Issue #44

July 13, 2017
North Republic Industries
Issue #44


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Senate Midterm Election



After deciding what end was up and what was happening the Mid Term Senate Race is nearing the end of it's run. The results so far are that Republican J.D. Drakan and Front D'Action Populaire Timpetotia will be elected to two month terms. A run-off is taking place to decide who shall fill out the remainder of Senator Toir's seat currently filled by Bacilli. Front D'Action Populaire Bacilli and Democrat Nosma Washington moved on to another run-off while Republican Regionia Wargrave fell behind. In the run-off between Bacilli and Nosma, they tied again and had to go onto a third run-off. In the end the region was spared a fourth run-off with Bacilli taking the win. The result of this is that the Senate will have the following composition 2 Senators Otaku Party, 2 Senators Front D'Action Populaire, 2 Senators Republican Party, 1 Senator Death to Sanity Party. In all the Otaku lose a seat, the Republicans stay the same/gain one. The Democrats lose one/stay the same. And the FAP gain 2 seats and break out on senate.

The New speaker was Tyfan Uchiha from the Otaku Party, and appointed Lewis and Daniel as Speaker Pro-Tempore. A sign that the Otaku Party will be taking point in this Senate. However no coalition has been formed and no party has a majority. With possible party flips and mergers on the horizon the Senate composition could radically change soon and see different things happening.


Citizenship and Voting



The Debate has been up in the air and all around about exactly what is a Citizen and who can vote. Or rather it's all been about voter registration. J.D. Drakan has spearheaded the movement to have people register to vote in an attempt to limit whipping inactive voters, aka the Ghost Vote. However the Front D'Action Populaire has pushed back hard in response saying that this wasn't what TAR was meant to be and that it is degrading for people who've been citizens for years to register to vote. Now there are two measures before the Senate one to overturn and one to repeal. With the Front D'Action Populaire gaining 2 seats in the Senate they have gained a lot of power to push their agenda however J.D. Drakan (R) has also gained a seat and is in a prime position to defend his registration. While at first it was hard to say what bill would have moved on, it seems that J.D.'s amended version won over and moved to vote receiving the support from Republicans, Otaku, and the Death to Sanity Party. The Front D'Action Populaire either voted against or abstained on the bill. While the Front might have wanted to achieve more it seems that at least in part this was a way to partially sooth them over.


Olympiagate


The first scandal of the Kounelli Administration took place just recently. The Chancellor and Secretary of State had arranged for Olympia to have a State Visit on the forums. This caused a massive reaction by Regionia Wargrave who called for a boycott of the visit citing that Olympia banned a citizen of The Allied States without trail or reason. This citizen is Regionia. This sparked massive debate on the subject and on Olympia as a region. Olympia was founded by Pepe Drakan, who also serves as President. Pepe founded the region reportedly because of his turn of approval in the region. He then recruited a lot of TAS' left and left leaning members and along the way gained others as well. Many people disliked the State Visit and Olympia as a region due to these things. The fire and debate over the whole issue with Pepe, Olympia, Regionia, etc. caused the State Visit to go South (not to Buxton) and it was ended at the request of the non-TAS Olympia members.

As a result of Pepe being pretty much over TAS and having his own region people have asked that he be removed as an Admin for regional security and to give it to someone more dedicated and active in TAS. Also Governor Regionia of Buxton has tried to pass measures to show the state's disapproval of Olympia but it's seen little success. With things going haywire this was a big gate, scandal, and bungle for the Administration.



Tyfan Media Comes to North Republic Industries


North Republic Industries Chairman Lewis (and Daniel) Uchiha announced that Tyfan Media would be coming under the Umbrella of the Company. Tyfan Media would be working with The Messenger Media Company and by itself to publish great content for the region. The deal is expected to help both companies in the process and help NRI assert dominance in the Media Industry.

This comes as North Republic Industries is rumored to be trying to take back The Herald, the leader of real news, and also cut it's ties with TwentyUno/Evolve after their CEO Pepe Drakan has fallen inactivity.



