Blue Exorcist will get an anime!!!! Finally!!!!!

This series by Kazue Kato, also known as Ao no Exorcist for manga readers, will have an anime adaptation for next year, while the manga will be licensed by Viz Media to come out in April for North America.

This was announced by the official site of Shueisha's Jump Square Magazine, which just uploaded the January cover of the magazine with this great news.

As we know, this is the story of Rin Okumura, a boy raised by a famous exorcist named Father Fujimoto. After an argument between the two, Rin discovers he is the son of Satan.

OMG!!!!! I'm excited!!!! I knew that this would happen sooner or later with the success that this series is having!!!!!

*hyperventilates then passes away*

Introducing...Dirtbird!

Occasionally in my wanderings, I will meet not just tattooed people, but tattoo practitioners, and often those visiting from outside of New York City.

So it was no surprise, when I approached a gentleman across the street from where I work, at 31st and 7th, to learn that I was talking to an artist.

Working out of Punkteur Tattoos & Piercing in Joplin, Missouri, Derek "Dirtbird" Wieberg estimates he has 130-150 hours of work inked on his personal canvas.

With so much to choose from, he offered up this piece, on the right side of his neck:

It seemed fitting, considering his name.

Dirtbird praised the artist, Rick Pierceall at Karma Tattoo in Tulsa, Oklahoma, who has done all of his throat work.

Considering it is Two-for-Tattoosday, I'll share this photo as well:

That's not Dirtbird, but it's his handiwork! The owner of this tattoo is Shawn, who had the good fortune to be inked by Dirtbird. They collaborated on the design together.

Thanks to Dirt Bird and Shawn for sharing their tattoos with us here on Tattoosday!

Tune in tomorrow to see a tattoo from Katie, aka Mrs. Dirtbird!

Databook: Yamato Agari from Karakuridouji Ultimo

Write this phrase in a wall and memorize it with me: 'This is the next Kurosaki Ichigo', in terms of badassness and prettiness when this manga gets done into an anime.

It's quite a mystery right now, but sometimes I swear that every character in this manga secretly wants to get in his pants (and Ultimo's too.)

And with these looks it's no freaking wonder:

Yamato Agari is originally presented in the manga as an idealist 12th century bandit swordsman who reunited an army of his own to defeat the oppressing Japanese nobility once and for all, and start a new government ruled by the people themselves.

Interestingly enough, not really much is known about him except for the fact that he reincarnated in todays 21st century as a 16-year old high school student (as well as his comrades), until he finds a certain doll in an antique shop and he feels a strange connection with him.

Ultimo (a super robot representing Ultimate 'Good') awakens to the presence of its master and embraces him, despite him not having a clue as for why.

Yamato is the master of this douji who has the ability to control time and dimensions, and it's the most powerful of its kind. Precisely because of that absolute power is that everyone wants to get a hold of it, and it's believed that it's actually the cause for the future destruction of the world as we know it, because of the expected ultimate clash with the douji (robot) of absolute evil, Vice.

Yamato's challenge is to figure out a way to stop this cataclysmic event from happening and capture Dunstan, a scientific genius criminal (sought after by the Guardians of time), who created all these robots of Good and Evil just for his amusement.

And at the same time, Yamato finds himself just wanting a normal life with his high school sweetheart, Makoto Sayama.

It's good to note that Yamato is drawn as a 'man among men', and much taller than his classmates, he has this classic 'Samurai hero' look and always displays a noble attitude, despite being bad-tempered.

Weekly review: Bakuman anime

I've started noticing it lately but there are some quite subtle differences between the anime and its manga. Don't get me wrong, the Bakuman anime is great and all episodes so far have been handled very well, it has great pacing, the animation team knows how to build momentum, and the quality can't be better.

In the manga's art, you can see the 'nasty' looks the main characters have, as the signature style of the creators of Death Note

But I feel that the anime is more targeted to female? audiences, making too much emphasis on the romantic theme and the comedic moments.

The manga definitely makes more emphasis on the 'wanting to be a mangaka no matter what' story. And of course this was a decision of the studio that I'm not going to criticize much.

While the anime softens up a bit, and shows us cute protagonists with a dream 

Bakuman is the story of two high school students who, against all odds of choosing a 'normal, successful' office career, decide to become mangakas at their own risk of failing. Slowly we see how they struggle but also how they will achieve their objectives: to have their first story published in Shonen Jack (lol!) before graduating.

