MPD Psycho

Multiple Personality Detective Psycho (多重人格探偵サイコ Tajuu Jinkaku Tantei Saiko) is a manga series by Eiji Otsuka and drawn by Sho-u Tajima, later adapted as a live action six-episode TV miniseries by director Takashi Miike. The main character is a detective suffering from multiple personality disorder, hence the name. The first volume in the series was published in February, 1997 by Kadokawa Shoten, and it consists of eleven volumes, the latest published on 2006.

Starting out as a violent detective series with a twist (the twist being the variant personalities that take over Detective Amamiya at various intervals), the series evolves into an exceptionally complex and involved sci-fi conspiracy story.

Major Characters

• Amamiya Kazuhiko / Nishizono Shinji
  

- A police detective known to his colleagues as Kobayashi Yousuke; an inoffensive family man involved in tracking down a serial killer who mutilates his victims by severing their limbs. When the killer sees Yousuke on television he claims to recognise something in the detective and mutilates Yousuke's wife. Yousuke eventually tracks down the killer at which point a new personality called Nishizono Shinji, an arrogant and callous psychopath, emerges and shoots the killer. From this point onward, the personality of Yousuke is replaced by Amamiya Kazuhiko, a cool-headed, serious criminologist who is arrested and imprisoned for the murder of the serial killer. Kazuhiko's personality fluctuates several times during the course of the story, most commonly switching between Amamiya Kazuhiko and Nishizono Shinji in the early chapters. It is usually clear to the reader which personality is in control at any given time as Amamiya Kazuhiko is short-sighted and wears glasses, whereas Nishizono Shinji does not require glasses.

• Isono Machi - An intelligent female criminologist who runs a private consultancy firm. She employs Amamiya Kazuhiko upon his release from prison and invites him to live in the large apartment which serves as home to herself and her sister as well as the HQ of her business.

• Sasayama Tooru - Somewhat bumbling police detective and friend of Kazuhiko and Machi. Short tempered and easily confused, Sasayama is nevertheless a "straight arrow" and reliably on the side of the good guys.

• Isono Miwa - Younger sister of Isono Machi. She is initially introduced as a schoolgirl with a forceful personality who occasionally helps Machi and Amamiya in their cases. As the series progresses, she becomes more important as revelations about her role in the conspiracy that runs through the book are revealed. Isono Miwa does not appear in the TV mini-series.

• Nishizono Tetora
  

- In appearance, a young teenaged version of Amamiya Kazuhiko, Nishizono Tetora also carries the psychopathic personality of Nishizono Shinji, although the personality of Shinji is far more dominant in Tetora. Nishizono Tetora does not appear in the TV mini-series.
Lucy Monostone - A deceased former American pop star and terrorist, Lucy Monostone is thought by the mysterious corporation at the heart of the conspiracy to be the perfect killer. While genetic engineering can recreate Monostone's body, the challenge appears to be recreating his soul in order for the ultimate murderer to be reborn. It seems that this can only be achieved by combining a number of personalities, representing the different parts of Monostone, into a single vessel.

My inspiration: this manga series contain a lot of psychology, blood, violent and sexual related. It reflect the negative side of modern social. The story line require the audiences to thinking a lot. However this is a worth see manga.

Code Geass

Code Geass - Lelouch of the Rebellion (コードギアス 反逆のルルーシュ, Kōdo Giasu Hangyaku no Rurūshu) is a Japanese anime series, created by Sunrise. It was directed by Gorō Taniguchi and scripted by Ichirō Ōkouchi (both of whom who had earlier worked on another Sunrise series, the acclaimed Planetes), and featured character designs by the noted all-female Clamp mangaka group.

Story

On August 10th, 2010, a.t.b., the Holy Empire of Britannia overpowered Japanese forces and conquered the country with their robotic weapons, the Knightmare Frames, in less than a month. Japan lost its freedom and rights and was renamed Area 11, and the Japanese people are renamed "Elevens" and forced to survive in ghettos, while Britannians live in first-class settlements. Rebel elements persist, however, as pockets of Japanese organizations struggle against the Empire for the independence of Japan.

After his father, the Emperor of Britannia, did nothing to pursue the terrorists who murdered his mother and crippled his sister, a young boy named Lelouch vowed to destroy Britannia. Seven years later in Area 11, he encounters a mysterious girl who gives him the power of the Geass. With it, he finally has the power that he needs to defeat Britannia and fulfill his two wishes: to seek revenge for his mother and to construct a world in which his beloved sister can live happily.

Characters

Lelouch Lamperouge (ルルーシュ・ランペルージ, Rurūshu Ranperūji) Seiyū: Jun Fukuyama (Childhood period: Sayaka Ohara)

• Nicknames: "Black Prince", "Zero", "Lulu"
• Age: 17
• Nationality: Britannian
• Date of birth: December 5, 1999 a.t.b
• Zodiac sign: Sagittarius
• Blood type: A
• Height: 178cm (5'10")
• School grade: 2nd year (11th grade)

Seemingly an ordinary 17-year-old student at the Ashford Academy, Lelouch Lamperouge, also called Lulu (ルル, Ruru) by his friends, is in fact the son of the Emperor of Britannia and the late Empress Marianne and a member of the Britannia Imperial Family. His real name is Lelouch Vi Britannia (ルルーシュ・ヴィ・ブリタニア, Lelouch Vi Britannia) and he was the eleventh prince and seventeenth in line for the throne prior to his mother's assassination and his sister's crippling in the same incident. A 10-year-old Lelouch confronted the Emperor afterwards and accused him of leaving his mother defenseless. In response, his father declared him stripped of his status as prince and banished him to Japan, where he was used as a political hostage over the mineral sakuradite conflict. It was during his stay at the prime minister's house that he befriended Suzaku Kururugi. However, when Britannia finally developed its Knightmare Frames fleet and decided to invade Japan to seize control of the Sakuradite mines, consequently discarding Lelouch's use as a diplomatic tool, Lelouch, fearing for his and his sister's safety, hid their true identity and reverted to their mother's maiden name, Lamperouge, seeking the help of the Ashford family, who were his mother's allies. Only the Ashford family members and Suzaku Kururugi know his true name, while Euphemia analyzed and discover his real identity.

