gag reel and deleted scenes it also features more extended behind-the-scenes specials covering both season’s fight choreography, character profiles and a very handy feature highlighting most of the references to the earlier films. Not a boatload of extras by any means, but what is here is pretty good and I will give props to YouTube for not being content with only the episodes on disc. I recall giving the cold shoulder to Cobra Kai initially thinking there was no way they could pull this off after all these years. I got there was a little bit of Johnny Lawrence nostalgia going on with some of the commercial spots of the character several years back, but in no way was I prepared to be blown away by how good Cobra Kai is and how it recaptured the same underdog spirit that made me love it in my childhood. Nor was I prepared for how they would introduced a new generation of students that won me over as much as Johnny and Daniel did three decades prior and made their journeys equally as riveting as Johnny and Daniel’s. Do not brush off Cobra Kai like I initially did and at the very least give the first episodes that are currently free on YouTube a shot. Past TV/Web Series Blogs 2013-14 TV Season Recap 2014-15 TV Season Recap 2015-16 TV Season Recap 2016-17 TV Season Recap 2017-18 TV Season Recap 2018-19 TV Season Recap Adventures of Briscoe County Jr: The Complete Series Baseball: A Ken Burns series Angry Videogame Nerd Home Video Collections Mortal Kombat: Legacy - Season 1 | Season 2 OJ: Made in America: 30 for 30 RedvsBlue - Seasons 1-13 Roseanne – Seasons 1-9 Seinfeld Final Season Star Trek: Next Generation – Seasons 1-7 Superheroes: A Never-Ending Battle Superheroes: Pioneers of Television The Vietnam War: A Ken Burns series X-Men – The Animated Series: Volumes 4-5

[anayzae]

Getting to Know Me Tag❤️

I was tagged by ma bébé @react101-seventeen ! Sorry for taking too long, i was a bit busy :(

Rules: Answer 30 questions and tag 20 people (i only know a few ppl here lol)

Nicknames - Shortie, Minnoş(means cutie), KYV(stands for little savage), Diloş(Dilosh)

Gender - Female

Star Sign - Aries

Height - 1.57 cms , 5′2 ft

Time - 00.06

Birthday - April 20th

Favourite Bands - Seventeen, Monsta x, BTS, Vixx, Exo, Blackpink, Got7, Paramore, Daughter, Panic! at the Disco,The 1975, The Neighbourhood,5 Finger Death Punch, Fall out Boy, Pinhani, Duman...

Favourite Solo Artists - Pink, Beyonce, Jess Glynne, Hayko Cepkin

Song Stuck in My Head - Sean Paul - We Be Burnin’ lol i live in 2009

Last Movie Watched - "It” Movie

Last Show Watched - Seinfeld <i love sit-coms>

When Did I Create my Blog - Actually, years ago but i changed my blog’s theme a lot ( studyblr, anime, horror, meme...)

What do I post - I post reletable kpop thoughts... i guess. But i reblog headcanons, fanfics, imagines, gif sets about kpop. Sometimes anime.

Last Thing You Googled - “total languages in the world”

Do you have another blog - No

Do you get asks - Not much :( I want you to talk to me i’m kind i swear :’(

Why did you choose your url - I used to use it when i ask anonymus.

Following - 27 ( i told you, i don’t know much people :( )

Followers - 278 idek why lol u guys luv pretty guyz dont cha ;;;;;))

Favourite colours - black, purple, brown(mostly on clothes), blue

Average hours sleep - 5 - 8

Lucky Numbers - 3, 13

Instruments - I kinda sing, and i just can play the flute lol <shittyflute is my sensei>

What are you wearing - I am wearing a white shirt and minions shorts in Autumn lol

How many blankets you sleep with - just one my dorm is warm (rhymes)

Dream Job - I wanted to be a dentist but i wasn’t hardworking enough so i’m studying Physiotherapy and i like it. I can draw well and i thought of being a web cartoonist. But it’s never too late for it, maybe i’ll be one in the future.