Sleepy Forums



The Forums have started to die down again with activity taking a hit after Chancellor Kounelli put in for a Leave of Absence, reportedly so she could sleep. This comes later after Arbor Mist and Toir have both vanished into the night. Though Arbor is said to be intertwining his roots with another tree. However Acting Chancellor Britarvia, who just recently switched over party lines to the Democrats who have faced heavy loses, hasn't been seen much at all and many bills that were passed were left unsigned. Some members of the cabinet and the Senate seem to be holding on, but with mixed results. Some people, Regionia, are decrying this inactivity and asking people to get busy. A few people we talked to said that this is all a result of our Discord culture which has been increasingly taking over people's time and activity drawing it away from the forums where more substance is. This has caused a number of people, for this reason and others, to leave the main Discord server.

Could this all just be a slog, a low point? Is more activity on it's way? Only time can tell.



Tao Comes to TAS


Tyfan Uchiha has brought Taoism to TAS. The religion has seen a spark of interest from others in the region, especially for their quote posting. A mini scandal broke out when Tyfan originally posted the temple in the Church of Northerntal, but the mistake was soon corrected and nothing ever really became of it, and it really wasn't an issue. Obito Uchiha has taken an interest in this new religion. Perhaps some competition will help to bring more activity to the Church of Northerntal and other religious organizations. Either way The Temple of Tao seems to be a nice addition to the region.



Uchiha Clan Rises


The newest family is in town and are calling themselves the Uchiha Clan, after the Uchiha Clan from the popular anime Naruto and Naruto Shippuden. The founding members include Tyfan Uchiha, Obito Uchiha, Mytzonia Uchiha, and Lewis (and Daniel) Uchiha. A family this big and powerful haven't sprung up since the Drakans. Other notable families in the region have included the Wargraves and the Washingtons. The Uchiha Clan seems bent on being a powerhouse for RP and activity, among other things. Could the rise of this new family be a come back for Families in the region? Perhaps this is spelling the end to the Drakan or at least their monopoly. Or it could just be another blimp on the radar. Either way it seems that the Uchiha Clan is here to stay, at least for now!



Culture/Opinion/Good Anime Section - Summer-time Edition!
Hello, Hello, Hello we are once again back for another addition to my favorite section. Remember that the names of the new ones are links to MyAnimeList were you can find more information, Synopsis, reviews, average score, Voice Actors, and more! Also I would be happy to talk about any series or movie that you might want to discuss. Once again I shall list the names of those I have done. Also Lewis and Daniel is always happy to talk about anime with you. Or if you need to know some anime sites just ask! This time you will also be getting a Summer time edition! I usually just copy and paste this part of the article. Tell me what else you want to see here! I used to just post anime I liked without reviewing it, so you will see a break in the list. Those after the break have been reviewed and those before haven't unless I put a (R) next to it. the (R) is not apart of the title like (TV) or (2005) might be. Also titles with (*) next to it are technically not anime.
Spice and Wolf (R)
Nodame Cantabile
Code Geass
School Rumble (R)
Honey and Clover
Clannad (R)
Great Teacher Onizuka (R)
Eden of the East
Kimi ni Todoke (R)
Mushishi
Ah My Goddess (R)
Full Metal Panic
Trigun
Kino's Journey
ef - a tale of memories
The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya (R)
Toradora
K-On!
One Piece
Guin Saga
Sekirei
Rec (R)
Glass Mask (2005)
Durarara!!
Cowboy Bebop
Angel Beats!
Usagi Drop (R)
Itazura na Kiss
Kobato.
Ouran High School Host Club
Princess Jellyfish
Genshiken
Hanasaku Iroha
Skip Beat!
Kids on the Slope
Eureka Seven
Death Note
Black Lagoon
One Outs
Princess Tutu
Fullmetal Alchemist
Love Hina
Hyouka
Cross Game
Waiting in the Summer
Psycho-Pass
--
Sword Art Online
Mirai Nikki (TV)
Crest of the Stars
Attack on Titan
Sakurasou no Pet na Kanojo
Beck
Tari Tari
Kemono no Souja Erin
Gin no Saji
Maoyuu Maou Yuusha
Tokyo Godfathers
The Irresponsible Captain Tylor
Nodame Cantabile
Space Battleship Yamato 2199
Log Horizon
Hunter x Hunter (2011)
The Wind Rises
Gingitsune
Nana
Neon Genesis Evangelion
Azumanga Daioh
Now and Then, Here and There
Berserk
Record of Lodoss War
Akira
The Vision of Escaflowne
Macross
The Seven Deadly Sins
Touch
Slayers
Fate/Zero
Redline
Garden of Words
Bartender
Kimagure Orange Road
Yotsuba&! (Manga)
Chocotto Sister
Gangsta.
Code Geass: Akito the Exiled 1
One Punch Man
Hikaru no Go
Boy and the Beast
Only Yesterday
Re:Life
Avatar: the Last Airbender (*)