Lelouch believes the world has been thrown in a vicious circle of violence and oppression that can only be broken if someone dared to step forth, work against it, and win. A brilliant thinker and very talented at chess, Lelouch is a member of Ashford Academy's student council who can easily become the top honors student, but he chooses to do slightly worse to avoid attention. One day, he receives the Power of Geass from C.C., which allows him to make people completely obey his orders. The power later evolves after continuous use and becomes permanently activated. To pursue his quest against Britannia, he dons a black helmet and cloak and assumes the secret identity of a mysterious, masked activist he baptizes Zero (ゼロ, Zero). He later creates The Black Knights by allying himself with Karen's resistance group, starting a terrorist campaign against powerful individuals who oppress the helpless. He is willing to do whatever it takes to collapse the Empire, even if it means lying to his followers, using people as bait for the outcome he desires. However, it is difficult for him to execute his meticulous plans when he knows or discovers those close to him may suffer from the results, which is a weakness as a commander but a remnant of his humanity and sanity. The true purposes of Lelouch's rebellion are to obtain revenge for his mother and construct an ideal world where his sister Nunnally can live in peace.

Suzaku Kururugi (枢木 スザク, Kururugi Suzaku) Seiyū: Takahiro Sakurai (Childhood period: Akeno Watanabe)

• Nickname: "White Knight"
• Age: 17
• Nationality: Eleven
• Date of birth: July 10, 2000 a.t.b
• Zodiac Sign: Cancer
• Blood type: O
• Height: 176cm (5'9")

Lelouch's childhood friend and son of Japan's last prime minister, Genbu Kururugi. For reasons unknown, Suzaku's existence was kept a secret from the public until after the war. After Britannia's invasion of Japan, Suzaku joins the Britannia Army and becomes an Honorary Britannian, and later, the pilot of the Lancelot, as a member of its R&D Division. He always keeps with him a broken pocket watch, a memento of his deceased father. He agrees with Zero on the latter's assertion that the Britannia Empire is corrupt and not worth serving, but wants to nevertheless change and improve the Empire from within, to show that his father's death was not in vain. This is because, Suzaku claims, achieving results by wrong or illegal methods is meaningless. In a twist of fate, Suzaku becomes the pilot of Lancelot during the Shinjuku ghetto debacle, due to the fact that it is 'experimental,' so Knights (Knightmare Frame pilots) were not an option. After Lloyd had Suzaku tested if he could even pilot a Knightmare Frame, it was revealed that based on his evaluation score, Suzaku was a top-class operator. After the incident, he becomes a scapegoat for the death of Prince Clovis in episode three, in a plan apparently engineered by Margrave Jeremiah Gottwald. He is acquitted, and enrolled into Ashford Academy, by Euphemia's suggestion. His rank within the military was initially Private, but he is later promoted to Warrant Officer by Cornelia when she first arrived in Japan. Despite his position in the Britannian Army, he still regards Lelouch as a friend.

An incident in episode 16 between Suzaku and Mao results in the latter revealing that Suzaku murdered his own father, during the immediate aftermath of Britannia's invasion of Japan, when Suzaku, horrified by the country's devastation due to the war tried to convince his father to surrender. Suzaku stabbed him after his father backhanded him away and refused to surrender, opting instead for a do-or-die resistance. The incident was covered up and Suzaku was spared, while the government was thrown into disarray and surrendered to Britannia. Lelouch justified this as Kirihara of the Kyoto group stated that Kururugi Genbu’s death suppressed the hardline faction's call to resist to the bitter end. Moreover, he claims as Zero, prolonged resistance would have had the Chinese and Europeans intervene in the war to split Japan into 3 sectors, embroiling it in a continuous war. Thus, Suzaku believe the death of his father was necessary for Japan, even though he also believes that the ends achieved by wrong means are meaningless.

Suzaku's position as the Lancelot's pilot was revealed to everyone during a battle with his former instructor Kyōshirō Tōdō, the immediate aftermath of which he was chosen by Princess Euphemia to become her Knight, granting him the rank of Major. During the battle on Shikinejima Island, Lelouch is forced to use the power of Geass on Suzaku and commands him to "Live". As the command gives no time or event limitations, it activates within Suzaku every time when he feels suicidal and deters him from doing so. Suzaku falls in love with Princess Euphemia, and thus is emotionally crushed by her death. He gets a visit from V.V., offering to tell him the truth behind Euphie's death. He later calls Lelouch using Euphie's phone, and tells him that his motives have gone from idealism to hatred, and that he will fight for hatred. It also appears that Suzaku has an undefined connection to the Geass (maybe due to his earlier contact with C.C.), which allows him to "sense" individuals strongly related to the Geass such as C.C. and V.V.

C.C. (シー・ツー, Shī Tsū) Seiyū: Yukana

• Nicknames: "Gray Witch"
• Age: 16 (in appearance)
• Height: 160 cm (5'3")

A mysterious green-haired girl who bestows the power of Geass upon Lelouch under the condition that he would grant her greatest wish. She passively oversees Lelouch's missions to ensure that he does not die. Those abilities caught the interest of Britannia and she was imprisoned as a part of Britannia's experimentation in the past. C.C. appears to be in her teens, but she actually has been living for hundreds of years. In the past, she has observed Suzaku and Lelouch when they were both children. The former Resistance group steals the capsule encasing her from the Britannia Army in Area 11, which leads to Lelouch's reencounter with C.C. When Lelouch came into contact with her while she was using image shock on Suzaku, he is accidentally shown parts of her memories, which included a woman with a sigil similar to her own, and hints of a bloody conflict. C.C. has a stigmata under her left breast, which takes the same shape as the sigil on her forehead. She involuntarily revealed her real name to Lelouch in her sleep. When left alone, she has sometimes spoken to a previously unknown person through means unknown, which, in episode 23, was revealed to be Marianne. C.C. is a member of the Black Knights, but her willful attitude and lack of an official posting annoys several veterans; at one point, Tamaki goes so far as to accuse her of being a member only because she's Zero's lover, a claim which she denies. When Lelouch heads to Kyūshū to battle the Chinese-supported rebellion, C.C. co-pilots the Gawain with him, apparently handling the actual piloting while Lelouch operates the weapons. She also has a penchant for pizza.