Dream Trip - Japan, Germany(i want to live in there), Norway, US, Spain, Italy, Korea

Favourite Food - Sarma (Turkish food)

Ethnicity - Turkish

Favourite Song Right Now - Blueneck- Lilitu

Tagging! - @kreacts @yikes-anotherkpopblog @jindongdongie @it-is-cool-not-cute @boomboombitches

[disneytva]

Friday, February 03  Original Series – Episode Premiere on Disney Junior Block**  Mickey and the Roadster Racers "Ye Olde Royal Heist / Tea Time Trouble!"  (9:00 – 9:30 A.M. EST)  "Ye Olde Royal Heist" – Mickey and Minnie celebrate their "raceversary" in London, but things get complicated when the Queen’s stolen Royal Ruby ends up in Mickey’s roadster.  *Jane Leeves guest stars as The Queen of England.

"Tea Time Trouble!" – When the Happy Helpers are invited to tea with the Queen of England, their meeting is put in danger when the duo must help fix Big Ben.  *Jane Leeves and Peter Serafinowicz guest star as The Queen of England and Dr. Crutchley, respectively.  TV-Y

Friday, February 03  Original Series – Episode Premiere on Disney Junior Block**  Doc McStuffins: Toy Hospital "Mole Money, Mole Problems / Yip, Yip, Boom!"  (12:00 – 12:30 P.M. EST)  "Mole Money, Mole Problems" – When a toy mole is having trouble getting around without bumping into everything, Doc diagnoses her and calls on Stuffy to find her a guide pet.  *Gabourey Sidibe ("Empire") guest stars as Hilary the mole.

"Yip, Yip, Boom!" – During the light show finale, Squibbles gets scared and runs amok through McStuffinsville.  TV-Y

Friday, February 10  Original Series – Episode Premiere on Disney Junior Block**  Mickey and the Roadster Racers "Abra-ka-Goof! / Happy Birthday Helpers!"  (9:00 – 9:30 A.M. EST)  "Abra-ka-Goof!" – Goofy thinks he’s used his magician skills to turn Gordon Gear into a rabbit.  *NASCAR legend Jeff Gordon guest stars as Gordon Gear.

"Happy Birthday Helpers!" – The Happy Helpers go on a wild ride as they chase down a wagon carrying a birthday cake.  TV-Y

Friday, February 10  Original Series – Episode Premiere on Disney Junior Block**  Sofia the First "The Princess Prodigy"  (11:00 – 11:30 A.M. EST)  Sofia becomes concerned after she learns that Princess Vivian’s music teacher plans to magically steal Vivian’s musical talent.  TV-Y

Friday, February 24  Original Series – Episode Premiere on Disney Junior Block**  Mickey and the Roadster Racers "Guru Goofy / Bed, Breakfast and Bungled!"  (9:00 – 9:30 A.M. EST)  "Guru Goofy" – Goofy tries to teach Donald mindfulness in order to relax before the Roadster Games.  *Jay Leno recurs as Billy Beagle.

"Bed, Breakfast and Bungled!" – When Clarabelle assists the Happy Helpers run a bed and breakfast, her eagerness creates more problems.  *Patton Oswalt and Fred Willard guest star as Mr. McSnorter and Mr. Doozy, respectively.  TV-Y

Friday, February 24  Original Series – Episode Premiere on Disney Junior Block**  The Lion Guard "Ono’s Idol"  (10:00 – 10:30 A.M. EST)  When Ono meets his idol, the legendary eagle Hadithi, he learns that his hero isn’t what he expected.  *John O’Hurley ("Seinfeld") guest stars as Hadithi.  TV-Y

Saturday, February 25  Original Series – Episode Premiere  Elena of Avalor "Olaball"  (9:00 – 9:30 A.M. EST)  Elena helps coach Gabe when he joins Avalor’s royal "olaball" team despite being a terrible player.  *Echo Kellum ("Arrow") recurs as King Joaquín and Marsai Martin ("black-ish") guest stars as his daughter, Cat.  TV-Y

Monday, February 06 Original Series – Episode Premiere Star vs. The Forces of Evil “Raid the Cave” (7:00 – 7:15 A.M. EST) Star tries to rescue Glossaryck and the Book of Spells from Ludo. TV-Y7

Monday, February 06 Original Series – Episode Premiere Atomic Puppet “Erlenmeyer’s Revenge / Mole Men” (3:00 – 3:30 P.M. EST) “Erlenmeyer’s Revenge” – Ms. Erlenmeyer returns with a plot to brainwash Joey and his schoolmates.