Nodame Cantabile

Nodame Cantabile. I first came across this title I believe when I was searching for anime and I found it on Crackle actually. I think I was at my sisters house, wanting something to watch as everyone else had either gone to bed or what not. I decided to put on this little show, and boy was I in for something. I fell in love and now I'm making myself want to watch it again.

Shinichi Chiaki is a first class musician whose dream is to conduct among the elites in Europe. Coming from a distinguished family, he is an infamous perfectionist—not only is he highly critical of himself, but of others as well. The only thing stopping Shinichi from leaving for Europe is his fear of flying. As a result, he's grounded in Japan. During his fourth year at Japan's top music university, Shinichi happens to meet Megumi Noda or, as she refers to herself, Nodame. On the surface, she seems to be an unkempt girl with no direction in life. However, when Shinichi hears Nodame play the piano for the first time, he is in awe of the kind of music she creates. Nevertheless, Shinichi is dismayed to discover that Nodame is his neighbor, and worse, she ends up falling head over heels in love with him.


The story is amazing. There are very few anime out there that are set in college. Other ones that come to mind are Honey and Clover, Genshiken, Golden Time, and I can't think of anymore off the top of my head. Most anime if it has a school setting are in High school or middle school, which is fine and natural, but it's nice to get something set in college, especially as you grow older and want a more mature anime. The story genres are slice of life, romance, comedy, Josei, music, and drama. The story it's self if very nice, while very comedic at times it also can deal with the serious topics of facing one's fears, romance, school life, and living. It's mature yet whimsical. I really enjoyed what it had to tell and show.

The characters are some of the best. Nodame and Chiaki are amazing. Not only by themselves but together. They show a great dynamic and are amazing to watch. They're two of my favorite characters. However there are several other great characters in the show, and some very minor ones done really well. They did a great job at building them up and then also developing them over the course of the show.

The art style is overall pretty good. It's for the most part leaning realistic, but does at times when it needs to be funny is more whimsical and "cartoon" ish if you will. Most of the show has what I would call a powdered look, similar to Honey and Clover and other shows, but it's fairly easy to get adjusted to. A big problem is the show uses CGI for the orchestral scenes, which is kind of out of place and disjointed, doesn't always look the best, but I guess it gets the job done as it really does look like they are playing, and I am told that they have correct finger placement and such.

The music, this is another place where the anime shines. In a story like this, it was made for anime a bit more than manga since you can actually hear the pieces and understand how the characters are describing them. Feel the notes, and be them. I've always liked classical music, but this show got me into it much more and helped me to develop a greater love for it. It helped me to find some of my favorite pieces, and my favorite composer, Sir Edward Elgar. I'm no composer or player, or classical snob, but I do like listening to it. The Opening and endings are amazing, some of the best. Especially the opening to the first season. I love it, the music in this show is amazing.