C.C.'s abilities

C.C. has impressive regenerative abilities, allowing her to recover from fatal wounds and making her nearly immortal. She cannot use the power of Geass but is immune to its effects. She also has Geass-related abilities, such as rapidly displaying a series of ominous and chaotic images in another person's mind by direct contact, though it also works through clothing and even a Knightmare Frame. She can also project a hologram of herself that is only visible to selected people, for which the selection criteria are still unknown.

Karen Stadtfeld (カレン・シュタットフェルト, Karen Shutattoferuto) / Karen Kōzuki (紅月カレン, Kōzuki Karen) Seiyū: Ami Koshimizu

• Age: 17
• Zodiac Sign: Aries
• Blood Type: B
• Height: 160cm (5'3")

A Britannian-Eleven girl, who believes herself to be a Japanese person at heart and prefers to be known by her birth name, Karen Kōzuki (紅月カレン, Kōzuki Karen). She is currently the leader of the Zero squadron (consisting of Zero's bodyguards) of The Black Knights, and is amongst its most talented pilots. She comes from a prestigious Britannian family and attends the Ashford Academy, where she is a member of its student council and amongst its most outstanding students. Her brother, Naoto Kōzuki (紅月ナオト, Kōzuki Naoto), with whom she had a deep connection, was a former leader of the resistance organization and died in the past. When away from the Academy, she fights as an anti-Britannian operative. In the second episode, she is unknowingly assisted by Lelouch in Shinjuku (who, via the transmission of radio-based instructions, helped her defeat the Britannian forces chasing her) but is currently unaware of his true identity. She had initially suspected Lelouch of being the one who helped her in Shinjuku, but Lelouch tricks her by playing a recorded message of himself on the telephone, drawing her suspicions off him. Karen appears to be trusted greatly by Lelouch, as he offers to reveal his true identity to her as early as in episode 12 (which she refuses), and she greatly admires Zero, evident in her ecstatic reaction to her appointment as head of the Zero squadron in episode 18.

She later joins The Black Knights and receives her own Knightmare Frame, the Guren Nishiki, to replace the Glasgow she had lost while protecting her mother. Karen has stayed loyal to Zero ever since. Both Karen's stepmother and biological mother live with her in the same house, but her biological mother is employed as a maid and is often mistreated by both the stepmother and Karen. Karen now fights against the Britannia Empire to fulfill her wish for a world in which she can live happily with her mother. Piloting the Guren Nishiki, Karen defeated and almost killed Jeremiah Gottwald. Karen also managed to defeat Cornelia li Britannia but failed to capture her due to the interference of Suzaku, piloting the Lancelot. Karen even exhibits that she is capable of fighting against Suzaku Kururugi in his Lancelot equally. Her devotion to Zero is greatly shown when she attempts to assassinate Suzaku at a school party for Zero, even risking her life to save Zero by trying to reveal her identity to Suzaku in the battle at Shikinejima island. Her identity was exposed when Suzaku accidentally finds Karen bathing herself by a waterfall situated in a nearby island, Kame ne Jima, in which they find themselves during the aftermath of the battle of Shikinejima. She is one of the few people who knows that Suzaku killed his father.

Britannia Empire

A royal kingdom and international superpower, which possesses about one-third of the entire world. Territories under Britannian rule include Area 11, North America, the Philippines, islands from the Pacific Ocean and a Middle Eastern-like country, recently conquered and renamed as Area 18. The Britannia flag features a lion and a snake intertwined, and they represent "king" and "death and rebirth" respectively.

Imperial Family

The numerical order of the princes and princesses of the imperial family is given by the status of their mothers, or the queens. For example, Cornelia and Euphemia are the Second and the Third Princess, respectively, while Lelouch is only the Seventeenth Prince. It can be inferred that the Cornelia and Euphemia's mother had a higher status than Marianne Vi Britannia, the mother of Lelouch and Nunnally. Also, the numbering of the imperial princes and princesses is sorted by gender. For example, Euphemia is the Third Princess and Clovis is the Third Prince.

The Emperor of Britannia (ブリタニア皇帝, Buritania Kōtei) Seiyū: Norio Wakamoto

• Age: 62

The emperor of the Britannia Empire and Lelouch's father. He installs his children in important positions in the Empire to see their true abilities. He views equality as an evil that must be dispelled and encourages social battle to maintain evolution within the society. As such, he publicly supports inequality and calls for competition and fighting so as to create progress. Shortly after his mother's death, Lelouch questioned why the Emperor did not try to protect Marianne. Irritated with Lelouch and considering his son to be nothing without him, the Emperor sends both Lelouch and Nunnally to Japan as political hostages.

Cornelia Li Britannia (コーネリア・リ・ブリタニア, Kōneria Ri Buritania) Seiyū: Junko Minagawa

• Nickname: "Witch of Britannia"
• Age: 27
• Zodiac Sign: Capricorn
• Blood Type: O

The second princess of the Britannia Imperial Family and, as such, Lelouch's half-sister. She is extremely skilled in Knightmare Frame combat and completed the establishment of Area 18 shortly before arriving in Area 11. Cornelia is the Governor-General and the Chief General of the Imperial Army and goes to Area 11 to apprehend Clovis' murderer, the mysterious Zero, as well as avenging Lelouch and Nunnally (unaware of the fact that they survived their predicament as political hostages) by putting an end to the conflict there- in fact, this loss of the three siblings seems to be the source of her distrust toward foreigners and Honorary Britannians. She pilots a customized Gloucester Knightmare Frame and has her own circle of devoted officers. As a child, she appeared to have doted upon her younger sister Euphemia; as a result, Euphemia is Cornelia's only known weak spot. Clovis believes that she and Prince Schneizel knew about the truth regarding the murder of Marianne Vi Britannia, although Euphemia later tells Lelouch that Cornelia has long admired Marianne and conducted investigations on the murder. She had disagreed with Euphemia over the appointment of Suzaku as her knight and the establishment of the Special Administrative Region, but had allowed her to proceed with them.

