As with my posts covering the earlier parts, this is an extremely rough English translation of part of the blog series Yanagita Rikao's Sengoku Basara Science Laboratory (Yanagita Rikao Sengoku Basara Kagaku Kenkyuujo). The series is intended to promote August's Sengoku Basara HD Collection. Please click the link below to see the original article, which is accompanied by illustrations and promotional videos.
I especially recommend consulting the illustration for the explanation this time.
Part 7: The terrifying ringblade user!! Mouri Motonari
The 'wily strategist' Mouri Motonari is a splendid warlord. Dressed in bright green hunting garb with sleeves longer than his arms, he wears a tall eboshi (hat) in the same colour and boots on his feet. Freely manipulating his circular katana 'Rintou' ('ringblade'), this bewitching figure fights as though dancing. However, this author must apologise. Written in the strategy guide are things like "Motonari's attack power is extremely low" etc. I completely disagree! I cannot help but feel that ferocious attack power is hidden within Motonari's ringblade.
He's actually really strong
Motonari's Rintou is composed of two semicircular katana. Although he can also hold one of them in each of his hands or combine them in the shape of the letter 'S', he usually forms them into a circle around himself and grips the handles from within it. This is Motonari's basic stance.
I want you to imagine confronting Motonari in this stance one-on-one. If you thrust towards the upper area, he should be able to cut your face or body just by jerking the ringblade forwards. Thrust towards the middle of the stance and Motonari can simply raise the front of the Rintou, deflecting the katana. The same motion would protect him from even a swing angled downwards. Immediately after any of these, closing the gap between you with dance-like footwork, he would be likely to tear into your flank with a slash. Enormous damage is dealt to the enemy with the bare minimum of movement. I think that's what makes the ringblade scary.
Yet, when Motonari comes out from the ringblade, it's even more fearsome. When he's inside his Rintou both of Motonari's arms are outstretched, his hands holding the handles. Since the width of a person with both arms outstretched is almost as great as their height, even considering that his fingers are bent it means that the ringblade is more than 150cm in diameter. So, since a normal Japanese katana is 1m in length, that's 1.5x longer. Perhaps it's tricky to visualise due to the circular shape, but Motonari's Rintou is an exceptionally long katana.
Naturally its weight will be considerable. This author has an imitation sword which is used for research. The blade is 75cm long and 3cm wide. The side opposite the blade is 7mm thick, and it weighs 980g. The weight of the blade portion on its own will be somewhere around 800g. Assuming that the ringblade's diameter is 160cm, the width of the Rintou's blade is 18cm by measuring on the game screen. If the thickness is the same as this author's imitation sword, its weight will be 32kg!
When Mouri Motonari exits the Rintou, he flips the ringblade. I think it's to avoid bumping his tall eboshi hat, which wouldn't be impressive at all. To perform this action, he's only able to use the strength of one hand; nevertheless, he deftly flips it as though it were a hula hoop. Doesn't this mean that he has considerable power?
A rhythmic gymnastics hula hoop has a weight of 300g. The 32kg Rintou, which Motonari handles in the same way as a hula hoop, implies that he has 100x the strength of an ordinary person. A normal person can exercise holding a 3kg dumbbell in one hand; Motonari freely swings a 300kg compact vending machine. It looks magnificent, but the truth is that it uses tremendous superhuman strength.
The edge is very sharp
However, the true terror of the ringblade isn't in its size or the physical strength of the wielder. Thinking about it, this katana must be dreadfully sharp. As the sword's master uses it to slice things, the effect would be the same as honing the blade.
The cross-section of this author's imitation sword makes an isosceles triangle, extending 1.7cm from the blade towards the opposite side. If we take this to be true, the angle of the blade's tip ought to be 23 degrees. To cut something 5cm in front of it, the blade will move 5.3cm at an angle and form the base of a right-angled triangle at the point of incision. Since the thickness of the back of the sword remains the same, the katana now forms an isosceles triangle 5.3cm from the blade; which stays perpendicular to it in motion. Like that, the angle of the blade's tip would be 7.6 degrees. Even a handheld precision cutter has a 16 degree tip, so this is sharp!
Then, what about the ringblade? Because it's round, the blade will always hit the thing it's cutting at an angle. In other words, merely by turning the Rintou its master's cut should exhibit the same sharpness as slashing with a katana. For example, suppose that a cut is made 18cm from the side opposite the handle, matching the width of the blade. If, in that case, the cutting edge of the blade moves 54cm to form the base of an isosceles triangle, it would be the same as being cut by a katana with a 0.74 degree tip. It cuts so well it's scary!
The power of the ring of light
These aren't the only horrors of the ringblade. The circle of light emitted by the Rintou has a variety of uses. For example, the ability Hajikite 'Heki' creates a wall in the air. Alternatively, the special move Kinjite 'Baku' binds the enemy soldiers in a trap! ...I can not entirely explain what kind of principles these use using modern science. The only one I know is Tsuinote 'Shou', which blasts enemies or destroys walls using the circle of light. I'll save face by explaining this much.
Even in light, there's power. As a result, if a huge sail was erected in space, it could be propelled by rays from the sun. Couldn't Tsuinote 'Shou' too be using this principle to blast the enemy soldiers? If that's the case, intense energy is needed inside the ring of light. An enemy soldier weighs 100kg together with their armour,; to blast one for 5m, the energy must be hitting the enemy soldier with the same force as 86t of explosives!
As far as scientific thought goes, Mouri Motonari should have monumental attack power. Heaven has bestowed two things on the man 'Mouri Motonari': power and splendour. I want you to dance the Sengoku era with beauty and strength.
All content in this post is © CAPCOM CO., LTD. 2012.
Saturday, 17 November 2012
Friday, 16 November 2012
News roundup: Sengoku Basara manga is delayed, Tiger & Bunny movie home video release is announced
The Japanese home video release of Tiger & Bunny -The Beginning- has now been listed for preorder, and the package looks extremely compelling. According to the listings, the release date is 22nd February 2013 and all versions will come with Japanese audio and a choice of English or Japanese subtitles. The website notes that the subtitles can be switched off.