Saiko being handed over the keys of his uncle's studio

Moritaka Mashiro (Saiko) is the typical student who doesn't know what to really do with his life, he's really good at drawing but he's undecided whether he wants to take his uncle's steps. He has had this crush on Miho since he was a little kid, but never dared to confess until he achieved something truly important in his life that would make him worthy of her.

He meets Takito Akagi (Shuujin) because he discovered through his notebook drawings that he left in the classroom that he has a crush on her. In exchange for not telling anyone, Shujin offers him to team up to create manga. Shujin is the number 1 student at his school, and basically has the world laid out before him, because he can choose where to go to prepare for a prestigious college, thus land a first-rate job, etc.

But interestingly enough, Shujin doesn't want that, despite his talents as a writer and the fact that he could become a traditional novelist. He chooses to work with Saiko because he believes in him and the work they can achieve together, thus he's a key piece in Saiko wanting to become a mangaka.

Shujin has a creepy, explosive temper when provoked, despite being a nerd

As you can see, this series has great characters with depth and I find that it's a refreshing break from all the fight-to-death style anime/manga we are used to see. Sometimes a good slice-of-life story is a nice change of pace, even for the creators of Death Note :)

Ride the Cyclone!

In college we had a game room at the Student Union.

I claimed to be a master at Arkanoid, but would occasionally play pinball. Earthshaker was fun, but there was another, carnival-themed game that would often beckon, "Ride the Cyclone!" It was, naturally, called The Cyclone.

Fast forward ten years and I would be residing in Brooklyn, home to Coney Island and the original Cyclone.

Despite having been in close proximity a number of times, I've never gone for a ride.

I was reminded of this back in September when I met Matt at the top of the escalator at the Penn Plaza Borders store.

He shared this amazing tattoo:

This is, of course, the Cyclone.

Matt is working on a Coney Island/"Carnie" theme, having lived in Brooklyn most of his adult life. Thus, the Astroland tower behind the Cyclone in the tattoo. Next up: the Wonder Wheel and the Parachute Jump, other Coney Island attractions.

He sent along a photo of the tattoo when it was initially finished:

Matt credits this tattoo to Ping at Village Rock Tattoo in Manhattan.

Thanks to Matt for sharing this great tattoo with us here on Tattoosday!

This week's featured AMV (21)

Following with the Aizen theme, I couldn't help but showcase this badass video with new footage from the movies and the games. Looks awesome in high quality, isn't it? If we only could get this quality from every episode but I guess nobody is perfect.



Video done by AvatarKid4 from Youtube.

Something Girly This Way Comes

I met Nadya one afternoon in the beginning of October in Borders on Penn Plaza.

She shared this tattoo, which covered up a date she had initially inscribed on her arm:

Nadya told me that she wanted something "girly".

What I found most interesting about this tattoo is that when I asked her who the artist was, she told me it was her father. I can't imagine tattooing my own daughter. I would be too nervous!

Thanks to Nadya for sharing this tattoo with us here on Tattoosday.

The 2011 anime calendars are available at CdJapan!

As the end of the year approaches there's already plenty of 2011 calendars available of your favorite anime and manga series. What better way to start the new year with great visuals decorating the walls of your room or studio to get inspired!

For example, we've got this Bakuman one!

Bakuman [Calendar 2011 (Try-X Ltd.)]

Animation

There are two versions of the Bleach 2011 calendar with top-notch images:

BLEACH (A) [Calendar 2011 (Try-X Ltd.)]

Animation

BLEACH (B) [Calendar 2011 (Try-X Ltd.)]

Animation

And this is just the beginning!

Is Aizen a lame villain?

After reading the 'Ask John' segment at Animenation, I wonder how Captain Aizen from Bleach really fares in comparison to the villains that John showcases.

The problem I see with Aizen is that he's so ridiculously powerful, God-like and distant that it was only recently in the manga that we started to know what his true motivations were. At least with Light Yagami from Death Note we could see how he thought and how he strived to create the perfect world from the very beginning.

He's charismatic and bishounen, which makes him attractive and palatable. Plus, the scene where he goes 'Superman' on the entire Soul Society after obtaining the Hogyoku is priceless.

