To get everyone started, I’ve compiled a list of fightbait.com approved merchandise that you can find in the Rightstuf store.

Shigurui: Death Frenzy DVD Complete Series Box Set
Fist of the North Star: The TV Series DVD Complete Series Collection 1
Solanin Graphic Novel
Cowboy Bebop Remix DVD Collection
Berserk DVD Complete Collection
Ninja Scroll DVD
Baccano! DVD Complete Series
Rin: Daughters of Mnemosyne DVD Complete Series
Skull Man DVD Complete Collection
Boogiepop Phantom DVD Collection

I know you guys don’t get a lot of love here at fightbait.com, but I think you’re going to forgive me. With the help of Used Anime Store we’re giving away a 13 episode box set! It’s the official uncut Funimation release, Season Two First Voyage (54-66).

All you need to do is create your own Devil Fruit. Entries must include the following: name of the Devil Fruit, what powers it gives you, at least one piece of additional information like a special attack or weakness.

You can either email your entry to fightbait@gmail.com or leave a voice mail. Bonus points for creativity (e.g. draw a picture, write a short story). If you leave a voicemail be sure to leave your name.

Contest ends June 30, 2010. Winner will be announced on the first fightbait.com podcast (not Whiskey Thursday or UGUUU!) after the contest ends. Once the winner is announced they have two weeks to claim their prize and provide mailing information. If they fail to do so in time, the prize will be forfeited and given to the second best entry instead.

P.S. I’ve already gotten one entry, and it’s pretty damn good.

This is what we all look like in Minnesota, I promise.

]]> http://www.fightbait.com/happy-town-show-show/feed/ 0 http://www.fightbait.com/site-news-march-edition/ http://www.fightbait.com/site-news-march-edition/#comments Mon, 01 Mar 2010 22:25:24 +0000 John-Paul Natysin http://www.fightbait.com/?p=2517 Yoshiaki Kawajiri Month
For the month of March, each episode of the fightbait.com podcast will conclude with a “review” of something directed by Yoshiaki Kawajiri. With the exception of Ninja Scroll and Wicked City, the movies/OVAs haven’t been decided upon. We’ve got a lot of great titles to choose from, so it’s going to be difficult to narrow it down. I also intend to write an article about Kawajiri so the podcast can focus specifically on the movies.

Podcast
You may have noticed that there hasn’t been a podcast for a while. This is due to my being sick, Xan’s lack of electricity, and the fact that I’ve exhausted the Whiskey Thursday/UGUUU backlog. Xan and I have scheduled to record a podcast this Wednesday, which should be released early Thursday morning. As for Whiskey Thursday/UGUUU, we’ll see what happens. I can say that Kirran and I have something big planned, but we tend to record when inspiration strikes, so a date hasn’t been solidified.

Lost
As you know, I’m a big Lost fan. Starting this Tuesday night, I’m going to start writing reactions to the new episodes. This is your one and only warning: DO NOT READ THEM IF YOU’RE BEHIND IN THE SERIES! Whether I actually keep up on these reactions is debatable.

Weekly Baki Fix
I haven’t forgotten about the Weekly Baki Fix, I promise. This month, I will try to get back on track with my column. I made the mistake of writing them on the weekend. When I started the column, I didn’t do much in the way of hanging out. Now that I’ve made some new friends, I’ve been going out more, which results in my being lazy and hungover come Sunday.

Release Calendar
I just finished updating the calendar for March. I’m only listing Tuesday releases for games now. Listing every single game release was very tedious. I’ve also noticed that some of the dates I listed for February, changed to March dates. I know that I said this could happen in the fine print, but I figured I would point it out again. Anime and Movie release listings will remain the same.

News
It’s still in the planning stages, but I’m considering reporting on new items. It won’t happen until I see something that I deem important enough to write about, but I thought I’d let everybody know that it’s a possibility.