There's a first press Blu-ray version, a standard Blu-ray, a first press DVD and a standard DVD. The standard editions come with a special booklet, audio commentary and video extras including commercials, the creditless opening and ending sequences and various promotional materials, while the first press special editions add a bonus disc with 180 minutes of extra material, including Gekijouban Tiger & Bunny -The Beginning- World Premiere (Night+Day Movie Special) and highlights from the Tiger & Bunny New Year Otoshidama Special, as well as a segment commemorating the tickets going on sale in Hong Kong and Road To Theater (title subject to change), which is a digest video including greetings from handshake events and from the stage play. The first pressing also includes an special box illustrated by Katsura Masakazu and an exclusive jacket illustration by Hayama Kenji. There will also be a smaller reproduction of the original movie program in a booklet and a bonus drama CD with the usual 'free talk' with candid words from the seiyuu cast.
Amazon Japan is also listing an exclusive steelbook version of the BD special edition, whereas Animate has a premium version with a "Nathan's Fire Room" (Nathan No Fire Heya) radio CD, and Bandai Visual Club is offering a mysterious set of Origami Cyclone's 'personal belongings' with theirs. Other stores in Japan will be including exclusive posters and clear files to attract buyers.
I think I'll go for the Animate special edition as things currently stand. The fact that I had to write three paragraphs to describe the extras for a single compilation movie really highlights the differences between Japanese anime releases and the cheap overseas versions!
The other news from the last couple of days, accordingly, was that solicitations for the February anime releases in the US have been announced and the pickings are extremely slim. So far, the only ones I'll be buying as they come out are both from Sentai Filmworks, namely Battle Girls: Time Paradox (Sengoku Otome ~Momoiro Paradox~) on Blu-ray and Qwaser of Stigmata part 2 (Seikon No Qwaser), which is sadly DVD-only. I can't even remember the last time there was an entire month with so few interesting western anime releases - and why is the show which I want to buy more also the one which is DVD-only? Grr!
On the manga side of things, the main news for me this week was from Udon Entertainment. The second and final part of Haibara Yak's Sengoku Basara: Samurai Legends (Sengoku Basara 2) manga has been delayed for a few weeks awaiting final approvals. It should be coming out in December now instead of November as planned. For some reason, it's still not being listed on Amazon, but it's readily available for order from most other stores like United Publications. I enjoyed volume one and the artwork is stunning, so the finale will be a guaranteed purchase when it finally reaches stores. Let's hope that Udon are able to bring some more of the Sengoku Basara manga titles over in English one day.
There's a first press Blu-ray version, a standard Blu-ray, a first press DVD and a standard DVD. The standard editions come with a special booklet, audio commentary and video extras including commercials, the creditless opening and ending sequences and various promotional materials, while the first press special editions add a bonus disc with 180 minutes of extra material, including Gekijouban Tiger & Bunny -The Beginning- World Premiere (Night+Day Movie Special) and highlights from the Tiger & Bunny New Year Otoshidama Special, as well as a segment commemorating the tickets going on sale in Hong Kong and Road To Theater (title subject to change), which is a digest video including greetings from handshake events and from the stage play. The first pressing also includes an special box illustrated by Katsura Masakazu and an exclusive jacket illustration by Hayama Kenji. There will also be a smaller reproduction of the original movie program in a booklet and a bonus drama CD with the usual 'free talk' with candid words from the seiyuu cast.
Amazon Japan is also listing an exclusive steelbook version of the BD special edition, whereas Animate has a premium version with a "Nathan's Fire Room" (Nathan No Fire Heya) radio CD, and Bandai Visual Club is offering a mysterious set of Origami Cyclone's 'personal belongings' with theirs. Other stores in Japan will be including exclusive posters and clear files to attract buyers.
I think I'll go for the Animate special edition as things currently stand. The fact that I had to write three paragraphs to describe the extras for a single compilation movie really highlights the differences between Japanese anime releases and the cheap overseas versions!
The other news from the last couple of days, accordingly, was that solicitations for the February anime releases in the US have been announced and the pickings are extremely slim. So far, the only ones I'll be buying as they come out are both from Sentai Filmworks, namely Battle Girls: Time Paradox (Sengoku Otome ~Momoiro Paradox~) on Blu-ray and Qwaser of Stigmata part 2 (Seikon No Qwaser), which is sadly DVD-only. I can't even remember the last time there was an entire month with so few interesting western anime releases - and why is the show which I want to buy more also the one which is DVD-only? Grr!
On the manga side of things, the main news for me this week was from Udon Entertainment. The second and final part of Haibara Yak's Sengoku Basara: Samurai Legends (Sengoku Basara 2) manga has been delayed for a few weeks awaiting final approvals. It should be coming out in December now instead of November as planned. For some reason, it's still not being listed on Amazon, but it's readily available for order from most other stores like United Publications. I enjoyed volume one and the artwork is stunning, so the finale will be a guaranteed purchase when it finally reaches stores. Let's hope that Udon are able to bring some more of the Sengoku Basara manga titles over in English one day.
Tuesday, 13 November 2012
Part 6: Yanagita Rikao's Sengoku Basara Science Laboratory
As with my posts covering the earlier parts, this is an extremely rough English translation of part of the blog series Yanagita Rikao's Sengoku Basara Science Laboratory (Yanagita Rikao Sengoku Basara Kagaku Kenkyuujo). The series is intended to promote August's Sengoku Basara HD Collection. Please click the link below to see the original article, which is accompanied by illustrations and promotional videos.
Part 6: Lifting a tanker with his fingers!? Date Masamune
There's nothing an enemy can do
You can't talk about Masamune without mentioning the Rokusouryuu (Six Claw Style). With three in the right hand and three in the left, he wields a total of six katana in battle. How effective is this as a method of fighting?
From the enemy's point of view, simultaneously blocking three katana is desperately difficult. Because the angle between the neighbouring swords may be as much as 30 degrees, the upper and lower blades can be 80cm apart. To defend against any one would mean being cut by the other two. Even supposing that you managed to block them all, the impact from the slash would be huge due to the weight of the three katana.