The Voice acting. What can I say. There are three seasons to this anime, and only the first one is dubbed. When I first got into it I didn't know about the other two seasons and them not being dubbed and I watched the first season dub. I have heard some say that they're not a big fan of the dub, but I for one love it. I really liked the voices that they got for all the characters, and I loved the voices for Nodame and Chiaki. However moving from dubbed to subbed to watch the final two seasons really hurt me and my immersion. I'm so divided on to tell people to watch a dub which I love or just watch subbed so that there's no transition. I'm also divided on what I should do if I go to rewatch it one day. All that said the sub is pretty solid, and there are a few things which the dubbed didn't pick up which the sub has so there's that. I like the sub, I just which that it had been dubbed all the way through, you know?

The ending. Hmmm. Overall I liked it. There could have been more, but overall I liked it.

Overall the anime is one of my favorites. I really love it. It's a great show and I hope that you too will give it a shot. It's a fantastic show, that I love. Now I am sure that is because I love these kinds of shows - slice of life, rom coms, etc. To people who don't like those genres, they might not be such fans. I for one, love it.


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This ends Issue #44 of The Messenger!!! We have come a long way because of your support! We thank you for reading and hope that you will read the issues to come. And Thanks to all of you who have said that The Messenger is a great paper, and we hope that you will continue this support forever and always. We are right now the #1 News out there!
If you have any comments please feel free to post. If you would like an advertisement in The Messenger the please contact NRI and we can work something out.

Also thank you all we now have had over 4,000 page views on our blog! Really thanks a lot, it means a lot. I'm just stunned by this, really. It is amazing that we have that many! Thanks for all your continued help and support!

January 24, 2017

January 24, 2017
North Republic Industries
Issue#43


This issue is brought to you in part by these wonderful Sponsors

Hunteiria
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Telegate


NationStates was in a storm, and choas ensued the TAS Government after Britarvia, founder of The Allied States, sent a telegram to the founder of CAIN Brunhilde as a private citizen saying "Chug bleach. Heil Hotler. [sic]" Britarvia though acting as a private citizen, performing a joke, and unaware of who Brunhilde was caused a massive spur. Brunhilde and Europeia both without giving warning, the right to response, or due process to the TAS Government, posted an open letter to NationStates as a whole condemning The Allied States for homophobia and racism. Later people have also accused The Allied States for Nazism. Europiea called out The Allied States for being "alt-right." With this Europiea decided to boycott the NationStates World Fair, following this response several other regions who are friendly with Europiea joined in on the boycott. These boycotts caused the Nation States World Fair Committee to discuss The Allied States status as Host of this year's World Fair.

These actions by Europiea caused a massive uproar within the The Allied States Government, with tons of debate, talk, and discussion on the matter. The Chancellor eventually released several statements to try and cool the situation by saying that the statements of one private individual doesn't reflect the region as a whole but they were met with little success. However The Allied States and Europiea did come to the negotiation table. On The Allied States side were such names as Imperium, TNR (Ryan Drakan), and CDLand. During this time the Department of Justice, under leadership of Attorney General Leodore Lionheart (Lewis and Daniel), launched an official investigation into the matter and to exhaust all legal avenues in the situation. The Investigation which was carried out as fast as possible, found that the only thing that the telegram could be tried with was Hate Speech, but regional law prevents charging someone with Hate Speech without issuing a warning first. Thus the only thing that the Department of Justice could do was issue a warning to Britarvia. Many people hailed the decision because of its extensive length, impartiality, and legal. However such response did little to calm it.