He spent all those years playing the 'nerd' captain, the tender, calm and spiritual one, just to find out that it was an illusion from his zanpakuto, Kyoka no Suigetsu, able to achieve total and complete hypnosis.



Not to forget how he stopped Ichigo's bankai with a finger, and the whole groupie relationship with Hinamori is just sadistic.



But overall, he has a sorta pimp personality (only rivaled with Grimmjow) that is reminiscent of those nostalgia villains from the 80's, just with a more suave touch.

Store special: HP Pavilion dv6-3120us review

The HP Pavillion dv6-3120us

In my continuous search  for the perfect, not-that-expensive laptop for the end of 2010, I find that there are quite a few models that are worth it in terms of price and what it offers.

I have been always skeptic of AMD processors, as I've had desktop models myself with that processor that wasn't quite as efficient as Athlon or Intel.

But I was pleasantly surprised with the AMD Turion II Dual Core Mobile Processor, they have certainly come a long way, the way it can be expandable to 8GB RAM and 2.6 Ghz makes it compete with the new i5 Intel processors and not stay out of the run.

When I first saw the design of this laptop, I imagined a 'pretty' design like Dell and at the same time it doesn't have anything to envy to a Macbook. This model is good for games and entertainment in general, but after trying it, it's perfect for work use, especially if you work in the Graphic Design or Animation field.

It took me a while to get used to the keyboard and the touchpad because they went overboard with the sensitivity, but if it annoys you, you can always go to the Control Panel and customize it as you wish.

It comes with Windows 7 64-bit premium so it supports the Adobe CS5 programs with ease. Another great thing is that it has 4 USB ports!  An additional HDMI and a VGA port enables you to integrate it with your digital camera and it doesn't even work a sweat as the data transfer rates run smoothly.

Some could still say that a 500 GB hard drive and 4GB of RAM can be relatively modest for a high-performance computer that should serve well for design purposes, but guess what; if you look for something wayyy less expensive than a Macbook but that encompasses its main qualities, this is it.

Even the price is similar to affordable Dell laptops at $529 on Amazon with free shipping.

HP Pavilion dv6-3120us 15.6-Inch Laptop PC - Up to 5.25 Hours of Battery Life (Champagne)

Happy Thanksgiving!

In honor of the holiday, I am sharing this, my newest tattoo, located above my knee on my right thigh:

This was done at Hand of Glory in Brooklyn yesterday as part of the shop's $75 Thanksgiving Tattoo Special and was sponsored by Troll Skin, produced by Skin Actives Scientific.

For those of you just tuning in, check the pre-post here, which includes all the Thanksgiving flash designed for the occasion. I asked readers to vote on which tattoo to get, and this one sneaked out a narrow victory over the traditional Native American profile.

I like this design because it combines a lot of traditional tattoo elements and delivers an image with a sociopolitical subtext. We have the traditional American flag and handshake designs, but the added element of crossed fingers serves as a reminder that, despite apparent good intentions, there was subsequently a historical betrayal of that initial good will.

But that's just one perspective, of course, and the Thanksgiving holiday focuses on the positive in our society. The mere existence of the tattoo reminds me to be thankful, which I alluded to in my original post.

I was fortunate enough to have Brian Faulk as my artist again. He had inked my Friday the 13th tattoo last August, and I appreciate that he works quickly and concisely.

Brian Faulk at Work

It was nice, also, that this design was one of his contributions to the flash sheet, as he was kind enough to embellish slightly on the original design, and it always seems better when an artist is tattooing his or her own design. As for the idea behind it, he was trying to represent graphically a broken treaty. I'm extremely pleased with the end result.

In consideration for their sponsoring this tattoo, I will be exclusively using Skin Active's product, Troll Skin Aftercare over the next two weeks as the tattoo heals. I can already say I am pleased with the aftercare cream because it is a lot less messy than the ointment I am used to using within the first 72 hours after getting a tattoo.

I'll report back then on how their product held up compared to the regiment I've followed in the past.

I want to thank all of the readers who voted for designs, and for everyone who reads and supports the site.