Euphemia Li Britannia (ユーフェミア・リ・ブリタニア, Yūfemia Ri Buritania) Seiyū: Omi Minami

• Nickname: Euphie (ユフィ, Yufi)
• Age: 16
• Zodiac Sign: Libra
• Blood Type: B

The third princess of the Britannia Imperial Family. Lelouch's half-sister and innocent to a fault, she was the sister Lelouch cared most about after Nunnally. She used Clovis' death as an excuse to enter Area 11 and was known for loving and conversing with animals. After meeting Suzaku, she requested his assistance to prevent any unnecessary deaths around her. During the Lake Kawaguchi Convention Center Hotel incident, Lelouch (as Zero) noted that she had not changed since childhood and was not surprised to see her offering herself as a hostage in exchange for the safety of other people. Euphemia was the Lieutenant-Governor of Area 11, a role she admittedly did not enjoy. She admired her older sister, Cornelia, but despised all combat in general. Her ideals conflicted with the reality and put her in a similar situation to Suzaku's. A situation that aided in her decision of choosing Suzaku Kururugi as her Knight. Cornelia was quite worried that her ideals could get her into trouble, however. She warned her that the policy of discrimination against Honorary Britannians was so firmly-established that she might have to be exposed to the rigors and dangers of competing for the throne in order to challenge it. She was also capable of piloting a Knightmare Frame, as seen in the battle at the Empire's Shikinejima Island Base.

Euphemia was the second person in the royal family to know that Lelouch is alive and first to know his alter ego as Zero, having deduced it after the hotel hijacking incident. Euphemia was quite close to Lelouch and Nunnally in the past and, wishing to live those days once again, she declared the establishment of a Special Administration Region in Japan. Lelouch initially opposed this proposal, but Euphemia eventually convinced him otherwise when she reveals that she was doing it for the sake of Nunnally and had abdicated her right to succeed the Britannian throne. Lelouch jokingly ordered her to kill the Japanese people just as his power of Geass permanently activated, causing her and the Britannia army to massacre scores of them. Regretfully, Lelouch fatally shot her to end her rampage (whilst revealing that he may have considered Euphemia to be his first love) and she shared her last moments with Suzaku. Euphemia died believing that the Japanese people are happy with the Japan that she created. Her death created a firm resolve in both Suzaku and Cornelia in defeating Zero once and for all.

World

The Holy Empire of Britannia (神聖ブリタニア帝国, Shinsei Buritania Teikoku)

An international superpower that possesses about one-third of the entire world. It remains in expansion, with the recent invasion and colonization of Area 18. Britannia invades Japan to obtain a newly discovered energy source, the Sakuradite. The Britannia Empire appears to be based on an alternative universe in which the monarchy remains absolute, suppressing the American colonies' rebellion in the 1700s and thereby conquering the American continents.

Japan

A nation that had rich sources of the new power source named Sakuradite. Under Prime Minister Genbu Kururugi and with the shadow support of the Sakuradite industries, Japan oppressed and dominated other countries through economic control. Frictions between the Britannian Empire and Japan eventually developed into a diplomatic conflict and later open war with the former, invading and conquering the country to seize control of the resource. Japan's name is soon changed to Area 11 and its people are renamed to Elevens. The number denotes the numerical order by which Britannia has occupied new territories.

Area 18

A desert country, which appears to be based within the Middle East.

EU

Another country, presumably the European Union and supporting equal rights, unlike the Holy Empire of Britannia.

Chinese Federation

An Asian federation, where wealth is reportedly equally distributed.

My inspiration: This is a great anime series with tactic, psychology and science. The story line is great with many events and thinking. The anime also reflects many story in "The three kingdom", Bible and England mythology.

Gantz

Gantz (ガンツ, Gantsu^?) is a manga and anime series written by Hiroya Oku. Gantz tells the story of a teenager named Kei Kurono who dies in a train accident and becomes part of a semi-posthumous "game" in which he and several other recently deceased people are forced to hunt down and kill aliens. The missions in which they take are often dangerous. A very low number of people survive each mission but are replaced by others who have recently died.

Plot

The story begins with a pair of high school students (Kei Kurono and Masaru Kato) who are run over by a subway train after saving the life of a homeless drunk who had fallen onto the tracks. Following their untimely deaths, they find themselves transported — alive and well — to the interior of an unfurnished Tokyo condominium, where they cannot get out, from which the Tokyo Tower may be seen, with a number of people who have also just died. At one end of the room is a featureless black sphere we later learn is called "Gantz". After a short amount of time, postwar Japanese exercise radio begins to play from the sphere. By way of green text that appears on the surface of the sphere, Gantz informs those present that their lives have ended. The following words appear on the black sphere's surface: "Your lives have ended. What you do with your new lives is entirely up to me. That's the theory, anyway." (The ADV translations have it as "Your lives are over, you bastards. What you do with your new lives is entirely up to me. So there you have it." This translation makes Gantz seem a bit more controlling.) The sphere then opens up to reveal suits that amplify strength, speed, and have various powers. Along with the suits are various high-tech weapons with different uses for different situations. Next, information on the Gantz Targets appear on the surface of the sphere, shortly before the Gantz Team are transported to the location of the mission.

Much is still left unknown about the room. It appears to be isolated from the rest of the world through a dimensional barrier. Its door will only open under the condition that the mission is completed. According to the manga, there are reports of similar rooms in Germany, United States and Israel. The appearance of another Japanese team set in Osaka indicate that there is more than one of these in Japan.

In addition to the weapons, suits, and scanners, Gantz holds what appears to be a muscle-bound bald man on life support in the center of the ball. The true identity and purpose of this man is never revealed; but there has been no small amount of implication that he is in some way responsible for the running of the game, selecting players, scoring the individual players' performance, and monitoring the team both during missions and during the 'off hours' in between.