Writers
Written content seems to be slowing down already, so I think it’s time to remind the internet that I’m always looking for new writers. It’s tough to run this site alone, so if you want to contribute then send me your applications. Click here for more details.



Anne sighed as she sat in her room, staring at her wall. She just finished writing in her diary, and had nothing to do. Life was boring in the Secret Annex, but it was better than the alternative. It was alright talking to Peter and Margot, but they were both such quiet people, unlike the always active Anne. All of a sudden, a flash of light appeared in the room! Anne jumped back, stifling a scream. Before she could run out the closed door she noticed that the person who appeared in the flash was not a Nazi officer, but someone who she had never seen before! His clothes were very strange, and his hair was in a spiky style that was totally new to her. She stood against the wall, wary of the stranger, but he walked towards her and smiled, extending a hand. “My name is Goku.” The mysterious stranger said. Anne nervously put her hand in his. He bent down and kissed it softly, then let go. Anne blushed, feeling something she had never felt before go off inside of her. “My name is Anne…” she replied quietly.

“I’m sorry for what just happened,” Goku told her, “But I was caught in a time portal and deposited here! My power cells will recharge soon, but until then, I’m stuck here.” Anne had no idea what the handsome visitor was talking about, but she played along. “Well, sir” she said. “You may stay in my room as long as you like!” Anne blushed again as she said this, and giggled slightly. Goku looked around, and then sat on the bed. “Thank you for the invitation. I’ll be sure to repay you for it soon.” Anne did not understand what he meant by that, however, when he spoke, she felt a warmth deep inside of her. She sat by him on the bed, staring at the man’s beautiful eyes. Finally, she could stand it no longer. Anne leaned over and kissed the stranger on the cheek, and then pulled back quickly, not sure of what she had done. “I’m sorry…” she said, as she stumbled to find the right words. The visitor smirked. “No, that’s quite alright.” He replied with a smile, putting one arm around her. “You know, you’re a very beautiful girl, but I… well…” Anne looked at him, troubled. “What’s the matter?” she said, with a sweet smile. Goku looked nervous. “I… I’m already married.” he finally managed to choke out.

Anne pulled away from him abruptly. “No!” she said loudly, almost in tears. “I’m sorry…” he replied. Anne was furious. “Nothing ever goes right!” she cried out. “I have to go now, my power cells have recharged.” said Goku. Anne was in tears by now, staring at the wall so she wouldn’t see Goku’s face. He smiled a sad smile, and disappeared in another flash, out of Anne’s life forever. Anne never forgot him, though… not until the end of time.

One month. Well, it didn’t feel like a month. To Anne Frank, a Jew in hiding from the Nazis, it seemed like a year. One month since the fateful encounter with the mysterious man from another world, who she only knew as ‘Goku’. The handsome stranger had stepped through time and into her life, then disappeared without a trace. Anne was almost sure that they’d never meet again, even though not one day passed without her dreaming of him. Little did she know, however, that their lives were tied by the unbreakable red string of fate.

It was another boring day in the Secret Annex. Anne sat on the bed of her room, writing in her diary. It never occurred to her, however, that this entry would be her last. As she wrote in the quiet attic, there was a loud noise from downstairs. Her heart jumped with both fear and excitement. Was it them? The Nazis? Or, could it be… him? She had no idea whether to run downstairs or to hide. That decision, however, was made for her. Her door flew open, and a tall soldier was visible in the doorway, glaring at her. The cries of her family members and friends were tuned out as Anne only thought of one thing. She stood up and followed the soldier out of her room, down the stairs, and into the back of a truck. “So this is it.” She said quietly to herself. “I’ll never see him, my one true love, ever again. And all those years of hiding… they were for naught.” Then, Anne realized that she left her precious diary up in her room. She broke loose from the officer, and made a dash back into the shop, when he removed a gun from his holster and fired a shot in her direction. Anne fell to the floor.