In addition, it's also problematic for the enemy that Masamune holds three in each hand. Between battles Masamune takes up a stance where he tilts forwards a little with both arms outstretched. Given 80cm between the point of the blade and where it meets the tsuba (hand guard), Masamune's 65cm arm length and his 50cm shoulder width, the Six Claws will take control of an area with a diameter of 2.6 metres and a vertical height of 80cm. It's as though you can hear Masamune's voice saying "I'll show the guy who comes in here hell, Baby!".
Of course Masamune would rather always greet an enemy with an attack than fight a passive battle. Lunging at the enemy forces with CRAZY STREAM or MAGNUM STEP, he scatters the foes, brandishing his Six Claws like a rasetsu demon. As for the enemy soldiers, at this point they would have no idea what to do. It's not depicted in the game, but would some of them not instinctively step back from such an onslaught, ending up stabbed by the swords and spears of their own allies?
My fingers hurt!
However, I don't think it's all that easy to wield six katana at the same time. I experimented to see just how tough it could be.
Looking at the game screen, Masamune holds one sword each between his index and middle fingers, his middle and ring fingers, and his ring and pinky fingers. When yours truly tried to hold the handles of an imitation sword, a wooden sword and a hammer from my research collection in the same way... gwaahhh, my fingers hurt tremendously! Dislocation of the pinky finger is likely, and sandwiched between both the imitation sword and something else, the middle and ring fingers were on the verge of incurring compression fractures. I cannot even lift the the weapons up; to swing them would be nothing more than a dream. If this author were to wield them on the battlefield, he'd take damage simply by holding the Six Claws!
However, Masamune swings the Six Claws around freely. This means that his fingers are not just sturdy, they're powerful. Let me calculate how much power they have, using a scene where he launches enemy soldiers into the air.
Masamune flings a great many enemy soldiers into the air with a single swing of the Six Claws. Although the katana strike the enemies, there's absolutely no sign of a fall in their speed; however, for there to be no drop in speed at all the katana would have to be infinitely heavy. Let's assume for now that the speed of the katana drops to 90% when the enemy soldiers are flung aloft.
On this assumption, by calculating the sword speed that would be needed to launch enemy soldiers 5m with three katana, we get Mach 21! At the moment of impact, the force dealt to the enemy's body is 7200t!
Yet the force Masamune's fingers are exerting is not on that level. To swing a long katana around with narrow fingers requires that those fingers apply enormous force, working on the principle of leverage. The distance from the fingers to the point of impact is 60cm, so if a finger has a diameter of 2cm, the former is 30x more than the latter. The force exerted by Masamune's fingers, then, is 30x the force dealt to the enemy: 216,000t!
As long as there's a foothold, this young Oushuu Hittou can lift up a tanker with his fingers. You cannot master the Six Claws without being superhuman.
[Extra note: According to the illustration, the speed at which the enemy is launched by the swing is 36km/h.]
What's flying?
Masamune has several projectile weapons. Of these, PHANTOM DIVE stands out most. Swinging the katana downwards, three pale lights run across the ground and defeat an enemy far in the distance. I wonder, exactly what is flying?
Something which flies when a katana is waved... As you delve into the possibilities, there's only one explanation scientifically speaking: it's a splinter from a katana. Since Masamune defeats hundreds of enemy soldiers in every fight, it wouldn't be surprising for there to be a few nicks in the blades of his katana when the battle is over. Perhaps parts of that saw-like remainder could break off and fly away due to centrifugal force, owing to the excessive sword speed?
If the splinter was 5mm in size, with that amazing sword speed it could hit Mach 28! In this case, with all three katana working perfectly in unison they'd apply a centrifugal force of 13,500t. Perhaps this technique too is only possible because Masamune's fingers alone hold 216,000t of power.
With marvellous power and speed, Date Masamune presses on through the soldiers which cluster in the enemy camp as though it's nothing more than an empty field. The people and soldiers of Oushuu can really count on their young Hittou.
All content in this post is © CAPCOM CO., LTD. 2012.
Part 6: Lifting a tanker with his fingers!? Date Masamune
There's nothing an enemy can do
You can't talk about Masamune without mentioning the Rokusouryuu (Six Claw Style). With three in the right hand and three in the left, he wields a total of six katana in battle. How effective is this as a method of fighting?
From the enemy's point of view, simultaneously blocking three katana is desperately difficult. Because the angle between the neighbouring swords may be as much as 30 degrees, the upper and lower blades can be 80cm apart. To defend against any one would mean being cut by the other two. Even supposing that you managed to block them all, the impact from the slash would be huge due to the weight of the three katana.
In addition, it's also problematic for the enemy that Masamune holds three in each hand. Between battles Masamune takes up a stance where he tilts forwards a little with both arms outstretched. Given 80cm between the point of the blade and where it meets the tsuba (hand guard), Masamune's 65cm arm length and his 50cm shoulder width, the Six Claws will take control of an area with a diameter of 2.6 metres and a vertical height of 80cm. It's as though you can hear Masamune's voice saying "I'll show the guy who comes in here hell, Baby!".
Of course Masamune would rather always greet an enemy with an attack than fight a passive battle. Lunging at the enemy forces with CRAZY STREAM or MAGNUM STEP, he scatters the foes, brandishing his Six Claws like a rasetsu demon. As for the enemy soldiers, at this point they would have no idea what to do. It's not depicted in the game, but would some of them not instinctively step back from such an onslaught, ending up stabbed by the swords and spears of their own allies?
My fingers hurt!
However, I don't think it's all that easy to wield six katana at the same time. I experimented to see just how tough it could be.
Looking at the game screen, Masamune holds one sword each between his index and middle fingers, his middle and ring fingers, and his ring and pinky fingers. When yours truly tried to hold the handles of an imitation sword, a wooden sword and a hammer from my research collection in the same way... gwaahhh, my fingers hurt tremendously! Dislocation of the pinky finger is likely, and sandwiched between both the imitation sword and something else, the middle and ring fingers were on the verge of incurring compression fractures. I cannot even lift the the weapons up; to swing them would be nothing more than a dream. If this author were to wield them on the battlefield, he'd take damage simply by holding the Six Claws!
However, Masamune swings the Six Claws around freely. This means that his fingers are not just sturdy, they're powerful. Let me calculate how much power they have, using a scene where he launches enemy soldiers into the air.