The Rules of the Game

Gantz forces them to participate in what at first appears to be a reality game show, in which they hunt aliens who are secretly living in Japan. GANTZ provides them with strength enhancing-skinsuits, guns, and radar. Each participant has a miniature explosive implanted in their brains that prevents them from wandering outside the designated playing area. The designated area is roughly one square kilometer; if the participants cross this boundary or tell anyone of the secrets of Gantz and the apartment, the explosive will detonate. Curiously, it appears that this trigger only works when the player speaks verbally to someone about it, as Nishi developed a web site with written reports of his missions and apparently no harm was done to him because of it.

If the players manage to survive the mission, they return to the room in perfect health (even if they were nearly dead or missing limbs). An interesting note is that when a player is injured in the game and returns to the room afterwards, he/she will have no memory of what happened after his/her injury and will be standing in the pose he/she was last healthy in. This leads to suspect that Gantz "copies" an entire individual and later "pastes" that into the room rather than restoring an injured individual. Also of note is that it seems that later in the manga, this copy and paste method is replaced by the characters remembering their own injuries. Those who are killed during the mission do not return to the room. Gantz then tallies individual scores based on kills and sets them free, only to have them return to play another time. Points are awarded both according to the number of kills achieved by the player and by the equipment used by the player. On two occasions, Kei Kurono is forced to fight without his Gantz Suit. On both such occasions, he earned a large number of points, causing some to assert that kills made while suit-less are worth more points.^{[citation needed]} In the anime series this is not true, as many people have pointed out, this was because even though Kurono did not use his suit to fight the Tanaka aliens, he still received the same amount of points as he would if he had used his suit, and other argue that even the manga does not show this (He receives 38 points, 35 coming from the six aliens killed when the building crumbled and the Boss he killed, and 3 coming from the alien he teleported when Kato got hold of that alien). Some also believe that the live capture of an alien is worth the same as a kill, although there it has been implied in both the manga and the anime that the point reward for a capture is worth less.^{[citation needed]}

Those who manage to accumulate 100 points are given one of three choices:

1. Be set free with their memories of Gantz and the games wiped.
2. Receive an "ultimate weapon" (Izumi selected this option but was killed by the vampires before receiving the weapon).
3. Be able to bring back to life someone from GANTZ's memory bank.

In the event that the one-hour mission duration is reached without all targets being eliminated, all of a player's points are revoked, and his or her score goes back to zero (as happened to Kurono in the Chibi Seijin mission). Prior to this the players had assumed that failing to complete the mission in the time allotted would result in the immediate death of the entire team. The following mission, Kurono was informed by Gantz (who addressed him by name) that if he did not achieve 15 points in the current mission that he would be killed.

It is not known for sure if this 15 point requirement is a hard and fast rule, since some missions do not appear to have 15 total available points to be earned, but it seems pretty clear that this was a penalty imposed by Gantz for Kurono's failure the previous round.

Perhaps the most important thing to note about the rules of Gantz's deadly game is that none of the rules are actually explicitly given to the players, with the exception of the 100 point menu, which is either given automatically when a player reaches or exceeds 100 points, or is requested by a player, and the 15-point requirement given to Kurono at the start of the Kappe Seijin mission. In every other case the players have learned of their rewards and penalties only after they have been earned.

Instead of being given any training or a list of rules, the participants are simply told to kill their target, and are only shown one or two enemy profiles which are often not representative of the full complement or ability of their opponents. They are not given any useful information on their enemies' capabilities or weaknesses, or the number of enemies to expect. Unfortunately for the players, the rules of the game (as well as the capabilities of the suits, the use of the weapons, and the scoring system) are learned by one of two ways: either by institutional memory (i.e. a veteran explaining to a newcomer how the game works), or by trial and error, the latter usually resulting in the death of one or more players. In the days before the beginning of the series when Nishi was the only surviving veteran, the newcomers were forced to rely solely on trial and error; the result - as Nishi indicated following the Negi Seijin mission - was that Kurono, Kato, and Kishimoto were the only other people to survive to the end of a single mission in "a long time".

The end result is that the newcomers are entirely dependent on the goodwill of the veterans for crucial information that may be their only hope of survival; in the hypothetical event that the entire compliment of veterans is wiped out, any future group of newcomers would be utterly at the mercy of their circumstances; their only hope of survival would be their own guile, cunning, and the ability to quickly figure out and utilize the tools provided.

Gantz sometimes gives hints to the hunters about what they should do, but it rarely happens.

Development

The series introduces new characters constantly and most of them are killed off just as quickly, though a stable cast forms at times. As the series progresses, the viewers are left to ponder what Gantz is and how it is able to provide the characters with such fantastic weaponry and technology. This, along with many other questions (such as who the aliens are or even if they are evil period - after all, the aliens never seemed to actually cause harm to anyone or anything until Gantz sent people to exterminate them) remain unanswered.

Later in the manga, most of Gantz's participants have obtained over 100 points and many used their points to revive various fallen persons, like Tae Kojima and Masaru Kato. Kei Kurono, however, was convinced by his comrades and Kato to use his points to set himself free and had his memory erased. Kurono then returned to his former self before he met Gantz, without any memory at all of his life during the months he was participating in the Gantz game. Ironically, however, Kurono stumbles upon various clues of his past life (like Izumi did previously before coming to Gantz a second time) such as photographs of him and Tae and rumors of him going out with Reika. These forgotten memories begin to haunt him immediately after his return.

It is later confirmed in the manga that Gantz teams of other nationalities exist in the world. It is stated in Issue 229 in a dialogue between Izumi and Nishi when the latter asks if they should leave it to the other countries, with Izumi answering that he wants to show the world Japan's greatness. There also may be a central sphere located in Germany, but nearly all information regarding it is still in speculation.

