First some recent goodies from Jump Bang, the Tokyo t.v. show that features Jump stuffs.  From baidu screencaps, posted gratis of Annie and Delicious at deathberry. Under the cut are the covers (in color now) of the new Bleach novels by Ryohgo Narita (unidentified new characters but possibly a previous Kenpachi and a lady person from Shunsui's past), the color cover for Bleach volume 55 (Bucky and some very large font), and Rebooted Souls (Ichigo).Also, a drawing of a very grown-up and badass Ichigo from Sensei.

The sketch from Sensei gives me all kinds of thrills. Kubo's art and Ichigo as a character have both grown so much in the past 10 yrs. Now the volume 55 cover. I don't know why Sensei was so excited about the style for this cover. I love Bucky and from this pic it looks like a nice scary portrait but nothing REALLY special--the huge freaking font annoys the FARK out of me, and while I see the double Quincy fives like two fists to the face, I get it already Sensei. I'd rather have art sometimes than his graphic posturing. This is the man who brings home his architecture magazines home and says he "purrs" over them but sometimes his style is too ... I don't know--at the expense of character? Like, I'd like to see a FACE rather than things?

Eh, I know he'll make up for it with the poem.    I'll get my characterization there. But I really don't like the big ass letters. I'm wondering if they're going to be in every volume cover from now on.

Goodies under cut

( Goodies Under Cut )

Second, I know that fandom is craving a translation in English of the fourth excerpt of the Bleach novel by Narita-san. There's one available at deathberry but it's being restricted to a closed subforum at the moment. I keep waiting for other translators to step up to the plate but so far its been days since the raw appeared and no one has translated anything but the summary. Apparently the DB fans who did so much of the work for fandom for years finding goodies and doing translations are truly the only ones who bother--despite recent claims to the contrary.

In fact, not long ago, deathberry translator pikeish (who previously provided for Bleach Asylum and all fandom with goodies via the IchiRuki FC before its break w/BA to form deathberry) stood accused of stealing a translation from Bleach Asylum despite hard evidence that her translation appeared days before BA's translation. Amazing fandom story. I know I've vowed to stick to source material and the Bleach MANGA in my posts but this fandom story is really too amazing not to mention. I've got such a personal stake in it too and it doesn't involve shipping pettiness but the fandom at large. What the story appeared to be at first was that some newbie translator had paraphrased pikeish's translation and reposted at BA to fanboi gratefulness and misunderstanding and much bitchiness towards the new forum who refused to share with BA. What eventually was revealed was that the administrator of BA, Velius, actually goaded this "translator" to go to to deathberry and take the translation, knowing full well that the translation posted at BA would not be authentic, original work. He then further goaded BA members to troll DB and suggest that pikeish took the translation from BA!

The attempted sabotage of deathberry by BA administration was all out in the open on BA visitor messages, screen-capped and exposed at deathberry. The thread was closed but you can read the whole dramaz HERE. The caps are rather shocking. (Velius: [administrator of BA]: "I'm good with code" and blackstrawberry [the "translator"]: "The one with the actual goodies happens to be someone other than me"). The thread itself features a surprise appearance from Velius who advises deathberry to lock down its forum 100% ... to keep people from stealing from it, I suppose.

Well, for the time being, deathberry is partially locked down. Unlike Bleach Asylum, it does not make any money off ad revenue and was never intended to be a biiiig forum. We were always a community of fans; we love what we do and never regarded ourselves as a public service either. Those of you who are blaming the people who run deathberry for keeping the bleach novel translation and other goodies from you, please don't blame us. We were sharing with the fandom at large. It was antics like the one the BA administration pulled that prompted the recent lock-down. People who work hard don't need wank and accusations. It's very unlikely that the new bleach novel will ever be translated into English--the previous ones were not. May this be a lesson to fandom. Entitlement and whining will get you nowhere. Want something very much? Do it for yourself.

Hold on, hold on! I know some of you will haaate the banner, because well, either you dislike Yuki and are wondering what he has to do with Bleach or you just don’t like the gloomy look of the graphic, but hear me out. I chose the banner. I love the banner. I entrusted yorleni and her wonderful talent to make this banner, and for me ---ahhh-- *kisses fingers*---the foreboding final arc of Bleach is all here. Ichigo, the mentor but his face in shadow and half-hollowed, and the new generation (yeah, that kid upon whose appearance audiences groaned “not ANOTHER new character) is wide-eyed and vulnerable. I’m scared—aren’t you? If the last arc was all emo Ichi (last banner ) then this one is the final bloodbath….