Masamune flings a great many enemy soldiers into the air with a single swing of the Six Claws. Although the katana strike the enemies, there's absolutely no sign of a fall in their speed; however, for there to be no drop in speed at all the katana would have to be infinitely heavy. Let's assume for now that the speed of the katana drops to 90% when the enemy soldiers are flung aloft.
On this assumption, by calculating the sword speed that would be needed to launch enemy soldiers 5m with three katana, we get Mach 21! At the moment of impact, the force dealt to the enemy's body is 7200t!
Yet the force Masamune's fingers are exerting is not on that level. To swing a long katana around with narrow fingers requires that those fingers apply enormous force, working on the principle of leverage. The distance from the fingers to the point of impact is 60cm, so if a finger has a diameter of 2cm, the former is 30x more than the latter. The force exerted by Masamune's fingers, then, is 30x the force dealt to the enemy: 216,000t!
As long as there's a foothold, this young Oushuu Hittou can lift up a tanker with his fingers. You cannot master the Six Claws without being superhuman.
[Extra note: According to the illustration, the speed at which the enemy is launched by the swing is 36km/h.]
What's flying?
Masamune has several projectile weapons. Of these, PHANTOM DIVE stands out most. Swinging the katana downwards, three pale lights run across the ground and defeat an enemy far in the distance. I wonder, exactly what is flying?
Something which flies when a katana is waved... As you delve into the possibilities, there's only one explanation scientifically speaking: it's a splinter from a katana. Since Masamune defeats hundreds of enemy soldiers in every fight, it wouldn't be surprising for there to be a few nicks in the blades of his katana when the battle is over. Perhaps parts of that saw-like remainder could break off and fly away due to centrifugal force, owing to the excessive sword speed?
If the splinter was 5mm in size, with that amazing sword speed it could hit Mach 28! In this case, with all three katana working perfectly in unison they'd apply a centrifugal force of 13,500t. Perhaps this technique too is only possible because Masamune's fingers alone hold 216,000t of power.
With marvellous power and speed, Date Masamune presses on through the soldiers which cluster in the enemy camp as though it's nothing more than an empty field. The people and soldiers of Oushuu can really count on their young Hittou.
All content in this post is © CAPCOM CO., LTD. 2012.
Nico Nico Douga: Hetalia and Tiger & Bunny, for a change
For once, these aren't Sengoku Basara videos! The MMD pickup ranking posted yesterday had two fantastically dynamic videos from other fandoms squeezed in between the Touhou and Hatsune Miku skits. Since I haven't prepared a proper post for today, I'll draw attention to these new finds.
In the first of the two MMD videos, Japan and the UK (both from Hetalia) dance to Sode Fureau Mo Tashou No En.
Next, the Tiger and Bunny characters participate in an exhilarating take on the song Hikari, by Utada Hikaru.
In the first of the two MMD videos, Japan and the UK (both from Hetalia) dance to Sode Fureau Mo Tashou No En.
Next, the Tiger and Bunny characters participate in an exhilarating take on the song Hikari, by Utada Hikaru.
Monday, 12 November 2012
Today's acquisitions (12th Nov 2012)
It was another exciting day for deliveries!
First of all, Mame Sengoku Basara volume 2 and Gakuen Basara volume 4 arrived. They came swiftly (Gakuen Basara 4 was only released four days ago!) because I'd ordered something else with express shipping and added them to make it worthwhile. Then the item I originally wanted was cancelled but I didn't have the heart to inconvenience the seller by cancelling the books, even though I won't get around to reading them for a while yet. Whoops!
In a separate package, the second Sengoku Basara Official Fan Club ~Eiyuu No Kai~ newsletter finally made it to my letterbox. The cover suits the season very well, even matching the Mame Sengoku Basara book (Sumeragi provided the artwork for both). And best of all, it came with a surprise bonus clear file featuring the ladies of Sengoku Basara in Sumeragi's adorable 'mame' super deformed style.
I'm not going to reproduce or translate any of the articles inside, as they're for paying fan club members, but within the newsletter was the preorder information for a very special bonus DVD. The ten day preorder window is extremely tight when the newsletter had to travel halfway around the world before reaching me, so I rushed to participate. The disc is called Fan Kanshasai ~BSR48 Kaihyou No Utage~ and it includes a recording of the fan event way back in January held to announce to results of the BSR48 election, which in turn was held to commemorate the release of Sengoku Basara 3 Utage. A formidable number of seiyuu and butai performers were present at the event, and special behind-the-scenes footage is promised as well. I never thought I'd get to see a DVD of this event!
Sunday, 11 November 2012
Part 5: Yanagita Rikao's Sengoku Basara Science Laboratory
As with my posts covering the earlier parts, this is an extremely rough English translation of the blog series Yanagita Rikao's Sengoku Basara Science Laboratory (Yanagita Rikao Sengoku Basara Kagaku Kenkyuujo). It's not a word-for-word official translation. The series is intended to promote August's Sengoku Basara HD Collection. Please click the links below to see the original articles, which are accompanied by illustrations and promotional videos.
Part 5: Aniki swings a piano around!? Chousokabe Motochika
The guy who can swing around a piano? Aniki~!
Aniki's weapon is an 'anchor-spear'. Although there are many different types, they're all long with thick, spear-like handles. From outward appearances they're probably made of iron, and the tip of the weapon is shaped like an anchor. Consequently, they should be quite heavy, so I wonder how much one weighs?
Let's consider the popular Chousou Yanagare (Aniki's basic weapon). Its full length is around 1.4x Motochika's height when measured on the game screen. Specifically, I think we can narrow it down to a length of 8 shaku (2.4m) using the units of the Sengoku period. The handle has a diameter of 11cm so from this the handle's weight can be calculated: 176kg!
Since this is only the weight of the handle, what about the rest? The length of the anchor-shaped blade is 82cm, traced along its curve. The average width is 16cm. It's difficult to discern the thickness from the screen, but given that it tapers smoothly from the handle's diameter of 11cm, an average of 5cm should be about right. That being the case, one side alone weighs 53kg and both halves are 106kg. The total weight when combined with the handle is 282kg! An upright piano is said to weigh 200-250kg. Our Aniki has been twirling a weapon which weighs more than a piano.