During negotiations Europiea was unforgiving and uncompromising, and little was achieved in such a discussion. However removal of Britarvia as founder was put on the table as an option. While all this was happening several pieces of legislation were put on the table in the Senate, and are still coming forward. One such, and the most controversial, The Founder Control Act proposed by Imperium. What made this matter even more controversial was that it was moved to vote after just one hour in the Senate. This act alone caused Senator Leodore Lionheart and Speaker Arbor G. Mist to spar over the matter. Eventually it was put back into debate. Senator Leodore Lionheart has raised many issues with the bill and is leading opposition to it. The Condemnation of All Bigotry and Hateful Remarks was moved to vote after just four hours, also sparking a remark from Senator Leodore Lionheart. This comes as a total of 10 bills were being voted on at once. This spurred Senator Leodore Lionheart to write an open letter to the senate showing his dismay at how the senate was handling itself, and that if it continued he would ask for the Speaker's resignation. Other bills on the table include repealing the warning act--the act which saved Britarvia from facing a court case.

With all the talk about possibly removing Britarvia as founder, many citizens have come forward to show their solidarity with Britarvia with the hashtag "#IStandWithCam" and posting pictures of cactus - the symbol of Britarvia. Already four citizens have publicly come forward to stand with Cam. However there may be more as the issue is hot and people may not wish to be public about their feelings.

The Allied States, and its few friends such as Josh Ravenclaw, combated the accusations of homophobia, racism, and Nazism. However even with such remarks Europiea and company have not relented in them. There have been talks of spies within The Allied States as well, however that is unconfirmed. In the end though the NationStates Wold Fair Committee had their hand forced, and with little other options had to take back The Allied States' right to Host the World Fair. Following this the Chancellor issued a statement calling that all Europiea diplomats and dignitaries remove themselves from the regional discord server.

Now in the aftermath of Telegate The Allied States is still feeling the rippling effects of it and will for quite some time after. The biggest issues that The Allied States will face in the coming days may be 1. Should Britarvia be removed as Founder? and 2. What will be The Allied States role in Foreign Affairs now. Both of these are big questions, and will shape us for times to come. Telegate now joins such events as the April Crisis as moments that shaped our region.


Games of the Year


We here at North Republic Industries and The Messenger Media Company went through the games that we played in 2016, which admittedly wasn't too many either way we decided to put forward our games of the year. Because we can do what we want we chose two games. Those two being Stardew Valley and Pokemon Moon (and Sun).

Stardew Valley was an indie game released initially on steam in February 2016. The game is inspired by the Harvest Moon series of games, and indeed it captures a lot of the same feelings, emotions, and joys that Harvest Moon did. It really reminds me of Harvest Moon: Friends of Mineral Town, my favorite Harvest Moon game. I am a big fan of Harvest Moon, I love them. Stardew Valley has filled a void that I've had since I haven't played a new Harvest Moon or now Story of Seasons game in a while. Stardew Valley adds a lot to the formula, and does a lot right. There are some complaints that I have about the game, but I can easily look over them for the most part because of how good the rest of the game is. And it is so good that there are many parts I feel that it could have done so much more in, maybe it will come later or not at all. However you slice it Stardew Valley was able to capture the Harvest Moon and add a lot it to make it its own creation. With a base price of $15 on steam it's a price that you can actually wrap your mind around.

Pokemon Moon (and Sun) the 7th Generation in the Pokemon series. At first I was a bit hesitant about the next gen, however the more I talked about it with my friends the more and more excited that I got for it, and I pre-ordered it (only my second pre-order) and picked it up at a midnight release, my first midnight release. This next gen changes up the formula. There's no gyms, badges, there are islands. There are challenges now, Z powers, and more. Of the coolest additions is Alolan forms, where they've taken Gen 1 pokemon that we all know and love and have given them new forms to fit the region of Alola. Not to mention all the new cool and cute pokemon that they've added in this generation. Another great addition was getting rid of HMs and putting in riding pokemon, no more HM slaves! I was not disappointed in Pokemon Moon, and indeed I was very impressed about it. The only two complaints or perhaps my two biggest complaints are the Z moves which I never use and feel like it's just there to sell merchandise, and then also the ending of the main story. However, this is the best pokemon generation in a long time, and it was a blast to play through it. Pokemon X/Y was a good game, but Pokemon Sun and Moon are like a breath of fresh air. I hope in the future they also add in more to cater to the older fans of the game, they have a bit already but I would love to see more. I am very confident in where Pokemon is going, and look forward to more. Until then I'll be playing Pokemon Moon.