“Mole Men” – When buildings around Mega-City begin sinking, Joey and AP must take on the malevolent Mole Men. TV-Y7

Tuesday, February 07 Original Series – Episode Premiere Star vs. The Forces of Evil “Trickstar” (7:00 – 7:15 A.M. EST) Star sets out to prove that party magician Preston Change-O is a real magician. *Al Yankovic guest stars as Preston Change-O.

TV-Y7

Wednesday, February 08 Original Series – Episode Premiere Star vs. The Forces of Evil “Baby” (7:00 – 7:15 A.M. EST) Star must show her fairy godmother, Baby, what she has learned about magic. *Melissa Rauch (“The Big Bang Theory”) guest stars as Baby. TV-Y7

Monday, February 13 Original Series – Episode Premiere                               Star vs. The Forces of Evil “Mathmagic” (7:00 – 7:15 A.M. EST) When Star refuses to solve a problem in math class, she learns that avoiding her least favorite subject may have cosmic repercussions. *Jim Gaffigan (“The Jim Gaffigan Show”) recurs as Father Time; Carl Weathers (“Rocky”) guest stars as Omnitraxus Prime. TV-Y7

Tuesday, February 14 Original Series – Episode Premiere                               Star vs. The Forces of Evil “The Bounce Lounge” (7:00 – 7:15 A.M. EST) When Star discovers that the Bounce Lounge is closing, she and Marco enlist their old Bounce Crew to make sure the party continues. *Constance Shulman (“Orange Is the New Black”) guest stars as Milly and Dana Davis (“Franklin & Bash”) recurs as Kelly. TV-Y7

Wednesday, February 15 Original Series – Episode Premiere                               Star vs. The Forces of Evil “Crystal Clear” (7:00 – 7:15 A.M. EST) Rhombulus is convinced that Star is the source of a universe-wide magical glitch and brings them before the Chancellor of the Magical High Commission.

Thursday, February 16 Original Series – Episode Premiere                               Star vs. The Forces of Evil “The Hard Way” (7:00 – 7:15 A.M. EST) Ludo forces Glossaryck to teach him about the Book of Spells. TV-Y7

Monday, February 20 Original Series – Episode Premiere                               Star vs. The Forces of Evil “Heinous” (7:00 – 7:15 A.M. EST) Ms. Heinous shows up at the Diaz house and Marco must make amends for all the terrible things he has done. TV-Y7

Tuesday, February 21 Original Series – Episode Premiere                               Star vs. The Forces of Evil “All Belts are Off” (7:00 – 7:15 A.M. EST) Marco wants to prove to Sensei that he’s more worthy than Jeremy. TV-Y7

Wednesday, February 22 Original Series – Episode Premiere                               Star vs. The Forces of Evil “Collateral Damage” (7:00 – 7:15 A.M. EST) Star must restore Echo Creek High’s spirit after destroying the Possum statue. TV-Y7

Thursday, February 23 Original Series – Episode Premiere                               Star vs. The Forces of Evil “Just Friends” (7:00 – 7:15 A.M. EST) When Star invites Jackie to a Love Sentence concert with her and Marco, she tries to make sure Jackie doesn’t feel like a third wheel. *Nick Lachey (98 Degrees) guest stars as Justin Towers. TV-Y7 .

Monday, February 27 Original Series – Episode Premiere                               Star vs. The Forces of Evil “Face the Music” (7:00 – 7:30 A.M. EST) On Star’s Song Day, Star and Marco work with principle songstrel Ruberiot to create a ballad for the event. *Patrick Stump (“Fall Out Boy”) guest stars as Ruberiot. TV-Y7

Monday, February 27 Original Series – Episode Premiere                               Star vs. The Forces of Evil “Starcrushed” (7:30 – 8:00 A.M. EST) Hoping to help her forget about her strained friendship with Marco, Star’s friends convince her to ditch the Diaz’ end-of-the-school-year party for a more dangerous bash. TV-Y7

[recentanimenews]

Sayonara, Zetsubou-Sensei: The Power of Negative Thinking, Vol. 1

Sayonara, Zetsubou-Sensei: The Power of Negative Thinking may not be as relentlessly intertextual as Ulysses, but this Japanese import is nearly as rich in puns, social commentary, pop-culture parody, and allusions to TV shows, novels, movies, and manga. I can’t imagine adapting such a culturally specific text for Western audiences, yet the folks at Del Rey have made a game effort to do just that. Given the scope and complexity of the task, I think translator Joyce Aurino has produced an eminently readable script that captures the darkness and absurdity of Koji Kumeta’s original. I just wish it were, y’know, funnier.