How much force is needed to do this? Motochika swings the anchor-spear horizontally twice within a second. If both hands are holding onto the anchor-spear 1 shaku (30cm) away from its base, the brute force required for this to be possible would be 25t. Aniki is someone you can really count on!
The guy who can launch enemies 160 metres? Aniki~!
When Motochika swings the anchor-spear with these powerful arms, the speed of its tip should reach 250km/h. I wonder what it would be like from the perspective of the enemy soldiers who take the hit? Rather than dying from a cut or stab, in Sengoku Basara the people hit by a katana or spear are often flung in the air. However, when it comes to launching people into the air, the anchor-spear is something else. After all, it's 282kg, which is 280x heavier than an ordinary sword.
The person on the receiving end of Motochika's anchor-spear will take the same damage as they would being hit by a car travelling at 170km/h. And immediately afterwards, they'll be flung into the air at 130km/h, before dropping down 16m away even if they were flying horizontally. After that, they'll bounce a few times then gently slide 140m to a stop if the ground is soil.
Since he does this twice each second, he can scatter the enemy soldiers as much as he wants. Thrusting into a crowd of foes, this man will empty the area on either side of him for 160m. That's our Aniki!
The guy who can fly in the sky on his spear? Aniki~!
In addition, by making flames gush out of the anchor-spear Motochika can cleverly ride it like a surfboard, dashing through the air. The name of this technique is 'Dokyuu'. The fact that flames are expelled - exactly like a rocket - means it's highly likely that the flight comes from burning fuel, releasing high temperature, high pressure exhaust gas from the reaction at high speed. If that's so, I wonder how quickly it's coming out.
Observing Motochika's posture when he's flying, he places his feet at a 45 degree angle in front of the handle and behind the anchor. I wonder if this is to split the reaction of the gushing flames between the force needed to counter gravity and that required to move forwards.
I'll assume that Motochika's body weight is 70kg, and with the anchor-spear the total weight is 352kg. With the anchor-spear tilted at a 45 degree angle, supporting this weight, the force needed to move forwards ought to be 352kg. When a 352kg object moves forwards with 352kg of force, the motion is the same as an object falling from the sky; in other words, its speed immediately after it starts will be 36km/h, then 72km/h, 108km/h... the speed will increase by an additional 36km/h each second. Since air resistance rises over time the increase in speed will slow down, ultimately reaching the same falling speed as with skydiving: 200km/h. So considering it scientifically, Dokyuu is a technique to cleave with a bang ('dokyuun') at 200km/h.
In that case, what is the fuel? At a 45 degree angle, producing a force of 352kg forwards and upwards, as the flames are expelled they need to put out a force of 500kg. Even nowadays, the most fuel-efficient rockets wouldn't be able to release this much power without burning 1.1kg of fuel every second. To move using Dokyuu for 30 seconds would require 33kg of fuel; I don't think there's anywhere in the anchor-spear with enough space to store that much. Perhaps Motochika had to develop it to be more fuel-efficient than is currently possible. But as shown through construction of the gigantic battleship 'Fugaku', Motochika's technical capabilities are more advanced, so I'd think his rocket technology would also be the best in the world.
However, when you hit an enemy while wielding a spear containing such excellent fuel, the impact has a danger of causing a huge explosion. Do your best and be careful that you don't blow yourself up, Aniki~!
All content in this post is © CAPCOM CO., LTD. 2012.
Part 5: Aniki swings a piano around!? Chousokabe Motochika
The guy who can swing around a piano? Aniki~!
Aniki's weapon is an 'anchor-spear'. Although there are many different types, they're all long with thick, spear-like handles. From outward appearances they're probably made of iron, and the tip of the weapon is shaped like an anchor. Consequently, they should be quite heavy, so I wonder how much one weighs?
Let's consider the popular Chousou Yanagare (Aniki's basic weapon). Its full length is around 1.4x Motochika's height when measured on the game screen. Specifically, I think we can narrow it down to a length of 8 shaku (2.4m) using the units of the Sengoku period. The handle has a diameter of 11cm so from this the handle's weight can be calculated: 176kg!
Since this is only the weight of the handle, what about the rest? The length of the anchor-shaped blade is 82cm, traced along its curve. The average width is 16cm. It's difficult to discern the thickness from the screen, but given that it tapers smoothly from the handle's diameter of 11cm, an average of 5cm should be about right. That being the case, one side alone weighs 53kg and both halves are 106kg. The total weight when combined with the handle is 282kg! An upright piano is said to weigh 200-250kg. Our Aniki has been twirling a weapon which weighs more than a piano.
How much force is needed to do this? Motochika swings the anchor-spear horizontally twice within a second. If both hands are holding onto the anchor-spear 1 shaku (30cm) away from its base, the brute force required for this to be possible would be 25t. Aniki is someone you can really count on!
The guy who can launch enemies 160 metres? Aniki~!
When Motochika swings the anchor-spear with these powerful arms, the speed of its tip should reach 250km/h. I wonder what it would be like from the perspective of the enemy soldiers who take the hit? Rather than dying from a cut or stab, in Sengoku Basara the people hit by a katana or spear are often flung in the air. However, when it comes to launching people into the air, the anchor-spear is something else. After all, it's 282kg, which is 280x heavier than an ordinary sword.
The person on the receiving end of Motochika's anchor-spear will take the same damage as they would being hit by a car travelling at 170km/h. And immediately afterwards, they'll be flung into the air at 130km/h, before dropping down 16m away even if they were flying horizontally. After that, they'll bounce a few times then gently slide 140m to a stop if the ground is soil.
Since he does this twice each second, he can scatter the enemy soldiers as much as he wants. Thrusting into a crowd of foes, this man will empty the area on either side of him for 160m. That's our Aniki!
The guy who can fly in the sky on his spear? Aniki~!
In addition, by making flames gush out of the anchor-spear Motochika can cleverly ride it like a surfboard, dashing through the air. The name of this technique is 'Dokyuu'. The fact that flames are expelled - exactly like a rocket - means it's highly likely that the flight comes from burning fuel, releasing high temperature, high pressure exhaust gas from the reaction at high speed. If that's so, I wonder how quickly it's coming out.
