Yuji Kaido was diagnosed with a serious disease (the "B-cells") and cryogenically frozen. He wakes up more than 20 years later and Earth is nothing like what he remembers. A race of alien bugs called the Blue have taken over the planet, and a few select humans have retreated to the space station Second Earth. Yuji is taken back to Second Earth, where he learns that he and the other sleepers will be instrumental in defeating the Blue. And his relationship with one member of the recovery squad only serves to complicate things.
Blue Gender is an excellent 26 episode anime series. In 2003, Blue Gender was released in the U.S. as part of Cartoon Network's Adult Swim, though it had originally been planned for Toonami, and was thus edited to remove its graphic violence, nudity, and sex scenes.
by ♫ Highway to Hell ♫ August 10, 2010
Kurosaki Ichigo is a 15 year old boy that has an ability to see ghosts/spirits. Because of his ability, he is able to meet a female death god (aka Shinigami) named Kuchiki Rukia. To save his family and friends from unwanted soul-eating spirits (Hollows), Rukia transfers her Shinigami powers to Ichigo. As Rukia takes on a human shell, together they solve mysteries involving spirits and hollows until from the spirit world comes 2 other shinigamis explaining that it is illegal to transfer Shinigami powers to humans and Rukia exceeded the time limit to stay in the human world. After they sentence her death for breaking the laws, Ichigo snaps and swears to everyone he will retrieve Rukia by breaking into the spirit world.
by ♫ Highway to Hell ♫ August 04, 2010
Kami are any of the sacred beings worshiped in Shintoism, conceived as spirits abiding in natural phenomena and sometimes in people with extraordinary qualities.
by ♫ Highway to Hell ♫ July 25, 2011
Yakuza (also known as gokudo) are members of traditional organized crime syndicates in Japan. The term Yakuza comes from a Japanese game, Oicho-Kabu (played with hanafuda or kabufuda cards). The worst hand in the game is a set of eight, nine and three. In traditional Japanese forms of counting, these numbers are called Ya, Ku and Sa, thus the origin of the word yakuza. The yakuza took this name because the Ya-Ku-Za hand requires the most skill (at judging opponents, etc.) and, obviously, the best luck in order to win. The name was also used because it signified bad fortune, presumably for anyone who went up against the group. Despite uncertainty about the single origin of Yakuza organizations, most modern Yakuza derive from two classifications which emerged in the mid-Edo Period: tekiya, those who primarily peddled illicit, stolen or shoddy goods; bakuto, those who were involved in or participated in gambling. During the formation of the yakuza, they adopted the traditional Japanese hierarchical structure of oyabun-kobun where kobun (lit. foster child) owe their allegiance to the oyabun (lit. foster parent). In a much later period, the code of jingi (justice and duty) was developed where loyalty and respect are a way of life. The alleys and streets of Shinjuku are a popular modern Tokyo Yakuza hangout.
Yubitsume, or the cutting of one's finger, is a form of penance or apology. Upon a first offence, the transgressor must cut off the tip of his left little finger and hand the severed portion to his boss. Sometimes an underboss may do this in penance to the oyabun if he wants to spare a member of his own gang from further retaliation. Its origin stems from the traditional way of holding a Japanese sword. The bottom three fingers of each hand are used to grip the sword tightly, with the thumb and index fingers slightly loose. The removal of digits starting with the little finger moving up the hand to the index finger progressively weakens a person's sword grip. The idea is that a person with a weak sword grip then has to rely more on the group for protection—reducing individual action. In recent years, prosthetic fingertips have been developed to disguise this distinctive appearance. Many Yakuza have full-body tattoos. These tattoos, known as irezumi in Japan, are still often "hand-poked," that is, the ink is inserted beneath the skin using non-electrical, hand-made and hand held tools with needles of sharpened bamboo or steel. The procedure is expensive and painful which can take years to complete.
by ♫ Highway to Hell ♫ December 03, 2009
by ♫ Highway to Hell ♫ August 17, 2011
by ♫ Highway to Hell ♫ June 20, 2011
A wooden sword.
by ♫ Highway to Hell ♫ August 06, 2011