Characters

Kei Kurono

The story's protagonist, and 10th grader. He was summoned by Gantz, along with Kato, after being hit by a subway train in an effort to help a hobo who had passed out on the tracks. In the beginning, he is a rather selfish character who often ends up being the reluctant hero. At one point, Kurono actually enjoyed the brutal missions since he had a chance to prove his mettle and to use the powers Gantz's technology grants him to decimate his foes, and to receive the admiration of his team members, such as Sei or Kishimoto. In the manga, Kurono is eventually regarded as a hero by the other players who look up to him. Kurono himself looks up to Kato after his death (ironically, Kato looked up to him when they were kids). Gantz initially referred to Kurono as "Bitch" and "Loser," though settled on "Kurono" as the series progressed. Recently, Kei left the game at the urging of his teammates. However, Kurono has begun to remember his old life through pictures in his apartment and has also rekindled his relationship with his former girlfriend Tae Kojima, whom he forgot about because of his memory wipe. A meeting with a tabloid journalist has also stirred up more Gantz-related memories. Later on, he recovers some of his lost memories of the Gantz "fighting time" after being attacked by a group of vampires in his place. He fought bravely, nearly wiping out all of them, but was killed by the same vampire who showed him his dead brother's head. Kei Kurono is dead as of the end of Phase 1.

Masaru "Kato-Cha" Kato

(加藤 勝 Katō Masaru) An old friend of Kurono. He is a noble and heroic person having been inspired by the Kei-chan he knew as a boy. At school, he acts as a guardian to the weaker students who often find themselves bullied. He was summoned by Gantz, along with Kurono, after being hit by a subway train, as a result of helping a drunken hobo who had blacked out on the tracks. Kato and his little brother lived with their aunt, but continued abuse towards his little brother and a stressed family situation later caused Kato to obtain an apartment for the two of them. He was later revived by the 'Old Man'. Frequently, Gantz addresses him as "Katou-cha", after the Japanese comedian, Katoucha.

At the end of chapter 237, in the preview for Phase 2, Katou has stated that he will revive Kurono from his recent death at the hands of the vampires. He and the rest of the team have somehow ended up in Osaka, and not Tokyo. They have recently met up with the Osaka Gantz team. Katou continues to act as leader, despite the team having decided on making Reika leader.

Sei Sakuraoka

(楼丘 聖 Sakuraoka Sei） Sei is proficient in martial arts and bears a striking resemblance to Lara Croft from Tomb Raider. After having sex with Kurono, she died in her first mission (Buddha Mission) while trying to save his life. Because Sei was the first person Kei ever had sex with, and because Sei had a strong attachment to Kurono (asking him to be her boyfriend, among other things), as well as dying to save Kurono's life, Kurono holds a strong attachment to Sei. As of the end of Phase 1, she has not been revived.

"Kurono's #1 Fan" Reika

(レイカ) A beautiful, young and popular idol. Like almost everyone else, she was caught in the line of fire during Izumi's killing spree in Shinjuku. She develops a crush on Kurono after seeing him in action during her first night as a participant in the game (the Dinosaur Mission). Gantz used to call her "Kurono's #1 Fan," but now he just calls her "Reika." Surprisingly enough, she proves to be a formidable opponent against the Aliens. She uses her points to resurrect Tae because she wants Kurono to be happy. It is not until Kurono chooses to be free that she confesses to him that she loves him. After Kurono departed from the game, she was appointed the new team leader of Gantz. She received a phone call from Kurono just before he was attacked by the vampires, but did not arrive in time to save his life; she even tried to hold on to Kurono's body in order to be transferred with him in the hope of reviving him. However, this was stopped by one of the vampires who used her body to transfer to the Gantz room instead.

Sources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gantz#Anime

My inspiration: The Gantz contain a strange story line with lots of blood and violent. However, the story line of this anime-manga series is very exciting and attractive. In my opinion, the manga series has a more interesting story line than the anime series since the manga series develop deeper in to story as well as the characteristic of each character. The story does not tell the story of hero but it only reflex the bad side of our society with many terrible action between people and people; the story also reflex the strength of individual when they in the verge of death.

Death Note

Plot

Light Yagami is a brilliant, but bored, high school student who resents the crime and corruption in the world. His life undergoes a drastic change when he discovers a mysterious notebook, known as the "Death Note", lying on the ground in the year 2003. The Death Note's instructions claim that if a human's name is written within it that person shall die. Light is initially skeptical of the Death Note's authenticity, believing it is just a prank. However, after experimenting with it and killing two criminals, Light is forced to admit that the Death Note is real. After meeting with the previous owner of the Death Note, a Shinigami named Ryuk, Light seeks to become "the God of the new world" by passing his judgment on criminals.

Soon, the number of inexplicable deaths of reported criminals catches the attention of the International Police Organization and a mysterious detective known only as "L". L quickly learns that the serial killer, dubbed by the public as "Kira" (derived from the Japanese pronunciation of the English word "Killer"), is located in Japan. L also concludes that Kira can kill people without laying a finger on them. Light realizes that L will be his greatest nemesis, and a race to prove mental superiority between the two begins.

Characters

Main characters














Light Yagami (Kira) (夜神 月 Yagami Raito)

The main character of Death Note, Light is a brilliant but bored 17-year old student. When he finds the Death Note, dropped in the human world by Ryuk, he decides to use it to kill all criminals. His ultimate goal is to cleanse the world of evil to create a utopia and then reign over this new world as its God. He calls himself Justice.





L
















L (エル Eru)

L is the world's three top-rated detectives (through two additional aliases), tasked with tracking down and arresting Kira. As such, he is Light's principal nemesis. His disheveled appearance masks his great powers of deduction and insight. L has many quirks, such as sitting in an odd manner (he squats on the edge of his seat, with his knees up by his chin), snacking on sweets in the middle of meetings, and holding his cellphone and other objects in a peculiar manner. He often takes drastic strategies to confuse and force his opponents, and on several occasions he has willingly disclosed several of his weaknesses to Kira at the risk of his own life in the hopes that he would lure him into a trap.