And thanks again to Skin Actives for helping make this tattoo possible, to Brian at Hand of Glory, and to my family, at home in Brooklyn and across the U.S., for their support

Manga creator Ken Akamatsu to help combat digital piracy

The creator of Love Hina will launch a website called J-Comi, that will provide free access to DRM-free digital copies of out-of-print manga from a number of participating manga artists.

The downloads will be ad supported, and the revenue will be split among all of the participating artists. Akamatsu cites one of the reasons for the development of the distribution platform as a means to combat unauthorized digital manga distribution.

A beta version of the site will be launched on this friday November 26, starting with the 14 volumes of Akamatsu’s Love Hina manga. The site will formally launch on January 10, 2011.

Bartender manga to be made into a live action series!

OMG imagine the Yaoi pairing with a certain known Black Butler XDDDDD

Super Jump magazine announced that artist Masaki Aiba of the idol group Arashi will star in a live action series adaptation of Bartender, a story by Kenji Nagatomo and Joh Araki about a genius bartender who prepares the finest cocktails for his customers, but also helps them in solving their issues.

The live-action series will run during the "Friday Night Drama" timeslot on TV Asahi and its network affiliates. To prepare for the role, Aiba has been training with a professional bartender since this fall.

(source: Anime News Network)

Mari's Prayer, with a Twist of Math

I met Mari in front of Madison Square Garden on a sunny day in October. How could I not stop and ask her about this tattoo?

Mari explained that this is an Ananda prayer, that her friends were meditating on it for a week.

The text, which is attributed to Sri Paramhansa Yogananda, reads:

Make me thy butterfly of eternity.

I burnt my past. I ignored the foreboding seeds of sprouting destiny. I waded through the strewn ashes of past & future fears.

I am the eternal present. I tore to shreds the cocoon of ignorance with the sharpness of my will.

I am thy...butterfly of eternity, sweeping through immeasurable time. The beauty of my nature-wings I spread everywhere, to entertain everything. Suns & stardust are spread on my wings. Behold my beauty! Cut all the silken threads of thy shrouding folly: follow me in my flight to myself.

The butterfly symbolizes transformation, a phase everyone goes through at one point or another in time.

Also among her twenty-two tattoos is this formula at the top of her arm:

Mari explained she loves math and generalized that, with this equation, "you can generate anything in the universe". In theory, at least. Here, it gets a little hazy for me. Part of this tattoo contains "f(z) = z^2 + c" which is described as a complex function. Then there is the part that equates the square root of -1 to the value i. This is a formula for an imaginary number. I'm bowing out here, knowing there's no way I'll be able to explain this part of the tattoo adequately. Readers are welcome to try in the comments section, below.


Mari's work was inked by Kevin at The Tattoo Shop in Lansing, Michigan.

Thanks to Mari for sharing her tattoos with us here on Tattoosday!

New Bleach 4th movie promo!

The new promo aired as a part of the opening of the Bleach anime.



The movie is set to premiere in Japanese theaters on December 4th. There's still no info on when the DVD is going to come out.

The quality as always is spectacular!

New Kuroshitsuji II OVA trailer!

'Ciel in Wonderland' was the first gag OVA. Friggin' hysterical. 

This gag OVA, titled 'the making of Kuroshitsuji II', will ship along with the Kuroshitsuji DVD in January as a bonus.

Here's a trailer that can be seen in the official site of this great anime series.

"Making of Kuroshitsuji II" will ship in the fifth DVD volume on January 26, and it spoofs behind-the-scenes documentaries by showing the cast on and off camera as they put on makeup and other chores.

Dragon Ball manga spinoff to be released in December!

awwwwww ^_^

This story by Naho Oishi will be based entirely in Son Goku, Krillin and his friends from Akira Toriyama's original story.

This spinoff, called Dragon Ball SD, will start to be serialized next month in the new Super Strong Jump Magazine by Shueisha, along with a Rock Lee spinoff from Naruto, a Chopperman spinoff from One Piece, and more stories based on popular characters from Katekyo Hitman Reborn! and Toriko.

Tha magazine will be launched on December 3rd!

What a great idea! Oh the nostalgia that this brings!!

New anime series on North Korean prison camps in the works

ANN reports that Eiji Han Shimizu, executive producer of Japanese publisher Emotional Content, known for biographical manga such as The 14th Dalai Lama and Che Guevara), has been working on a feature-length Japanese/Indian animated film based on stories told by survivors of North Korea's prison camps.