Any time now with that invasion of SS, Sensei. You promised a Seireitei in ruins and judging from the last stupid bleachness poll, many are on to your teasing ways and there are claims of Battered Reader Syndrome.

The readers literally want BLOOD.

But will they get it? The bloodbath, mean. This is the last arc and anything can happen, right?

Not really. This is a formula genre we’re in, and we’re talking Bleach—a manga whose style we’ve grown familiar with over 10 years now. I’d say it’s fair to expect SOME death but not too much—this is Kubo and it hurts him as much to kill off a character with real finality as it does to say no to a cupcake. As final as they were, Gin’s death, Ginjou’s death, even Sasakibe’s weren’t shockers. We’re past the days when Sensei can fool audiences into believing Rukia is lying dead in the ice…or are we? Maybe not if fandom was so quick to buy Ukitake as the final villain.

( Read more... )

Much to my amusement, I heard friends of mine recently describing their relationship with Bleach as "the world's longest one night stand." That is, Sensei has this habit of delaying gratification--as with the mysterygami episode and now with the invasion of the Seireitei, he sets us up to expect something and then switches modes. One friend compared it to a lover who gets you all hot and bothered and suddenly goes ADHD and tries something else (like Allon being Allon, a fugly fodder Quincy who no matter how much he reveals about the Quincy is still fugly fodder, and new characters no one really cares much about). Damn it all--audiences want to see the destruction of SOUL SOCIETY!

Anyway, I was wondering about how people view their relationships with the manga vis a vis romantic metaphors.

Poll #1841169 My Relationship With Bleach
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 155

How would I describe my relatioship with Bleach? I'd say--

Hey, this place has been kinda dead. But then again, so have I been. Sick and busy and .. and... and... but guess who's got a little free time right now? The husband turns in his grades Monday and he's freeeeee SO NEXT I'm going to churn out that Kenpachi/Unohana fic I promised someone over a year ago; I've got an Urahara poem in the works, and I hope to do a yaoi fic for Neha.

But yeah, as soon as I got a minute I drew Ishida.

So where are are all your weekend fanworks? I know you're still waiting for new rules and for me to move the community but don't stop posting here. I know things are kicking over at deathberry too (Honest, I've been spending all my free Bleach time there), and join up if you want exclusive news and translations, including a translation by pikeish of Vol. 1 of the Bleach novel (by Narita Ryohgo with Kubo sensei) Spirits are Forever With You (scan thanks to Ai_Sherry, and scanlation  thanks to Bad Example) For updates on the latest at DB, check the update thread: http://deathberry.com/index.php?topic=241.msg10457;boardseen#new

Anyway, I drew Uryuuuuuuuuuu!

http://debbiechan.deviantart.com/art/Uryuu-3-301704367

Yes, there are mistakes but I'm learning my chops still and it's been so long since I've been on my old wonky tablet. I had fun doing this. I really love to color skin. If I can ever get around to taking a figures class, I'd draw naked Uryuu all the time, i SWEAR.  :)

( Uryuuuuu )

Please post links to your fanworks in the comments section! If you've seen something you've liked that you want to rec or share, please credit the artist/source or don't post.

Remember the Jump Shop in Toyko that feature the IchiRuki goodbye among all these RAWR shounen panels on a mural inside the store? Well it's changed its Bleach panel

from this

to this

Original photos from Ruki.

This info comes from a fascinating post by Spiderkiss at deathberry HERE which also features some hilarious manips of Ishida in famous IchiRuki spreads. ;)

So busy because I've got a few days before seder and this town has a matzah shortage. I should be scarce as a bread crumb in a kosher home next week but who knows--if anything exciting happens in the manga tomorrow I'll put down the broom to post.

Oh Rukia--such respect for your art.

From deathberry here: http://deathberry.com/index.php?topic=113.msg6090#msg6090

Translation by Nacchan.

From deathberry of course, your source for the latest and most accurate Bleachy stuffs lately.

From pikeish here:

Cute tweet from Kudo Masashi (animation director of now deceased Bleach anime) on what he thinks when drawing Rukia.