Misa Amane



















Misa Amane (弥 海砂 Amane Misa)

A girl with an immense crush on Kira. She is a popular idol in Japan, and tends to wear clothing in many different styles, depending on what she is doing. She is immature and has a tendency to refer to herself in the third person (calling herself "Misa-Misa") in an attempt to be cute. Misa is completely devoted to Light, and she once said that she loved him "at first sight". Light, however, only views her as an asset to his plans because of her Death Note and her "Shinigami Eyes" (that she obtained at the cost of half of her remaining life span). These "Shinigami Eyes" give Misa the ability to know people's names by looking at their faces, thereby giving Kira an edge in his battle against his enemies. Misa read in the newspapers that the murderer of her family was punished by Kira, explaining her total devotion to him, regardless of whether she thinks of his actions as good or evil.







Mello














Mello (メロ Mero)

Mello was an orphan who grew up with Near in Watari's shelter for gifted children. Like Near, Mello was one of the candidates to become L's successor. Similar to L's fondness for sweets, he is often seen eating bars of chocolate. Although Mello is quite intelligent, he often lets his emotions get the better of him, unlike Near or L.





Near














Near (ニア Nia)

Near was a primary candidate to become L's successor and calls himself N during the course of his investigations. He shares a number of similarities with L. Much like how L plays with things such as sugar cubes and forks, Near is frequently shown playing with toys or his hair. Near also sits in an unusual manner similar to L, but with some slight differences. He offered to join forces with Mello to fight Kira, but Mello turned him down. Near then gained the support of the US government and formed the Special Provision for Kira (SPK).

Shinigami (The Death Gods)





Ryuk























Ryuk (リューク Ryūku)

The original Shinigami who dropped the Death Note in the human world, which Light would pick up. Acting out of pure boredom, Ryuk begins the story of Death Note on a whim. It is stated that Ryuk found the second Death Note in the Shinigami world. The most important facet of Ryuk's character is that he is not Light's friend. Ryuk often refuses to aid Light and instead enjoys watching him struggle for his goal. He acts for his own interests and entertainment, and often fails to tell Light key details about the Death Note. However, Ryuk will aid Light if it serves his own goals, such as providing amusement or obtaining apples.





Rem



















Rem (レム Remu)

The female Shinigami who first gives Misa her Death Note and "eyes." Similar to Ryuk, Rem possesses two Death Notes; however, she purposely gives one of them to Misa Amane. Rem inherited her second Death Note from Jealous, another Shinigami who died when he saved Misa's life, and thought it only right to pass it on to Misa. Oddly enough, Rem inherits Jealous' love for Misa as well and is prompt to defend Misa even at the cost of her life. She shows this when she openly shows her lack of trust for Light, stating that she will kill him if Misa dies before her time.

Sources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deathnote

My inspiration:
Death note is an excellent anime series about psychology with many intelligent fighting. In my opinion, death note is much more alike Sherlock Homes regarding its detective plot. This is the best anime series for people who love Sherlock Homes

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RahXephon

RahXephon (ラーゼフォン, Rāzefon^?) is a popular Japanese science fiction series about 17-year-old Ayato Kamina, his ability to control a godlike mecha known as the RahXephon, and his inner journey to find a place in the world around him. His peaceful life as a student and artist in Tokyo is suddenly interrupted by a mysterious woman who appears to be stalking him, strange machines invading the city, and even stranger machines fighting back.

The original 26-episode anime television series was the first directed by Yutaka Izubuchi. It was created by Izubuchi and Bones, and it aired on Fuji TV from January to September 2002. It was produced by Fuji TV, Bones, Media Factory and Victor Entertainment. The series received critical acclaim and was subsequently translated, released on DVD and aired in several other countries, including the United States. An adapted movie directed by Tomoki Kyoda, with plot changes and a few new scenes, was released in 2003. Novels, an extra OVA episode, an audio drama, computer games, illustration books, and a somewhat tweaked manga adaptation by Takeaki Momose were also created.

Music, time, mystery, intrigues and romance are central elements of RahXephon's plot. The series shows clear influences from philosophy and Japanese folklore, and from Western literature such as the work of James Churchward. Mesoamerican and other Pre-Columbian civilizations have a prominent place in the cultural background of the series.

Background

The backdrop of RahXephon is the fight against pan-dimensional invaders known as the Mulians, or Mu (IPA pronunciation: [muː] Katakana: ムウ). In appearance, the Mu are indistinguishable from humans. However, they carry a genetic marker called the "Mu phase" which makes their blood turn blue at a point in their maturity; this process also appears to cause memory loss.

Although RahXephon is usually placed in the mecha genre of anime, its "mechas" are not fully mechanical. The mechas used by the Mu are called Dolems. Dolems are made of clay, like golems; each is bound to a Mulian, and some are also bound to a human host called a "sub-Mulian".

The overarching theme of RahXephon is one of music changing the world. The Dolems are animated by a quasi-mystical force that is connected to music; most of the controlling Mulians appear to be singing. A Dolem attacks while singing, and sometimes the attack is the song itself. The RahXephon can also attack by having its pilot — the "instrumentalist" — sing a note. This unleashes powerful forces (such as light-energy blasts or heat waves) that cause destruction on an apocalyptic scale. Each of the Mulian Dolems has an Italian name which references musical notation, such as Allegretto, Falsetto, or Vivace. The ultimate goal of the RahXephon is to "tune the world." Izubuchi says the name RahXephon lacked a real meaning, but that he now explains it as composed of Rah, which according to Churchward is the origin of Ra, X for the X factor (the unknown), and -ephon as a suffix for instrument (-phone).

Central plot

The unusual relationship between Ayato Kamina and Haruka Shitow is one of the most important plot lines of the series. Although Haruka appears to be a stranger to Ayato at first, the series reveals that Haruka and Ayato know each other from before the beginning of the story.

Ayato, a boy conceived with the help of the Bähbem Foundation, was living in Tokyo with his adoptive mother, Maya Kamina. Ayato met Haruka on a trip outside Tokyo, and they continued seeing each other when they returned to school in Tokyo. At this time, Haruka's family name was Mishima.