2017 Looks promising with games like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild coming out, as well as Mass Effect: Andromeda and many other games. Also wishing that I had a PlayStation 4 as well to play some of them. But we will have to see what 2017 has in store for us.


North Republic Industries in 2017


Happy New Year! Here's to a good one. Now to look at the yearly outlook for North Republic Industries and also seen where we've been.

2016 was a good year for North Republic Industries and it's affiliates. The birth of The Herald, which split off and has become a hit within the region. Messenger Radio Network was launched with shows like The Lewis and Daniel Show, Talks over Tea, and Movie Talks. It has been pretty successful. Season 2 of Messenger TV, and now starting into Season 3. The Daily Messenger was launched which took hold in the region, providing faster news. The Messenger hit a milestone of our 40th issue. The Northern Survey Company became another polling company in the region. NRI went purple and pink in October and November for Brest Cancer and Alzheimer's. Overall CEO Lewis and Daniel rated 2016 positively.

Now in 2017 North Republic Industries will continue off those successes and continue to grow and enhance the company to make it as best as it possibly as it can be. In 2017 NRI will celebrate it's 5 year anniversary and has big plans for the celebration. Many of the new shows, and old that launched in 2016 will be continued in 2017 from The Daily Messenger to Talks over Tea, even Movie Talks. There are some plans for new things such as bringing back the Soap Opera Broadcasting Corporation. NRI is in a partnership with Evolve Media with Premier. CEO Lewis and Daniel said that the biggest thing will be that NRI will strive constantly to be active, to be out there, and to pump out activity as much as it can. 2017 Looks good, and we hope that you will share it with us.


Anime of the Year

Not anime of the year

2016 was overall a pretty good year for anime, which is always good because we always need new anime that's good. On that I have also not watched every single anime that came out in 2016, sorry to disappoint expectations. Now without further ado let's get down to business.

Anime of the Year. I award this honor to Re:Life. Re:Life was actually looked at in The Messenger last issue, but basically to summarize here. The Story is about Arata Kaizaki a 27 year old, kind of a NEET, helpless person. He quit his job after three months and has yet to be able to find another one. He works part time in a convenience store and can't find a new job. But that is about to change when he is approached by Yoake Ryou of the ReLife Research Institute. He wants Kaizaki to become a test subject. He would looked like he's 17 again and go to high school school for a year. In exchange he would have all his living expenses covered. Thus does Kaizaki begin his high school life again. This show was overall amazing, and as someone who is in College now, and left High school, I can relate to it. What would I do differently if I could go to High school again? The story though was very well done with great characters, art, voice acting, and music. My only real complaint about the show is the ending, because it doesn't really end. This series is longing--needing a second season. It left me longing for so much more, but there's none yet. I could go to the manga, and I might have. I can't remember. But anyway I long for more, and overall I would consider Re:Life the Anime of the Year.