A fan has tweeted him about what his opinion on Orihime's chest is and he replied with "Big", then another fan tweeted him asking what he thought on Rukia's? This was his answer:

Quote

小さい。というか全体的に小ささを意識して描く感じですかねぇ。一護との対比でとか。スケート回では二人の「手」の大きさの差の表現に腐心しました。


Small. I think it is more like I consider her body's general petiteness when drawing her. Like, in contrast to Ichigo. In the skating episode (342), I've struggled with the representation of the difference in the size of their hands.

Fans always did compare Rukia's height with Ichigo's, like how before the time-skip, it was exactly a foot difference. It's cute how Kudo's mind also went into comparing her height in contrast to Ichigo, and even for that detail with the size of their hands in the Date episode.

Also Kudo-san did give a brief response about Riruka's breasts.

Earlier in the week, Kubo-sensei himself had tweeted something funny in response to a fan questioning if Rukia was a boy. Here is the tweet translated by nacchan here:

Fan : Rukia is a girl isn't she?
Kubo : You need to ask? / What are you trying to confirm?

The tweet was a while ago but I'm still laughing--probably because I've heard so many Ruka=Hanatarou, Rukia=androgynous, Rukia=man comments in fandom lately. Usually Sensei takes the high road and doesn't address the crap he gets on a daily basis but I'm amused he chose to answer this dumbass tweet.
I

Well hey Sensei, you surprised me!  For the cover of volume 54, it's Rukia with the title of "Goodbye to Our Xcution." I thought we'd get Jackie for sure with that title--to make for a full set of the fullbringers. Now all I can think of is omg, a RUKIA POEM.

The cover is wonderful--the first shinigami to show in the arc in a crouching pose.  I guess Rukia's appearance in the manga really did spell the end for Ginjou and the fullbringer arc.  I'm so eager for the poem. Will it be an answer to Ichigo's that opened the arc? Will it cover the idea that while Rukia didn't defeat Riruka with the sword, hers was a victory of the heart over Riruka? Rukia's defining moment in the volume was her speech about Ichigo and how he changed everyone--will the poem echo that?

Also, Jump Bang aired with a drawing from Kubo--Rukia playing guitar as one of the girls from Scandal! Cuuuuute! Screencap by melodymix and pic of Vol 54 below cut. (eta: Other souce credits Annie and Nacchan @deathberry and broken_coda on twitter).

( looky! )


eta: part of Kubo's interview from Jump Bang, translated by at the Rukia FC at BA HERE

1) New glorious compilation post by Spiderkiss in deathberry, this time of Kubo's official Bleach art: http://deathberry.com/index.php?topic=82.msg1509#msg1509   (her previous compilation post of Kubo's rare illustrations continues to be updated here: http://deathberry.com/index.php?topic=80.msg1491#msg1491)

2) Good article by Deb Aoki: http://manga.about.com/od/bookreviews/a/Mangastream-Vs-Shonen-Jump-Alpha.htm
I'll take issue w/what she says about "leaked scans" being the source of early scanlations. Some issues of Shonen Jump are legally sold in certain areas in Japan before the "official" release date on Monday and these are purchased and given to scanlators. The illegal activity is the giving of the magazines to scanlators for illegal use, not the purchase of the magazines before the official release date. In the US and elsewhere, magazines are often sold before the official release date-- it you're a home subscriber, you're aware of this because you get your magazine before it hits the newstands.

I subscribe to VIZ ALPHA and have been a longtime supporter of VIZ despite my unhappiness with many aspects of their censorship and catering to a kiddie audience. More of my comments in the BA thread here.

3) Something pretty and fun. Our dear dear pikeish drew an IchiRuki IshiHime drawing for
Ishikawa Tomomi, the Bleach animator who is no longer going to be drawing for Bleach because she's gone on to bigger projects. Not only did Tomomi-san put Pike-chan's drawing in a frame on her desk, she also drew a pic back, one of Rukia (Pike's favorite character) waving goodbye. *cue tears* Here it is--so lovely!

Note watermark. Please do not re-post anywhere else, modify or use for your own graphics.