The story reveals that two floating cities appeared above Tokyo and Sendai around the beginning of 2013. The ensuing conflict escalated into nuclear warfare, and the Mu enveloped Tokyo and outlying suburbs within a spherical barrier resembling Jupiter, referred to as "Tokyo Jupiter" ("Tōkyō Jupita") by all those outside. The barrier has a dilatory effect on time, with time inside Tokyo Jupiter passing about one-sixth as fast as the outside time.

During the Tokyo Jupiter incident, Haruka Mishima and her pregnant mother were away on a holiday trip while Ayato was caught inside. Years after the incident, Haruka's mother re-married and their family name became Shitow. Maya modified Ayato's memories to make him forget Haruka. The series makes clear that the entire population of Tokyo Jupiter is subject to the same kind of mental control. Still, visions of Haruka continue to haunt Ayato, as manifested in his art. Ixtli, RahXephon's soul, also adopts Haruka's appearance and family name (Mishima) but takes a different given name, Reika.

The story begins as the seemingly peaceful city is attacked by invaders while a mysterious woman (soon revealed to be Haruka) stalks Ayato. By this point, time dilation has made Haruka considerably older than Ayato and his friends who remained inside. Because of this, Ayato does not recognize Haruka and initially mistrusts her, but he gradually re-discovers his love for her as the series progresses and he learns of what has happened. At the end of the series, Ayato's RahXephon merges with Quon's, and he "re-tunes the world" (that is, modifies the past) so that he and Haruka would not have been separated. In the final sequence of the series, the adult Ayato (who can now easily be mistaken for Dr. Kisaragi, his twin brother) is seen with his wife Haruka and their infant daughter Quon.

Sources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rahxephon#Manga

My inspiration: the most significant of this anime series is the character design which i like the most. The story line is also interesting. The plot focus on psychology and love romance. this anime also reflex many cultural and civilization: "RahXephon has many references to Pre-Columbian American culture. December 21, 2012 is the end of the 5-vigesimal Mayan Long Count calendar and the transition from one Mayan age into the next. In RahXephon the Mu re-appear one week after this date. Characters listen to a song called "Fate of Katun"; a Katun is a measurement of time in the Mayan Calendar. The Dolem control system is worn as a helmet shaped like a face from a Mayan sculpture,^[21] and the cities of the Mu contain artwork inspired by Mayan and other Mesoamerican art.^[22] Even the leader of the Mu in Tokyo is named Maya." (wikipedia-the free encyclopedia, Rahxephn, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rahxephon#Manga).

Crest of the Stars (TV)

Crest of the Stars (Japanese: 星界の紋章 Seikai no Monshō) is a trilogy of space opera (some parts could classify as military science fiction/military space opera) science fiction novels written by Hiroyuki Morioka. Beginning in 1999, the novels were adapted into anime series, the first of which ran for 13 episodes on WOWOW. The initial trilogy was followed by a second, ongoing novels series, Banner of the Stars (currently 4 volumes, aka Seikai no Senki), which was adapted into three sequel series to the anime -- Banner of the Stars (13 episodes, aka Seikai no Senki), Banner of the Stars II (10 episodes, aka Seikai no Senki II) and both adapting the second novel, two recap movies -- Crest of the Stars Special Edition and Banner of the Stars Special Edition, and an OVA Crest of the Stars Lost Chapter (aka Seikai no Danshō). The fourth anime series, adapting the third novel, Banner of the Stars III (aka Seikai no Senki III) is an OVA released in Japan in 2005.

Plot

Crest of the Stars and Banner of the Stars (series I and II) follow Ghintec Linn (aka Jinto Lynn), a young prince whose world is taken over by the space-dwelling race of the Abh. When Ghintec was a young boy, his father, Rock Lynn, under threat of invasion, handed over their world, Martine, to the Abh in exchange for a position within Abh society. Young Ghintec is sent off to school to learn the ways of Abh nobility and the story of Crest of the Stars picks up as he meets the young Abh princess, Lamhirh (aka Lafiel) as they are about to travel to military school for Ghintec's further training.

However, in the midst of their travels, Lamhirh and Ghintec (along with the Abh ship Gothlauth, aka Gosroth) find themselves at the very beginnings of a war between the Abh Empire and the Four Nations Alliance of humankind - an anti-Abh alliance of the democratic nations of the United Mankind, the Federation of Hania, the Republic of Greater Alcont, and the People's Sovereign Union of Planets - a conflict with strong overtones of the Peloponnesian War between Sparta and Athens.

The series -- both the anime and novels -- are particularly notable for the fact that Morioka created for them an entire language, Baronh (and an accompanying alphabet, Ath), which the Abh speak, read, and write. Almost all written text in the anime is in Baronh, with occasional text in other (invented) languages; at least one planet is shown to have adopted Ath to write their own language (although this is not a plot point, and easily missed).

Crest of the Stars was released in Japan in 1999 and in the United States by Bandai in 2001. At the end of 2002, TechTV announced that Crest of the Stars was to be one of the initial titles as part of their new Anime Unleashed programming and began broadcast at the end of 2002 and through 2003.

Characters

Main article: Characters in Crest of the Stars

The main protagonists of Seikai series of novels and anime are Ghintec (Jinto), a genetically "Terran" Abh nobleman, and Lamhirh (Lafiel), a princess of the empire. The story generally revolves around their evolving relationship. Other characters also give color to the story, the importance of whom underscore the rather difficult and extraordinary circumstances the relationship of the two main characters have to develop under. There of course is their fellow bridge crew on the attack ship Basroil- Sobach, Aicryac, and Samsonn. From the empress on the top to the lowly "grounder" subject, from the Commander-in-Chief of the Rüé Spainec (Imperial Armed Forces) to the ordinary fectodaic (Wing Flyer), from the ambassadors of foreign states to their forces in the battlefield, the characters of the Seikai series give depth to its story.

Sources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crest_of_the_stars#Anime_Episode_List

My inspiration:
This anime does not contain great visual as well as heroic action as usually seen in a shounen (anime and manga primarily intended for boys) anime. However, the content still appeals me through its elegant story line. The most attraction in this anime to me is the focus on psychology area in which the character of each character is expressed deeply following the development of the story. This is a recommendation to anyone who interested in anime which has something to thing about after seeing it.