The premise seems ripe with comic potential. High school teacher and profound pessimist Nozomu Itoshiki lands the gig from hell: an all-female class of stalkers, hikokimori, obsessive text-messagers, bossy perfectionists, panty-flashers, and perky optimists. Try as he might to escape his obligations, his students foil his repeated suicide attempts, compounding his sense of despair and driving him to more extreme, ridiculous measures.

Through a series of interconnected vignettes, we begin to grasp the true extent of Itoshiki’s negativity as well as the sheer nuttiness of his students. In “Zetsubou-Sensei Returns,” for example, Itoshiki instructs his students to complete a “Post Graduation Career Hope Survey” by listing the three dreams they’re least likely to realize, e.g. playing baseball for Yomiuri Giants, recording a best-selling pop album. His sour-spirited effort quickly backfires, however, when the school’s guidance counselor reads the responses and praises Itoshiki for encouraging his students to dream big. In “Before Me, There’s No One; Behind Me, There’s You,” Matoi Tsunetsuki, a.k.a. “super-love-obsessed stalker girl,” develops an unhealthy attachment to Itoshiki. Matoi pursues her teacher with steely determination, adopting his trademark yukata, building a shrine to him, and following him everywhere. The chapter ends with a brilliant stroke, as one of Matoi’s former love interests begins tailing her to find out who’s replaced him, only to discover a chain of stalkers trailing in Matoi and Itoshiki’s wake.

Unfortunately, many of the stories require too much editorial intervention to elicit real laughs, as Kumeta’s panels abound in the kind of small but important details that resist easy translation: brand name parodies, puns on famous literary works, misspelled words, and so forth. The story titles, too, require explanation; “Behind Me, There’s No One,” for example, is a riff on a poem by Kotaro Takamura, while “Beyond the Tunnel Was Whiteness” appropriates a line from Yasanuri Kuwabata’s Snow Country. Absent this rich network of cultural references, Kometa’s comedy loses some of its fizz, playing more like a mild satire of shojo manga conventions than a scathing commentary on contemporary Japan.

If the text sometimes disappoints, the artwork does not. Kumeta uses a stark palette with large patches of pure black and plenty of white space. His highly stylized character designs have a pleasing, geometric quality about them, as do the patterns in their clothing. Though his faces are the essence of simplicity— just a few lines and two dark coals for eyes—Kumeta animates them with skill, registering the full gamut of emotions from anger to joy. His students are virtually interchangeable, save for their accessories and hairstyles: a black eye and a sling for the class masochist, blonde hair and strawberry-print underpants for the class exhibitionist. Again, Kumeta’s economy of form works beautifully, underscoring the extent to which Itoshiki views all of the girls in the same light: as nuisances.

I wish I liked Sayonara, Zetsubou-Sensei better, as I think Kumeta is a terrific artist with a fertile imagination. But it’s awfully hard to laugh when 70% of the jokes require footnotes. (If you disagree, try this exercise: watch an episode of Seinfeld, The Chapelle Show, or South Park with someone who’s new to the United States. Then try explaining why the jokes work. You’ll quickly realize the degree to which the creators rely on your knowledge of literature, politics, movies, and pop music for laughs.) I’m also a little uncomfortable with the way Kumeta depicts the female students, as he skates a thin line between poking fun at stock manga characters and portraying teenage girls as desperate, manipulative, boy-crazed hysterics. I wouldn’t go as far as to label the text misogynist—that term seems much too strong—but I would feel more at ease with the material if Kumeta’s cast was comprised of troublesome girls and boys—equal opportunity neurosis, if you will.

That said, I’m not ready to declare Zetsubou-Sensei a dud; I’m just not sure how invested I am in a series that requires its own set of cultural Cliff Notes to decode.

