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Witch Hunting Under the Cherry Blossoms
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| Wednesday, October 15th, 2003 | Angelo |
For the first part of this update, we figured we should showcase a bit of our readers' work! Our recent Witch Hunter Robin contest has come and gone, and eight brave souls entered the competition. The rules were simple: create a new character design for the show, or fill in the gaps on one of those ever-so-cryptic next episode previews. Here's the three entries we received for the character design contest. Some neat ideas were put into all three, and it was difficult to choose a winner.
Entry by: James Kelley
 Cadmium, likes to blow stuff up. |
Entry by: Katharine Jay
 Tsuzuki Kagemotsu, shadow master. |
Entry by: Jennifer Claudio
 Tone Sullivan, master of electricity. |
The writing contest brought in five excellent entries. The objective was to choose from five passages (more than one was allowed), and fill in the gaps as if you the writer were the hunter on that particular case. Below are the entries we received.
Entry by: Liz Barillas
Passage 1: Three hundred and twenty years have passed since the coven sank in the
dark. Witch. Awaken Power. Bounds of jurisdiction. Can not turn a blind eye on to
those infatuated by unforgiven power.
The first case I was assigned when I transfered to STN-J. Hunting down a 12
year-old witch whose power has awakened and is causing havoc all over the area
where she is located. I'm a sorcerer medium, a person who is able to confine
witches and temporaily lessen their powers with chanting beads. I head out
during the night to the spot where the sensors detected her.
While I drive along the route I see flashes of red light and from those
flashes, sparks of fires start falling all over, setting fire to everything they
touch. I quickly dodge the ones that try to hit me. After putting some
distance, I head toward the location of the red flashes which had stopped. They
had come from a camping ground. All tents, equipment, and people who were here
have died. A red glow suddenly appears from the distance between two trees.
A child witch, pale skin and wide eyes, stares at me and raises her palm toward
me firing red flashes. I dodge them and head into the thickest part of the
forest. Hiding behind a rock I take out my tranquilizer gun in which I only get
four shots. I confirm her location and shoot her twice at her chest. She is
subdued and collapses to the ground. I use my beads to confine her since I
distrust the tranquilizer's effectiveness. I call in headquarters to pick her
up and take her to the strange place called Factory.
Passage 2: Three hundred and twenty years have passed since the coven sank in the
dark. Bugs flittering in the dark. Life becomes mummified. Immortal. Cannot forgive
the mind drained of emotion that seeks eternity.
I dispise how witches treat others as prey to gain life force. Ten lives already
lost. To prove my abilities are essential to STN-J I accept the case of
capturing the witch who attacks during the night. The last location where she was
seen was in the alley of the quiet part of the city. I don't wear the orbo, the
very thing that is suppose to protect me from the witches' powers. I know the
consequence of the wearing the orbo, ones own strengh is weakened and I need all
my strength to capture this witch.
The bugs fluttering rapidly in the alley sense the danger. The witch is near. At
the end of the alley she stares at me grinning, while I freeze with fright. I
fire the tranquilizer gun, but the barrier the witch creates deflects the shots
toward me. I dodge them, but the witch rushes toward me and pins me to the wall
ready to drain my life to supplement her own. I grab the beads from my pocket
and place them on her head. She wrenches in pain as my beads take their affect
and lessens her powers. I fire three tranquilizer shots to be certain she can't
break free and attack me. |
Entry by: Kimarlee Nguyen
Passage 3: Three hundred and twenty years have passed since the coven sank in
the dark. She, with the dark eyes who haunted my sleep, beauty in disguise,
sinful pain, has fallen sway to the darkness within. Death torn apart my heart;
her beauty means nothing to me. Pride and intolerance has pressed itself
against her face, red like blood as the fragment of what she used to mean to me
glimmers underneath. Silence rigorously kept her own world and I am the
stranger now. Her frozen heart needs to be thawed, but I hold the key. I am the
lover, forgotten and scorned.
Passage 4. Three hundred and twenty years have passed since the coven sank in
the dark. A lost landscape beckons to me, crying for the removal of those who
burned and scarred the purity from within. A scent of memory drifts upon the
wind, as an oppressed heart shuns the light. I will open this door, even if I
am hated for it. A wandering heart haunts the town clamoring for the past, and