( <3 )

Thank you to Spiderkiss and deathberry: http://deathberry.com/index.php?topic=80.msg1491#msg1491

Sarah writes in the aforementioned DB post: This is a section to collect the drawings that Kubo has made of Bleach outside the most official manga resources (WSJ, volume and chapters covers). If some user find a new scan that would fit in this section or a better quality one of a picture that's already in this thread please, feel free to contribute *bows*.

CONGRATULATIONS to "Human" by liaciferlawliet ! It was the winning fic by popular poll in the IchiIshi Cont fic contest. Thank you to all participants. liaciferlawliet, please PM me with your address and I'll get your RS books out to you! I'm happy to send the prize to the writer of a such a good fic!

If you guys haven't seen the latest Bleach 4Koma by Ooba-sensei yet, it's here (scan by poppy_moon and translation bypikeish): http://deathberry.com/index.php?topic=38.msg1481#msg1481  We've got Ishida making an appearance this time! And Orihime making yucky tasting Valentine's choco for Ichigo! The drawings are either getting cuter or they're growing on me! Kira! Don Kanonji! So many pages this time!

Four pages of this week's omake have been trans/scanlated by Estella May, czeliate & BadExample over on Bleach Asylum. If you want to have a look at it here's the link: This Week's Gotei 13 Omake If you have an account at BA, remember to thank the translators and leave them some rep if you can.

A lot of interesting information has come out this week, so check this post for further updates as I track them down. If you have related links you'd like to share, go ahead and put them in the comments section.

Also, have a look at those guys behind Ichigo on the first page. My Quincy senses are tingling! Actually, this picture shows it a lot better than the scans do: Quincy antagonists?

ETA: more info AND an important reminder:
DO NOT HOST SCANS ELSEWHERE OR TWEET KUBO ABOUT THIS WEEKS' REPEAT AND REBOOT BECAUSE THIS INFO RE "BLEACH'S LAST ARC" ETC IS NOT OFFICIALLY REVEALED UNTIL JUMP HITS THE STANDS IN TOKYO ON MONDAY. ONLY A FEW JUMPS ARE SOLD LEGALLY IN PLACES IN JAPAN BEFORE OFFICIAL DATE AND REMEMBER KIDS, SCANLATIONS ARE STILL ILLEGAL.

First set of omakes

second set of omakes

ETA 2: Another translated page!

Thanks very much to the four entrants for the IchiIshi Cont fanfic contest! :D

The winner will be decided by a popularity poll, which is open to all visitors. The winner will receive shiny copies of "Resurrected Souls" vol 1 and 2 from _debbiechan_.

The eligible entries are:

• "Bad taste, Good friend" by renki_chan
• Tonight, I'm Yours by sacrificedalice
• "Our Hearts On Paper" by agenttexas
• "Human" by liaciferlawliet

The poll is open until 12:00pm Sunday, February 5, 2012 Central Time. Please vote using the form below.

Poll #1816145 IchiIshi Cont
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: None, participants: 19

IchiIshi Cont Popularity Poll

For the IchiIshi cont poem challenge issued by Debbie, renki_chan also wrote a poem, "Together...is just a wish". (It is unfortunately not eligible for the contest.)

Again, thank you to all the participant writers, and good luck! :]

Crunchyroll interview: http://www.crunchyroll.com/anime-feature/2012/01/30/crn-interview-the-dawn-of-weekly-shonen-jump-alpha

I still haven't seen anything in my inbox. :(  Being impatient. Anticipated are vids of Kubo, Kishi & Oda from recent Jump Festa.

Sasaki Hisashi, former WSJ editor tweeted:
Well, Today is the day #SHONENJUMPAlpha finally launches! http://www.shonenjump.viz.com/content/weekly-shonen-jump-alpha Maybe I should be wide awake all day long.

eta: while I'm still waking up, Annie was more alert enough to point out that Kubo interview in mentioned in Crunchyroll interview and that today all we'll likely get is a vid. From interview above:

"Bleach fans should get stoked for a Tite Kubo interview in February and One Piece followers can anticipate an Eiichiro Oda interview for March."

I have another stupid cold & fever atm so I hope I don't type anything too stupid. Please remember that the deadline for the IchiIshi fic contest is coming up. DETAILS HERE So far we have only one legit entry. Prize of Resurrected Souls vols 1 & 2 goes to this brave ficcer by default unless others enter (if so we'll have a popular poll). Haven't seen much fic around in general in fandom and I've been guilty myself of putting projects on the backburner but I have liked what I've read over the past months. Wish there were more IchiIshi is all. The art for the contest was amazing and I know it put stories in your heads out there--maybe you can share them with us?