Anne lay on the floor, feeling searing pain run through her leg, where the bullet had met its mark. The Gestapo officer menacingly moved towards her, grinning, when all of a sudden there was a blinding flash of light, causing the officer to shield his eyes. A huge cloud of smoke appeared next to Anne, blocking her from the soldier’s vision. When the smoke cleared, he was in for quite a surprise. There was Goku, holding Anne in his arms, standing next to a huge metal capsule. “Goku!” cried Anne “You came back… for me!” Goku smiled. “Anything for you, my dear.” He said. “Our love will never be lost… not until the end of time.” The Gestapo officer turned tail and ran, but Goku was too quick for him. After laying Anne on the concrete, he dashed towards the Nazi and knocked him to the ground, unconscious, with only one blow. “Nazi scum.” Muttered Goku as he spit on his enemy’s limp body, then returned to Anne. “Here, I have something for you.” Goku said, as he removed a small bean from his pocket. “What on earth is this?” asked Anne. Goku smiled, remember how ignorant she was to what was everyday life to him. “A senzu bean.” He said. “Just eat it, and it will cure your leg.” Anne followed his instructions and popped the bean into her mouth, as the wound on her calve magically healed. “Now come on.” Commanded Goku. “We’ve got some Nazi ass to kick.” Anne jumped on the mysterious Saiyan’s back, as he launched off into the sky.

After only a few moments, the two of them arrived in Berlin. Tanks were parading down the street, as Adolf Hitler himself stood on a platform overlooking it all. “Stay here.” Goku said, dropping Anne in a shaded area under a tree. He then flew straight towards the parade of tanks, fist outstretched, screaming as loud as he could. The soldiers below scattered in terror, while the tanks tried to aim their cannons at him. He was too quick and nimble for them, however, and opened the hatch of a nearby Panzer, then headed inside. After dispatching of the soldiers in control of the war machine, he took the wheel. He fired round after round into the crowds of Nazi soldiers, occasionally firing at the other tanks. After only minutes, there was nothing but a cloud of dust and corpses. Goku emerged from the tank’s hatch, smiling now that he had done his duty. When all of the dust cleared, there were only two people remaining on the parade ground: Goku, the Saiyan hero, and Adolf Hitler, the most evil man ever to walk the earth.

Anne watched from nearby fearfully as she saw the two men stare at each other for what seemed like hours. Her one true love, and her ultimate oppressor. It had come down to this. “So,” Hitler said jovially “You took out all of my men. However, you aren’t going to defeat me.” Hitler then jumped down from his platform and down onto the street in front of Goku, pulling a chain gun from the ground nearby. Goku quickly jumped behind a ruined tank, as Adolf opened fire. The tank made decent cover, but it wasn’t long until it would be torn apart by the hail of bullets. Goku had to act. He dashed out from the side of the tank, and flew as fast as he could toward Hitler, who had no time to react. He grabbed the chain gun out of his enemy’s hands, and snapped it over his knee with ease. Hitler stumbled backwards, shocked at the turn of events. Goku smirked, then said “It’s come down to this. You and me. Fighting like men. If you admit defeat now, I’ll kill you rather painlessly.” Goku had the definite advantage. Or so it seemed. Hitler burst into a laugh, as Goku looked on quizzically. The mustachioed man slowly rose into the air, as his brown hair and pencil moustache turned a blonde color, and his brown eyes turned blue. Goku reeled in horror. Hitler continued laughing, then finally said “Goku! You came here expecting to find a madman, but instead, you found a GOD!” Hitler had become a Super Saiyan.