This review originally appeared at The Manga Curmudgeon on March 4, 2009.

By: Katherine Dacey

[howgrowtaller]

If you are a martial arts instructor today, odds are that you began teaching classes for your instructor shortly before or after you earned your black belt. You became a good teacher, but you were still under the control of your instructor, and you loyally taught and followed his syllabus. This is usually a great period in our lives. We can teach without risk but, more importantly, we have gained control of a very important part of our new life and are in a position of power. People bow to us and call us Mr. or Ms. or a title of some sort that we associate with prestige, such as "Sensei." That's a big turnaround for many of us. That is the beauty of the martial arts. The arts provide you with a healthy way of redefining yourself and your future. I was an 18-year-old bus boy clearing tables in a restaurant during the day and Mr. Graden, black belt teacher, at night. My days were filled with, "Graden, clear off table six, fast!" My nights were, "Mr. Graden, would you please speak to my son? He's having trouble in school, and he looks up to you so much..." Which do you think appealed to me and fueled my ambition? If you started your training in the 1970s, or maybe even the 1980s, because of the Kung Fu TV show and the many Kung Fu movies, there was what I call an "implied wisdom" in earning a black belt. As a black belt, especially a "master," you were perceived as somehow knowing more about life than the average person. This image of the martial arts master as being a master of life was reinforced by the martial arts movies, television shows, and magazines. To this day, that prestige has tremendous pull and attraction for martial artists. Why do you think black belts seem in such a rush to call themselves Master, Grand Master, Senior Master, or Supreme Grand Master? In the real world we have master mechanics, master sergeants, chess masters, and even chess grandmasters, but only martial artists insist on actually being called "Master." On the popular TV show Seinfeld, a small-time conductor insisted everyone, including his girlfriend, call him "maestro." I wonder if sometimes we don't generate some laughs ourselves with these titles. In moving from a martial arts student to a martial arts school owner, a few things may have happened to you as an assistant teacher. Your instructor may have been "overusing" you and taking advantage of your loyalty. This is never pleasant, because you have to face some cold, hard realities, and your relationship with your instructor begins to change. Your spouse, family, or friends may have suggested that you were being exploited. They may have urged you to open your own martial arts school. Perhaps even a student offered to back you financially. Being loyal, you decided to be upfront with your instructor and tell him you were considering opening a school. What was his reaction? Either he went for your throat or insisted you pay him a percentage of your lifetime earnings. Why did he react that way? Odds are, because he went through the same cycle of moving from no control to total control about a decade before you, and then you threatened that control. He had you, his golden child, teaching classes. You symbolized his success as an instructor, but now you were making the biggest decision in your martial arts life without his control? Not without a fight you weren't. This is often the beginning of the end of your relationship with your instructor. If he can't control you, he may perceive you as disloyal. Does this sound familiar? "I taught you everything you know. You owe me! How dare you take what I taught you and use it against me?" Mind you, he will probably view anything less than totally capitulating to his demands as working against him. Contrast this with a college professor. If you attend law school, your law professor wants nothing more than for you to go out and be successful using what he taught you. That is his reward. He doesn't ask for a percentage of your revenue. One school owner would bring each student into his office right before he tested for black belt. He pulled a.38 revolver out of his drawer, set it on the desk, and explained, "Just to be clear. You will never, ever open a martial arts school in my area. Understood?" Widely recognized as the man who revolutionized the martial arts industry, John Graden launched organizations such as NAPMA (National Association of Professional Martial Artists), ACMA (American Council on Martial Arts), and MATA (Martial Arts Teachers Association). Graden also introduced the first trade magazine for the martial arts business, Martial Arts Professional. John Graden's latest book, The Truth about the Martial Arts Business looks into key strategies involved in launching a martial arts business and includes Graden's own experience as a student, a leader and a business owner. Graden is the author of six books including The Truth about the Martial Arts Business, The Impostor Syndrome: How to Replace Self-Doubt with Self-Confidence and Train Your Brain for Success. From keynote presentations for thousands to one-on-one coaching sessions, John Graden is a dynamic speaker, teacher, and media personality who brings passion and entertainment to his presentations.