Ah, there was no fanworks post this weekend but I did want to share one piece of art I loved by my friend la_kalaka. Her take on Ishida's mom: http://kala-k.deviantart.com/art/The-Men-I-Love-281912262

Speaking of Ishida, since the revelation that the location of the Ice Palace of blues and silvers with a waterfall, there's been all kinds of crazy speculation that the new action location for Bleach will be some Quincy place. Ha, I've heard all sorts of stuff in fandom since last week's teasers from Kubo and WSJ. People are saying that Espada will have positions in the Royal Guard, that the Ice Palace will be under Tatsuki's house, that Hitsugaya and Rukia are long-lost midget siblings--whatever, dreams are free! XD There's a sort of interesting thread at BA here: http://bleachasylum.com/threads/19795-Ice-Castle-Discussion

Here, have a stupid poll:

Poll #1814964 What's Next In Bleach?
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 158

What's next in Bleach?

Expand your speculations as to what's up next in Bleach in the comments. I know you wanna. As for me, I'm still excited about all the neon lights the Arrancar got in last week's Jump.
( Read more... )

Oh, again, changes coming w/bleachness in February. Posting access, Dreamwidth move, that sort of thing. I'll be sure to make any new rules as clear as possible.

Dear Lord, Jump is playing this for all its worth. I have the vapors.

Thank you for translations to czel from HERE

Hey guys! Ohana's here

The Editor's guess.

Next arc , few espada shows up??
Starrk
Harribel
Noitora
Grimmjow
Zommari
Nel

???

Other espada not showing up?? Does the Editor guess it right?

New arc takes place in Ice Palace : 氷の宮殿??


oo? WTF?
so can we say the espada that mentioned above has been confirmed alive??

( Read more... )


eta: pics from Annie (2ch)
( LOOKY )

Kubo's omake in RS 2 is out. pikeish will translate soon...

I'm dying over here. Nii-sama's sculpture of Ichigo is revealed in all its ... glory.

Thank you to deathberry.  http://deathberry.com/index.php?topic=40.msg1393#msg1393

What a thing to wake up to. IchiRuki romansu and the destiny theme steamrolling over Aizen’s poor little ambitions in bondage somewhere…. Ah, Sensei, you’re such a romantic—just like Rukia told Ichigo at the end of the last musical, lol.

Todah rabah Annie, Nacchan, Mel and deathberry HERE

When the two that share destiny part and reunite, beyond the frame of time the ceased clock will awake and start to tick once again

Kubo sensei’s poem with IchiRuki spread from anniversary chapter (ch.460) from SOUL RESURRECTION Vol 6

If you follow the link to deathberry, you'll see a lot of IchiRuki squeeing of course because the forum is IchiRuki. Here's one comment from Nacchan's tumblr I found amusing and fangirly but also giving you some factual stuffs:

I love how Kubo-sensei provided the English version of the poem this time so there’s no need for unnecessary translation wank, I had enough of that seriously

So happy that IchiRuki got another canon poem AGAIN, I even already lost count how many poems they have right now

• The “Black Sun - White Moon” poem
• The “Sand and Rotator” Poem
• The “One Boy, One Shinigami the story of destiny begins” poem
• The “Things that take you high is not only wings” poem
• Ichigo’s vol 19 poem — “That’s right nothing else can change my world”
• Ichigo’s vol 49 poem — “Can I keep up with the speed of the world without you”
• ….. okay I lost count, we just had too many (._____.  )

eta: the HQ scan, thank you to Ku. OMG, it's so lovely.

( HQ in all its glory )
eta2--from Annie, another poem that illuminates a spread. OMG, this one is beautiful too. I'm dying over here:

Fullbringer shoe spread: "Are we standing in the same place? Are you going to betray me? Step towards the truth in shoes / washed by tears."

omg, can't stop LAUGHING and delighting. The brave Aussie fashion photographer who chased off a burglar with an anime replica of Zangetsu has been fan-arted on Pixiv! Thank you aizome for finding this:

http://www.pixiv.net/member_illust.php?mode=medium&illust_id=24468665