Observing Motochika's posture when he's flying, he places his feet at a 45 degree angle in front of the handle and behind the anchor. I wonder if this is to split the reaction of the gushing flames between the force needed to counter gravity and that required to move forwards.
I'll assume that Motochika's body weight is 70kg, and with the anchor-spear the total weight is 352kg. With the anchor-spear tilted at a 45 degree angle, supporting this weight, the force needed to move forwards ought to be 352kg. When a 352kg object moves forwards with 352kg of force, the motion is the same as an object falling from the sky; in other words, its speed immediately after it starts will be 36km/h, then 72km/h, 108km/h... the speed will increase by an additional 36km/h each second. Since air resistance rises over time the increase in speed will slow down, ultimately reaching the same falling speed as with skydiving: 200km/h. So considering it scientifically, Dokyuu is a technique to cleave with a bang ('dokyuun') at 200km/h.
In that case, what is the fuel? At a 45 degree angle, producing a force of 352kg forwards and upwards, as the flames are expelled they need to put out a force of 500kg. Even nowadays, the most fuel-efficient rockets wouldn't be able to release this much power without burning 1.1kg of fuel every second. To move using Dokyuu for 30 seconds would require 33kg of fuel; I don't think there's anywhere in the anchor-spear with enough space to store that much. Perhaps Motochika had to develop it to be more fuel-efficient than is currently possible. But as shown through construction of the gigantic battleship 'Fugaku', Motochika's technical capabilities are more advanced, so I'd think his rocket technology would also be the best in the world.
However, when you hit an enemy while wielding a spear containing such excellent fuel, the impact has a danger of causing a huge explosion. Do your best and be careful that you don't blow yourself up, Aniki~!
All content in this post is © CAPCOM CO., LTD. 2012.
Saturday, 10 November 2012
Today's acquisitions (10th Nov 2012)
Aside from Christmas shopping I'd been taking it easy, so there haven't been many new arrivals.
The main new item this week is the Durarara!! Blu-ray box set which came in a BD-sized chipboard art box packed inside a silly but attractive lunchbox. I cannot see myself ever using the lunchbox and it doesn't quite fit on my shelf, so it will probably end up on display elsewhere eventually. Aniplex of America once again pulled out all of the stops to tempt US fans to double dip for this definitive DRRR!! collection. An interview with AoA's president Henry Goto was recently posted on ANN which goes into more detail about their strategy to cater for their niche audience, rather than dropping quality in order to chase a type of casual buyer which no longer exists. May the high quality releases long continue!
On the other end of the scale, the final part of the Death Note anime which cost around $9 finally limped across the Atlantic from Deep Discount. It's silly how much less this NTSC copy cost than the PAL set I purchased locally a few years ago. Come to think of it, both of today's anime acquisitions are double dips.
I also received the Shonen Jump Alpha Yearbook 2013, released by Viz in the US as a special accompaniment to their Shonen Jump Alpha digital magazine. It was pretty cruel of them, because they made it impossible for anyone to buy it without either visiting NYCC 2012 or having a subscription to the digital publication. Dirty foreigners aren't allowed to subscribe.
Fortunately, eBay exists. The seller even threw in a Naruto fan and some kind of unofficial-looking card/sticker. The Yearbook is pretty cool, including Sachie-chan Good!!, a one-shot collaboration by Katsura Masakazu and Toriyama Akira, and the Bakuman。 spin-off comic Otter No. 11 by fictional mangaka Hiramaru Kazuya. There are also some bonus materials and posters. Otter No. 11 was the main reason I purchased the book since I've been on a huge Bakuman。 kick recently. Perhaps one day Viz will round up all of the various one-shots which sneak over to the English-speaking world and publish them in a proper book for the people who didn't go down the eBay route.
I also received another package.
キタ━━━━(゜∀゜)━━━━ッ!!
The Soul Revolution BSR48 drama CD is intact, but the survey entry form is no use since it expired two weeks ago. I was a little disappointed that the first press serial codes for Browser Sengoku Basara (Maeda Keiji) and Sengoku Basara Card Heroes (Toyotomi Hideyoshi) were only printed on a slip of paper. I'd been expecting actual cards again.
Anyway, I was so happy that I had to draw my reaction to opening this parcel (using Itsuki, as she's more photogenic than this blogger).
Anyway, my weekend is going to be fun... if I can bring myself to get past the disc's XMB startup screen which is blasting my favourite theme from the game on a loop.
The main new item this week is the Durarara!! Blu-ray box set which came in a BD-sized chipboard art box packed inside a silly but attractive lunchbox. I cannot see myself ever using the lunchbox and it doesn't quite fit on my shelf, so it will probably end up on display elsewhere eventually. Aniplex of America once again pulled out all of the stops to tempt US fans to double dip for this definitive DRRR!! collection. An interview with AoA's president Henry Goto was recently posted on ANN which goes into more detail about their strategy to cater for their niche audience, rather than dropping quality in order to chase a type of casual buyer which no longer exists. May the high quality releases long continue!
On the other end of the scale, the final part of the Death Note anime which cost around $9 finally limped across the Atlantic from Deep Discount. It's silly how much less this NTSC copy cost than the PAL set I purchased locally a few years ago. Come to think of it, both of today's anime acquisitions are double dips.
I also received the Shonen Jump Alpha Yearbook 2013, released by Viz in the US as a special accompaniment to their Shonen Jump Alpha digital magazine. It was pretty cruel of them, because they made it impossible for anyone to buy it without either visiting NYCC 2012 or having a subscription to the digital publication. Dirty foreigners aren't allowed to subscribe.
Fortunately, eBay exists. The seller even threw in a Naruto fan and some kind of unofficial-looking card/sticker. The Yearbook is pretty cool, including Sachie-chan Good!!, a one-shot collaboration by Katsura Masakazu and Toriyama Akira, and the Bakuman。 spin-off comic Otter No. 11 by fictional mangaka Hiramaru Kazuya. There are also some bonus materials and posters. Otter No. 11 was the main reason I purchased the book since I've been on a huge Bakuman。 kick recently. Perhaps one day Viz will round up all of the various one-shots which sneak over to the English-speaking world and publish them in a proper book for the people who didn't go down the eBay route.
I also received another package.
キタ━━━━(゜∀゜)━━━━ッ!!