The film could possibly be released in 2012, though the project still needs funding.

This is the promotional content trailer for the story:



Tentatively titled "North", the premise goes around the repatriation program of the '60s, in which more than 93,000 Japanese Koreans left Japan to head to North Korea, which was promised by North Korean leaders to be "Heaven on Earth."

The main character's family was one of the families who took the voyage to this "Heaven on Earth," to dedicate their lives and wealth for the construction of what was meant to be the greatest nation, and that would promote communist idealism.

Relatively peaceful days in Pyongyang enjoyed by the family abruptly ended with the disappearance of the grandfather, and the main character's forced transfer toYudok concentration camp. Suffering through years of forced labor, violence, and the loss of loved ones, the main character grows to become a man from inside the concentration camp….

This could be an impressive story told with the dramatic realism of series like 'Band of Brothers', or even 'Schindler's List', and it wouldn't have nothing to envy it.

Mitsudomoe 2 trailer streamed!

The second season's title is Mitsudomoe Zoryochu and it will premiere on January of next year with eight episodes.

This gag story by Norio Sakurai is about the comedic misadventures of the Marui triplets in elementary school and is serialized in Weekly Shonen Champion.

Julia's Pin-Up

I met Julia briefly in a Hudson News in Penn Station.

The flash of color on her foot caught my eye:

Julia explained that she is a visual artist that likes to do pin-up illustrations. This particular design she wanted to be transformed into a tattoo. She brought it to Morgan Reed at Electric Lotus Tattoo in Boonton, New Jersey, and he made some slight adjustments that resulted in this lovely tattoo.

Work from Electric Lotus has appeared on Tattoosday before. This link will show you what else we have featured from their shop.

Thanks to Julia for sharing her pin-up girl with us here on Tattoosday!

Curiosities: where does the term 'yaoi' come from?

'Yaoi' can be considered an interchangeable term with 'shonen-ai', meaning 'boy's love' or any story whose protagonists are males that have great chemistry, and the possibility of becoming an actual homosexual couple is always foreshadowed.

But 'yaoi' stories go beyond that and are more explicit in their content, featuring more 'slash' situations.

Believe it or not, the term comes from Saint Seiya slash fanarts from the 80's! 'Yaoi' referred to the potential pairings between the protagonists of the series, especially with Shun of Andromeda.

And after recalling the infamous classic scene with Hyoga in the House of Libra, well...



Now you know where 'Yaoi' comes from :)

And don't forget Aphrodite of Pisces!



Yaoi situations can always potentially emerge in series where all protagonists are boys or men and they practice activities that are supposedly oh-so-masculine, like being samurais, warriors or ninjas. Just ask Naruto and Sasuke ;)

James Dias Tattoo, oportunidade

James Dias escreveu para nossa redação a procura de uma oportunidade em um estúdio maior. Sua prioridade é para estúdios em Portugal, onde reside atualmente, mas todas as propostas serão analisadas.

Se você procura um bom tatuador para completar o staff de seu estúdio, confira os trabalhos de James e entre em contato.


O tatuador possui todo material profissional próprio. James Dias é conhecido como JD Tattoo e trabalha profissionalmente no estúdio JD Tattoo fazem três anos.

Os interessados devem entrar em contato.

T.: 351 913234141
E-mail: jamesdias1983@hotmail.com

David's Traditional Hands

Last month I met David when I stopped after noticing his neck tattoo. However, it was his hands he offered up to us here at Tattoosday:

David works in construction and is a contractor. He also manages the band, Drew Nugent & the Midnight Society.

He has about thirty-five (35) hours of work done on his body, and he explained that these are traditional pieces on his hands.

He was inspired to have his knuckles read "True Blue" as they speak to his belief that our country has lost its values that need to be regained. Key among these values are loyalty and honor, in the traditional, "true blue" sense of the words.

To him, the panther represents that we need to fight to regain these ideals.

And the two roses represent the ideal (the healthy, red flower on the right hand) and what he called the "diminished," (on the left) that is, where we're headed with our loss of values.

David embraced these traditional elements because he feels that "the only way to have a future is to look at the past".

He had the panther done at a tattoo convention. The roses and "TRUE BLUE" knuckles are credited to Rick Meggison at Marked 4 Life in York, Pennsylvania.