I will burn my fingers to reclaim this lost dream. I am no more of a hunter
then you, for my blood runs with revenge and only that. |
Entry by: Marc Mains
Encounter in the rain. Thousands of puppet strings. Fragments of malice. Passing
hearts wrap the darkness in growing hatred. Rain poured that day, I found myself
staring into the eyes of a man - no, not a man but a doll; a human puppet being
controlled by a higher power. Hatred and a feeling of malice emanated from this
living puppet. What was his purpose? What was his desire? Desire? No this puppet
had no desires; it’s only purpose is of its master, to kill the members of STN. The
only words the puppet spoke were “Kill STN!” With that being said the puppet
immediately caught ablaze and was incinerated. Was this Robin’s doing, or was this
a warning? |
Entry by: Julia Linthicum
Three hundred years have passed since the coven sank
in the dark.
But the witches have not disappeared. Witches still
awaken power with wills forged by fire and
strengthened by time. STN-J is duty bound to hunt them
down.
STN-J tracked one such witch to a train station in
Tokyo. Her capture fell within the bounds of
jurisdiction. She did not come easily, fighting the
entire way.
She was so young. Should she be blamed for being
swayed by such temptations? Perhaps not, but STN-J
cannot turn a blind eye on to those infatuated by
unforgiven power.
No exceptions. |
Entry by: Bruce Wallace
Three hundred and twenty years have passed since the coven sank into the dark. Threw out the ages impure witches have sought power to dominate all that oppose them. When one lone witch who had found such a power unleashed her Awakened powers on an unsuspecting crowd of people, crushing them. I can not turn a blind eye on those infatuated by unforgiving power. So I went beyond the bounds of jurisdiction, captured her and called the factory. |
The industry spotlight for this update is a visual showcase.
Ai Yori Aoshi (literally meaning, "more blue
than indigo") is a cute little show that just completed its release on
DVD in America. It consists of roughly 30% shameless fanservice and 70%
heart-warming romance. At its core, Ai Yori Aoshi is the love story of
Kaoru Hanabishi and Aoi Sakuraba, who are children of well-to-do
families and were to be joined in a marraige arranged by the families.
All that changed, however, when Kaoru sought independence from the
Hanabishi family. But even after he had left to attend college, Aoi
hadn't given up on the idea of being his wife...
The appeal of Ai Yori Aoshi isn't just in the details of their romance;
the show sports some beautiful character art. The chemistry between
Kaoru and Aoi can be felt just by seeing them on a page - with no
context or voice needed. This isn't to say the voices don't add to the
experience, of course. Kaoru Hanabishi is voiced by Mr. Souichirou
Hoshi. While you may have not heard his name, you've undoubtedly heard
his voice as Kira Yamato in Mobile Suit Gundam
SEED, Ryu Soma in Argentosoma, or
Kazuma in s-CRY-ed. Perhaps you've also
heard him voice Kei Kusanagi in Please
Teacher or Son Goku in Saiyuki. You
could say Hoshi is the best kind of voice actor - one whose voice you
won't usually recognize without seeing his name in the credits.
Ms. Ayako Kawasumi (Aoi Sakuraba) is another such actor. Her meek and
gentle tone expressed through Aoi is quite different from the unyielding
and serious tone expressed through Lafiel in Crest
of the Stars. A few of her other major roles are: Natsuki Mogi
in Initial D, Mika Iwakura in Serial Experiments Lain, Mahoro in Mahoromatic, Melfina in Outlaw
Star, and Koishi Herikawa in Please
Teacher.
We have some artwork from Ai Yori Aoshi for your enjoyment. Be sure to
visit the Ai Yori Aoshi web site for more information about
the show, and this site has info on the show's soundtracks, as well as a solo album by its talented theme song vocalist, Ms. Yoko Ishida.
The artwork featured below is off of the Ai Yori Aoshi TV series art book, ISBN: 4-592-73204-9. The book can be found at Anime Nation and many other retailers, at home or abroad. This book is highly recommended for AiAo fans, and is a great bargain considering the large number of images offered within.
Lastly, we have 12 new desktop wallpapers for you - one by yours truly and the others by Nukunuku. Enjoy!

Love Hina wallpaper, by
Nukunuku (1024x768) |

Mahoromatic wallpaper, by
Nukunuku (1024x768) |

Please Teacher wallpaper, by
Nukunuku (1024x768) |

Please Teacher wallpaper, by
Nukunuku (1024x768) |

Please Teacher wallpaper, by
Nukunuku (1024x768) |

Please Teacher wallpaper, by
Nukunuku (1024x768) |

Soul Calibur wallpaper, by
Nukunuku (1024x768) |

Soul Calibur wallpaper, by
Nukunuku (1024x768) |

Soul Calibur wallpaper, by
Nukunuku (1024x768) |

Soul Calibur wallpaper, by
Nukunuku (1024x768) |

To Heart wallpaper, by
Nukunuku (1024x768) |

Ai Yori Aoshi wallpaper, by
Angelo
(1024x768)
(1280x1024)
(1600x1200)
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