The Soul Revolution BSR48 drama CD is intact, but the survey entry form is no use since it expired two weeks ago. I was a little disappointed that the first press serial codes for Browser Sengoku Basara (Maeda Keiji) and Sengoku Basara Card Heroes (Toyotomi Hideyoshi) were only printed on a slip of paper. I'd been expecting actual cards again.
Anyway, I was so happy that I had to draw my reaction to opening this parcel (using Itsuki, as she's more photogenic than this blogger).
Words alone cannot convey the sense of joy in finally receiving the HD Collection after it had been held up for so long. The box it arrived in had been forwarded from a completely different person before being addressed to me as well; I'm not terrifically impressed if the deputy service screwed up by sending it to the wrong customer and then wasn't transparent with me while I was waiting and nagging all that time.
Anyway, my weekend is going to be fun... if I can bring myself to get past the disc's XMB startup screen which is blasting my favourite theme from the game on a loop.
Friday, 9 November 2012
Part 4: Yanagita Rikao's Sengoku Basara Science Laboratory
As with my posts covering the earlier parts, this is an extremely rough English translation of the blog series Yanagita Rikao's Sengoku Basara Science Laboratory (Yanagita Rikao Sengoku Basara Kagaku Kenkyuujo). It's not a word-for-word official translation. The series is intended to promote August's Sengoku Basara HD Collection. Please click the links below to see the original articles, which are accompanied by illustrations and promotional videos.
Note: I felt the need to expand on the explanation of Setsuna slightly in my own words, as Yanagita-sensei's were rather vague from a western perspective.
Part 4: Moving instantaneously, faster than a hurricane!? Ishida Mitsunari
Quickest in the Warring States
Mitsunari's speed is symbolised by 'Setsuna'. On-screen, it appears as though you teleport directly in front of a distant enemy.
To be true teleportation, however, you'd have to be moving at an infinite speed. In our universe, nothing can move faster than the speed of light: 300,000km/s. With this fact in mind, it must take even Mitsunari a little time to use Setsuna. I wonder how much?
Setsuna (ksana in Sanskrit) is actually an ancient word. The concept came from India, and in Buddhist teaching it's said to be the smallest unit for measuring time. Consulting an encyclopedia, I found that a day is equivalent to 6,480,000 Setsuna. Therefore, 1 Setsuna is equivalent to 1/75 of a second. Within this space of time, Mitsunari can move in front of an enemy that was 5m away, giving a speed of 1,350km/h. That's Mach 1.1!
A Mach number represents a multiple of the speed of sound; if its value is greater than 1 then it means the speed of sound has been exceeded. Why, Mitsunari would be able to overtake his own spoken voice. If Mitsunari was to use Setsuna upon shouting "Hideyoshi-sama~!", he'd hear his own voice after he'd arrived at his destination. For a human being that's an unprecedented speed.
His sword moves fast too
The speed at which Mitsunari swings his sword is extraordinary. It's so quick that the human eye can't keep up; the retina only glimpses a residual image of the path it traced as purple light. Exactly how fast can it be?
The time that an afterimage is stored in a human retina is 0.1 seconds, and at times Mitsunari's sword can leave as many as 10 residual images. This means that he is swinging the sword at least 10 times in the space of 0.1 seconds. The length of a single afterimage is around 2m. A simple calculation tells us that the speed must be 720km/h, but that's not the full extent of Mitsunari's capabilities. We mustn't overlook the fact that Mitsunari also moves the sword back and forth, from side to side. That calculation gave us the average speed, but the maximum speed reached during reciprocal motion is double that. In other words, Mitsunari's sword speed is 1,440km/h, or Mach 1.2!
Lacking any data on the sword speed of an ordinary swordsman, Ou Sadaharu in his prime swung his baseball bat at 154km/h. A bat is a little lighter than a katana because its centre of gravity is near to its tip, so perhaps it's fair to compare this to the sword speed of a real swordsman. That being so, Mitsunari's sword speed is 9.4x that of a normal swordsman. This represents 87x more muscle power; if he was to hit a baseball, it would fly 87x farther. If Mitsunari appeared in the modern world and played baseball, his home run would fly a distance of 9km.
A sword which becomes a star
The speed of Mitsunari's sword might not be limited to this, however. The possibility is suggested by 'Zanmetsu'. After thrusting the katana into the ground, he swings it up and a purple light darts towards distant enemies, flinging them into the air. The guidebook states that a shockwave is released.
This phenomenon has serious ramifications. In swinging the sword, a shockwave sufficient to launch people into the air is released; due to the excessive speed, I'd imagine it would be generating an enormous amount of heat the moment it makes contact with the air. If the shock wave is launching enemies 5m into the air at a distance of 10m, Mitsunari must be swinging his sword at a speed of 900,000km/h, or Mach 740!
If Mitsunari lets go of his katana halfway through the move, it will not only break free from the gravity of the planet Earth but also that of the sun, flying to the distant reaches of space. Mitsunari's sword will become a star. His sorrow will be even greater than it was before.
All content in this post is © CAPCOM CO., LTD. 2012.
Note: I felt the need to expand on the explanation of Setsuna slightly in my own words, as Yanagita-sensei's were rather vague from a western perspective.
Part 4: Moving instantaneously, faster than a hurricane!? Ishida Mitsunari
Quickest in the Warring States
Mitsunari's speed is symbolised by 'Setsuna'. On-screen, it appears as though you teleport directly in front of a distant enemy.
To be true teleportation, however, you'd have to be moving at an infinite speed. In our universe, nothing can move faster than the speed of light: 300,000km/s. With this fact in mind, it must take even Mitsunari a little time to use Setsuna. I wonder how much?
Setsuna (ksana in Sanskrit) is actually an ancient word. The concept came from India, and in Buddhist teaching it's said to be the smallest unit for measuring time. Consulting an encyclopedia, I found that a day is equivalent to 6,480,000 Setsuna. Therefore, 1 Setsuna is equivalent to 1/75 of a second. Within this space of time, Mitsunari can move in front of an enemy that was 5m away, giving a speed of 1,350km/h. That's Mach 1.1!