Thanks to David for sharing these very cool hand tattoos with us here on Tattoosday!

Databook: Kuranosuke Koibuchi

In my newfound obsession with Kuragehime, I find this bishonen character to be one of the most fascinating in this series by Akiko Higashimura.

He's the black sheep of a family of politicians, being the nephew of Japan's Prime Minister himself, who's low popularity is constantly endangering his position.

Kuranosuke-kun likes cross-dressing and has a great taste for all things fashion, looking to mimic his beautiful mom, and evade politics at all costs.

His older brother, Shu, is a serious guy fond of tradition and correctness, thus he's always fighting with his little brother over his eccentric antics.

Kuranosuke-kun always grew in wealth, being sought after by the most beautiful, stylish and popular girls at his school for his looks and savoir-faire.

He finds himself a bit bored of his lifestyle and that's why he looks to do something different. That's how he met Tsukimi when she was trying to save the jellyfish from dying, and later the peculiar clan of the Amars.

He may deny it all he wants but his chemistry with Tsukimi says more than the obvious!

This week's featured AMV (20)

What can't be better than a tribute to Yuuko Ichihara from XXXholic?



The song is Make a Wish by Conjure One. Video made by Nanachan290 from youtube.

Two for Tattuesday Saturday: Wanderful Love Under the Cherry Blossoms

In honor of the release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Part 1) , we're sharing this tattoo, which I spotted back in September:

This belongs to Rich, a musician and rap artist. He's a big Harry Potter fan, as exemplified by the magic wand. The snake at the base of the wand not only symbolizes infinity, it is a nod to Severus Snape, a character associated with the House of Slytherin, of which the serpent is the mascot.

The concept of the tattoo is exemplified by the music coming out of the wand, illustrating that sounds can be magical and that Rich is under music's spell.

The piece was inked by Chris at Lady Luck Tattoo Studio in Montville, Connecticut.

When I met Rich, he was sitting with his girlfriend in Penn Station. She introduced herself as Kytti, and asked if I wanted to see her tattoo.

But of course!

She actually has two tattoos, but lifted up her shirt to show me this beautiful design:

Kytti explained that this represents her and Rich together in Japan. They've been together for over a year and they'd both love to go there together and experience the culture. The tree is filled with cherry blossoms, a flower often associated with Japan.

Chris at Lady Luck also was the artist behind this tattoo.

Thanks to Rich and Kytti for sharing their magical and romantic tattoos with us here on Tattoosday!

Wacom Intuos4 small tablet review

While the Bamboo and Bamboo Fun tablet models by Wacom are meant for office tasks that don't necessarily include illustration, the Intuos 4 and Cintiq line are meant for drawing and illustration.

The Intuos 4 models come in three sizes: small, medium and large. They weight less than its predecessors and are thinner too, so it's easy to carry them in a case. 

But if you're on a really tight budget and feel desperate to put your digital drawing capabilities to test, to see if you can keep up with the so-called 'new' era, you'd go for the small version.

Even for the $199 price on Amazon, you get an impressive 2048 levels of sensitivity, yet a good number of users would say that the price jump is unjustifiable when compared to the Intuos3 and Intuos2 versions. And there's the issue of the infamous shortcut buttons that sacrificed functionality for fanciness, being too small and too near each other.

Still, its design and surface is not as rough as previous versions and looks to enhance ergonomy. The ambidextrous capability is always a plus. The touch ring is one of the best features, it takes its time to get used to it but once you do, it feels comfortable as ever.

However, these Wacom models had one particular default issue with the USB port manufacturing and pen that came defective, that even forced the fabricant to replace the tablet per customer complaints and requests. That's why you can get a refurbished model as low as $139, but often without some of the accessories.

Beware also of the pen nibs. While the Intuos 4 models come with their pen holder, the nibs wear out too fast for frequent use. If you work 6-8 hours daily with your device, you'll know what I'm talking about. You'd have to spend an extra dollar or two for new pen nibs from time to time.

So now you see that it's not all bright, shiny and rosy when buying an expensive tablet if you're a beginner or struggling artist for the sake of it :-)

Still, if you have fallen in love with this model of Wacom tablet and feel like you can afford it, the refurbished PTK440 models have turned out wayyy better at a better price.