Honorable Mentions. Erased, Re:Zero, I've Always Liked You, Drifters,

Culture/Opinion/Good Anime Section - Winter-time Edition!
Hello, Hello, Hello we are once again back for another addition to my favorite section. Remember that the names of the new ones are links to MyAnimeList were you can find more information, Synopsis, reviews, average score, Voice Actors, and more! Also I would be happy to talk about any series or movie that you might want to discuss. Once again I shall list the names of those I have done. Also Lewis and Daniel is always happy to talk about anime with you. Or if you need to know some anime sites just ask! This time you will also be getting a Summer time edition! I usually just copy and paste this part of the article. Tell me what else you want to see here! Please know that as we go back and look at some or if I have on my blog, I will be putting a (R) after it to show that I have already written reviews on, it is not apart of the title like (TV) or (2005) might be. Also titles with (*) next to it are technically not anime.
Spice and Wolf (R)
Nodame Cantabile
Code Geass
School Rumble (R)
Honey and Clover
Clannad (R)
Great Teacher Onizuka (R)
Eden of the East
Kimi ni Todoke (R)
Mushishi
Ah My Goddess (R)
Full Metal Panic
Trigun
Kino's Journey
ef - a tale of memories
The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya (R)
Toradora
K-On!
One Piece
Guin Saga
Sekirei
Rec (R)
Glass Mask (2005)
Durarara!!
Cowboy Bebop
Angel Beats!
Usagi Drop (R)
Itazura na Kiss
Kobato.
Ouran High School Host Club
Princess Jellyfish
Genshiken
Hanasaku Iroha
Skip Beat!
Kids on the Slope
Eureka Seven
Death Note
Black Lagoon
One Outs
Princess Tutu
Fullmetal Alchemist
Love Hina
Hyouka
Cross Game
Waiting in the Summer
Psycho-Pass
--
Sword Art Online
Mirai Nikki (TV)
Crest of the Stars
Attack on Titan
Sakurasou no Pet na Kanojo
Beck
Tari Tari
Kemono no Souja Erin
Gin no Saji
Maoyuu Maou Yuusha
Tokyo Godfathers
The Irresponsible Captain Tylor
Nodame Cantabile
Space Battleship Yamato 2199
Log Horizon
Hunter x Hunter (2011)
The Wind Rises
Gingitsune
Nana
Neon Genesis Evangelion
Azumanga Daioh
Now and Then, Here and There
Berserk
Record of Lodoss War
Akira
The Vision of Escaflowne
Macross
The Seven Deadly Sins
Touch
Slayers
Fate/Zero
Redline
Garden of Words
Bartender
Kimagure Orange Road
Yotsuba&! (Manga)
Chocotto Sister
Gangsta.
Code Geass: Akito the Exiled 1
One Punch Man
Hikaru no Go
Boy and the Beast
Only Yesterday
Re:Life
Avatar: the Last Airbender (*)


Avatar: the Last Airbender

Let me tell you first how I came upon Avatar: The Last Airbender (ATLA), and my history with it. I was in third grade or so, when I saw the second episode, I believe, on TV. I had seen this same exact scene just days prior. I thought to myself "Oh this bald boy is on again." Not really all to interested into the show, but I gave it a chance and I fell in love. Absolute love. I even formed a "club" at my school dedicated to it. Needless to say that later in the fourth grade I had a falling out with my clubmates, and though I cursed the name of Avatar that day it was very short lived because why do you need friends when you have ATLA? Still one of my club members stayed around, still friends with him today. Well when your K-8 school only has 60 kids a grade you tend to stay friends with a lot of them afterwards. I had though a deep love and obsession with the show. In fact I would stand up and bow every time the opening played at the start of each episode. ATLA has always held a special place in my heart. It taught me a lot, and helped influence my tastes afterwards. As I grew older though I moved on to other things never really re-watching the show. Until now. And to my surprise I missed two episodes of it! I had never seen them before! I did get an update on one of them from my friend. Anyways so I was reunited with an old love. Anyways I could probably go on and on and on just about my history with it but let's move on!

"Water. Earth. Fire. Air. Long ago, the four nations lived together in harmony. Then, everything changed when the Fire Nation attacked. Only the Avatar, master of all four elements, could stop them, but when the world needed him most, he vanished. A hundred years passed and my brother and I discovered the new Avatar, an airbender named Aang. And although his airbending skills are great, he has a lot to learn before he's ready to save anyone. But I believe Aang can save the world." Honestly there's no better synopsis of the story than that. I will add though because it's not made clear here that in this world a select group of people can bend. Thus water, earth, fire, and air. Not everyone can bend, only certain people - kind of a genetic trait or something. And as you can probably tell the fire nation is hunting the avatar, and now he hast to master all the other elements and defeat the Fire Lord.