Anne looked on in awe, not sure what was going on. At first, it seemed like her lover would win the battle, but now she was not so sure. Goku now seemed scared of his opponent, and it was for a good reason. Hitler continued to speak “Goku, can’t you see? I’ve reached a power level 10 TIMES anything you’ve ever achieved! Your fate is sealed, weakling.” Even though the battle seemed unwinnable, Goku charged in, screaming at the top of his lungs. Every blow he struck with was deflected off of Hitler’s rock hard body. Hitler waited for Goku to tire himself out, then raised his fist and punched Goku. And one punch was enough. Goku was knocked across the street into a large propaganda poster of Hitler, thudding to the cold, hard ground. Hitler laughed, thinking that victory was in his hands at last. Goku, however, was not ready to give up. Bruised and battered, he rose from the ground, limping in Hitler’s direction. The Nazi leader laughed. “You still want to fight? Don’t you know when to give up, boy? You can hardly walk. And you expect to beat ME? Conqueror of Europe?” Goku ignored Adolf’s taunts as he continued to stumble his way forward. Finally, the two archrivals were standing face to face.

Goku stared Hitler into the eye, then screamed “This… is for LOVE!” and flew up into the sky, his hair turning blonde, his eyes blue, and an aura of power radiating from him. Hitler looked on in horror at Goku. He had made the ultimate achievement. He had become a Super Ultra Power Saiyan. Goku made a cup shape with his hands, aiming at Hitler, as he belted out the words “Kame… Hame… HAAAAA!” as a beam of pure energy shot at his enemy, disintegrating the Nazi leader’s body. Goku then collapsed to the ground in a heap, exhausted from the fight. Two years later: Anne and Goku had finally reached the date of their wedding. After the battle, Anne and Goku destroyed the time machine and took a boat to Australia. They changed their names and lived new lives, ready to start over. The two young people looked into each others eyes as they kissed, as the reverend pronounced them man and wife. Finally, it seemed, Anne was at peace. And they would always be together, until the end of time.

In the meantime, Borders is going out of business. While this is a sad thing to report there is still some good in the news. Great deals on manga (and other books too). I can’t speak for every Borders, but the one I went to last night had all manga marked 50% off. I picked up a volume of 20th Century Boys as well as the second Haruhi novel and the first Wicked City novel for less than 20 dollars. I know a lot of you kids love your scanlations, but light novel translations are a lot harder to come by. I can’t confirm this date, but the clerk said that she thinks the store will be closed for good by the end of the month.

UPDATE: I just did a quick Google search and found no evidence that ALL stores are closing down. There was no doubt that the store I went to was shutting down, but that was just one store in a crappy mall. I do know that the company has been having financial problems for some time now, so they might just be cutting back on the less profitable stores.

Although it may be obvious to current listeners and visitors of the website, I’d like to take this moment to state it officially. This is no longer strictly an anime website. I love anime and I still enjoy watching it from time to time, but after doing the formatted podcast it began to feel like a job. That’s not cool, man. The podcast will continue as is. That is to say that we’re going to talk about whatever the fuck we want whenever the fuck we feel like it. If you’ve ever listened to the podcast you know that we still talk about anime and video games at least once in every episode, some more than others. I find this format to be a lot more enjoyable, so that’s how it’s going to be. I’m still going to post pictures of dogs every Wednesday and I’m still going to release podcasts whenever I feel like recording them. I might start posting more written content, but I wouldn’t get your hopes up. I’m probably going to change the website name to reflect this change, but I haven’t come up with a title I’m satisfied with yet.

In the meantime, check out the interview ANN did with Frenchy Lunning, the founder of the event.

Chris and I moved into our new apartment about two weeks ago. It’s pretty cool, but we still haven’t gotten the internet set up. That should be taken care of by the end of Monday. We’ve been leeching off one of our neighbors since we moved in. The connection isn’t bad, but it’s not reliable enough for uploading podcast episodes. There’s also the trouble of not having much content to upload. I do have some stuff in the works, but I haven’t had time to edit the audio. School in back in session and it’s harder than I could have ever expected, so most of my time has been spent studying (and beating Arkham Asylum). I’m going to do what I can to get back on track, but I can’t say when that will happen because as of right now, most of my belongings are still in boxes. I’m going to try to record something this weekend, but I probably won’t be able to upload it until Monday afternoon. I do have a few review/articles from my wonderful writing staff that I need to post yet. Perhaps I’ll do that in the meantime.

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