A Mach number represents a multiple of the speed of sound; if its value is greater than 1 then it means the speed of sound has been exceeded. Why, Mitsunari would be able to overtake his own spoken voice. If Mitsunari was to use Setsuna upon shouting "Hideyoshi-sama~!", he'd hear his own voice after he'd arrived at his destination. For a human being that's an unprecedented speed.
His sword moves fast too
The speed at which Mitsunari swings his sword is extraordinary. It's so quick that the human eye can't keep up; the retina only glimpses a residual image of the path it traced as purple light. Exactly how fast can it be?
The time that an afterimage is stored in a human retina is 0.1 seconds, and at times Mitsunari's sword can leave as many as 10 residual images. This means that he is swinging the sword at least 10 times in the space of 0.1 seconds. The length of a single afterimage is around 2m. A simple calculation tells us that the speed must be 720km/h, but that's not the full extent of Mitsunari's capabilities. We mustn't overlook the fact that Mitsunari also moves the sword back and forth, from side to side. That calculation gave us the average speed, but the maximum speed reached during reciprocal motion is double that. In other words, Mitsunari's sword speed is 1,440km/h, or Mach 1.2!
Lacking any data on the sword speed of an ordinary swordsman, Ou Sadaharu in his prime swung his baseball bat at 154km/h. A bat is a little lighter than a katana because its centre of gravity is near to its tip, so perhaps it's fair to compare this to the sword speed of a real swordsman. That being so, Mitsunari's sword speed is 9.4x that of a normal swordsman. This represents 87x more muscle power; if he was to hit a baseball, it would fly 87x farther. If Mitsunari appeared in the modern world and played baseball, his home run would fly a distance of 9km.
A sword which becomes a star
The speed of Mitsunari's sword might not be limited to this, however. The possibility is suggested by 'Zanmetsu'. After thrusting the katana into the ground, he swings it up and a purple light darts towards distant enemies, flinging them into the air. The guidebook states that a shockwave is released.
This phenomenon has serious ramifications. In swinging the sword, a shockwave sufficient to launch people into the air is released; due to the excessive speed, I'd imagine it would be generating an enormous amount of heat the moment it makes contact with the air. If the shock wave is launching enemies 5m into the air at a distance of 10m, Mitsunari must be swinging his sword at a speed of 900,000km/h, or Mach 740!
If Mitsunari lets go of his katana halfway through the move, it will not only break free from the gravity of the planet Earth but also that of the sun, flying to the distant reaches of space. Mitsunari's sword will become a star. His sorrow will be even greater than it was before.
All content in this post is © CAPCOM CO., LTD. 2012.
Nico Nico Douga: Ikemen Edition
The unlikely combo of Takenaka Hanbee and Katakura Kojuurou dance to Cantarella with precision and some very nice camera work. A lot of people have been uploading videos based on this choreography recently and this one by Nowa is my favourite. Whether the pair are representing the tangled story of the Sengoku Basara 2 anime in the medium of dance or simply being pretty is up to the viewer. Thumbs up to the person who cheekily commented "Harenchi de gozaru~!" around 2:20 into the video...
Next, user Kanou Sana puts TETA's gorgeous Date Masamune model into a PV-style take on Rerulili's Roshin Yuukai -melt down- JunK Arrange feat. MARiA.
Next, user Kanou Sana puts TETA's gorgeous Date Masamune model into a PV-style take on Rerulili's Roshin Yuukai -melt down- JunK Arrange feat. MARiA.
Thursday, 8 November 2012
Manga review: The Art Of Loving (Renai Koufukuron)
The Art Of Loving (Renai Koufukuron) is a 2001 spin-off based on the 1999 manga Color. While Color was a collaboration between Eiki Eiki and her friend Zaou Taishi, The Art Of Loving was created entirely by Eiki Eiki herself. It focuses on two of the minor characters from the previous story, delving into their pasts to unravel the secret history leading up to certain events in Color.
The sulky Yutaka is a good-looking and popular company heir, while Toono is an artist, friendly and sociable at heart yet often misjudged thanks to his rebellious demeanour and bleached hair.
'Dark' is definitely the key word here. At the start of the story, both men are adults. The narrative sets the tone immediately by cynically questioning the role of sex in romantic relationships and whether you can have one without the other. After a brief introduction to the two male leads,we're taken back in time to show how they met back in high school, gradually leading up to a big revelation which explains how these two young men ended up together. BL manga frequently explores darker themes but The Art Of Loving takes things a step further, slowly relishing the build-up chapter by chapter rather than letting it all out in emotionally-charged dialogues between the leads. Eiki Eiki explores Yutaka's complicated adolescent feelings through internal monologues describing the self-hatred and pressure he harboured inside; feelings which only intensify once he meets Toono.
In the extra material which follows the main story, we see Zaou Taishi (Tsuda Mikiyo) complaining about Yutaka's horrible personality as part of her explanation for not participating in this spin-off. It's true that he's difficult to sympathise with, but I think he's a believable character in spite of this. As an aside, in this translation Zaou is incorrectly referred to as male (she only appears in her teddy bear form, but it's unfortunate that the mistake was made).
Eiki Eiki's art improved a lot prior to her work on this book, and the visuals are great with attractive character designs, unless you dislike her distinctive art style. The dialogue is also great; there are only only one or two moments where the plot isn't quite as tight as it should be. Despite this being in the June 'Yaoi Manga' line and thoroughly earning its Mature Content label, there's very little actual BL on show; nobody does anything inappropriate during the high school flashback which makes up the bulk of these pages.
Sadly, although all of the notes in the book frequently refer to a second volume, no such follow-up ever materialised. The story is unfinished, gradually building up into a climax we'll never see.
I have to make a special note in praise of one of the silly 4koma comics Eiki includes at the end of this volume. She mentions asking her now-famous brother, DAIGO, about a very personal matter in the course of her research. Having now read the story which his answer led to, I'm not sure I can look at poor DAIGO in the same way any more.
The Art Of Loving was published in English by Digital Manga in 2006 and it can still be purchased from Amazon, where it's listed under the wrong creator (it looks as though the writer and artist information was copied from a different book, Sweet Revolution). The book is still readily available at a reasonable price and I think it's fair to say that even though the story was never finished, it's a worthwhile purchase if you're a fan of Eiki Eiki.
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