The Story is epic, wonderful, and amazing. At it's core it's your simple "group of friends has to take down big bad evil and save the world." However, to think that is the story in it's complete is far far from the truth. The story takes on points such as coming of age, honor, love, friendship, family, and many more elements. It writes such a fascinating story that few other shows can compare with it. Also the filler, what little there is (if you can consider it filler), is so well done that it's hard to know that it was filler. A few things that make the story so great is that it builds up this amazing world, and sets in place rules and then stays by them. It lives in it's world and does well in it. Since the world is so great and well built it adds to the story so much since we're traveling all around it. Honestly the story is amazing.

The Characters though are so amazing. Let's just start off with my favorite. Iroh, talk about a total wise badass of a guy. He's probably a leading reason why I like tea and facial hair so much; not mentioning my love of old guys in shows, especially when they are wise and easy going but at a moment's notice can completely level a city (bit of exaggeration) not necessarily because of talent (they have that) but because of the years of experience and practice that they've put into their talents. Iroh drops so much wisdom on this show that I have like four pages of his quotes. Not to mention that he's hilarious. I wish he was my uncle, heck I wish I was him. Iroh has been and always will be my favorite character in ALTA and perhaps of all time. However it doesn't stop at Iroh we're talking about my second favorite Toph, 3. Sokka, 4. Roku. I mean I could go on and on and on and on. Because ATLA boasts such a great cast of characters, that are not only unique and well written but evolve and become something more at the end of the series than they were at the beginning. Plus most of the time they are hilarious. They not only become characters but become human with their own wants, needs, flaws, and attributes. I could go on for days about all the characters, especially my favorites. The Characters shine is an already bright world, and they add to everything.

The Art style is kind of a mixture of Japanese and western influences which makes sense. The show was sort of an American take on anime so it makes sense that the two styles sort of blend together. Anyways the art is amazing, though simplistic at times it draws you in and keeps you. Some of the fighting scenes especially are really well done. My only pity on the show is that it hasn't been officially released on blu-ray. But even still it has great art. The Music, the magical, wonderful. I've even learned parts of a couple of songs. I learned all of leaves of the vine and part of the girls from Ba Sing Se. But just the score to the series is iconic for me, and helps to add and create the series. The Voice acting, I must say is amazing. The voices match so well and they become the characters. Really well done.

The ending. Hmmmm. Overall I liked the ending. However I felt like the last season especially kind of went by really fast. Like they're not doing anything then bam time to fight the Fire Lord. So the ending was rushed. And watchers of the show will know how much I wanted Iroh to take the thing, also sad to see Iroh have little screen time in the last season. But anyways The ending was satisfying enough and wrapped up and finished enough that I was satisfied. Back when it finished I remember wanting, waiting, for a fourth season. To see Aang rebuild his nation and of course see more of the gang. But that season never came. Which was a bit disappointing at the time. So I would have liked it if they had added in about 5 more episodes to ease in more to the ending, and you know maybe a fourth season. But it's probably better that the end there than start breaking all of the things that made ATLA and it's world amazing. (Looking at you Korra. Go die in a hole).

I have had so much enjoyment out of this show. I've probably had just as much from when I first watched it to now. It's suitable for all ages. This show though is just so, so enjoyable. I could watch it for days, and practically binged watched it.

Overall this show is just so amazing. I'm so glad that I re-watched it. It holds up very well. The story that it tells, the characters that it has, the art, the music, just everything wraps together to create this amazing show. It's definitely one of my favorites, if not my most. Just amazing, amazing. If you've not seen this show, it is a must. Go. I love this show so.

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This ends Issue #43 of The Messenger!!! We have come a long way because of your support! We thank you for reading and hope that you will read the issues to come. And Thanks to all of you who have said that The Messenger is a great paper, and we hope that you will continue this support forever and always. We are right now the #1 News out there!
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