I doubt Utawarerumono races mimic their base animal

Unless of course, the creator wanted to be REALLY creative in this series.

Case in point: Kuuya and friends are bunny people. Bunnies are cute right?

THEY ALSO EAT THEIR OWN SHIT.

I could only imagine Kuuya inviting Hakuoro to some state dinner and seeing Hakuoro's face turn purple upon viewing (and smelling) the appetizers.

I don't see random males sniffing females asses, the wing people laying eggs or Karura using a scratching post. So I don't think I have to worry in this regard.

Oboro vs. Derihourai

I once commented that Derihourai (Karura' kid brother) is like a replacement Oboro in that both dual-wield, lead some ghetto-ass scrub units and have attitude problems. But let's see how they do in this game called life....

Oboro: Leads a band of ninjas (?)
Deri: Leads a liberation "army"
Winnner: Tie.

Oboro: Has a sick, blind younger sister.
Deri: Has a monstrously strong older sister.
Winner: Deri.

Oboro: Fights with two swords.
Deri: Fights with enlarged tonfas.
Winner: Oboro

Oboro: Has yet to do any significant damage to an enemy hero unit.
Deri: Killed an evil ruler.
Winner: Deri.

Oboro: After country's liberation, held more or less the same position.
Deri: After country's liberation, became its emperor.
Winner: Deri.

So there you have it folks, Derihourai kicks more ass than Oboro.

The Federal Government....

....my ass!

It's not enough that you tax us till we bleed. You also take every inopportunity (is that even a word?) like the London near-bombings to expand your power.

You cunts.

Religion of Peace...

...my ass.

I'm not only pissed about how this will affect my travel plans in the near future. Muslims need to realize that their shit can only take them so far in countries where they are minorities. "Moderate" Muslims need to realize that they can't enjoy the fruits of the Western world while apologizing for their bretheren.

Screw this PC-bullshit. I'm not like the pussies of this country. If any harm is done to my family or friends, violence will be meted out in kind.

Shadow Warrior Chronicles

==Utawarerumono.

I'm dead serious. Unless the rumors that the names were switched with another series in Anime News Network, that seems to be the title for Utawarerumono, licensed by ADV.

I remember an online friend who I interviewed IRL said the three dumbest things she's ever heard were ADV.

Now is the beginning of our greatest fears and anxieties. Yes, there will be silly dubs. Yes, there will be silly n00bs ruining the spirit of the series. Yes, there will be transliterations that we will not be familiar with (Crow? Ultrie? Tusukur? Call your offices, please).

That is all a given. What bothers me the most is--

CONVENTIONS.

That's right, CONVENTIONS.

Utawarerumono is too good of an anime NOT to build up a following in the States. That eventually means we will have Utawarerumono fans and Utawarerumono cosplayers like--

FAT ERURUU.
FAT HAKUORO.
FAT ARURUU.
FAT BENAWI.
FAT (SCANTILY CLAD) KARURA.

And the list goes on.

Yes, I admit I was FAT SHIROU in AX 2006 but I made fun of myself at least, and at least I tried to go for the Archer's Arm look. Actually, all of that doesn't make anything better. I think I'll drink a bottle of Tylenol before bed.

Nerd Score

Utawarerumono--the remainder of the Shikeripetim Arc (12-15)

Bullet-Summary time.

Episode 12.

• It begins with a "flashback" of Hakuoro killing a bunch of people with a sword. Orikakan (the leader of Kuccha Keccha) claims that Hakuoro killed his wife and children and many others.
• The battle ends when Touka is scared shitless intimidated by Karura's monstrous strength.
• Hakuoro has nightmares about what Orikakan has to say.
• Later, Oboro and his men try to track Kuccha Keccha but they run into Touka. Oboro fights Touka and gets his ass kicked.
• During a strategy discussion, Benawi mentions that Kuccha Keccha have two major advantages. (1) Extremely mobile cavalry from the steppes (Mongols?) and (2) the fact that Touka is an Evinkuruga. (The Evinkuruga are apparently the Michael Jordans of the swordfighting world). With the help of Aruruu, the team finds a bridge of strategic importance.
• Hakuoro and Co. go to the bridge later on and encounter Touka and some Kuccha Keccha infantry. After a brief struggle, Karura destroys the bridge with Touka still standing on it.
• Hakuoro is still worried about his past which he does not remember, but Eruruu comforts him.

Episode 13

• Touka survived the fall from the bridge. She apologizes to Orikakan for not defeating Hakuoro.
• Doubt cirulates among the villagers about what kind of person Hakuoro is, since the Evinkuruga are dedicated to fighting evil.
• Eruruu offers Hakuoro some company and Hakuoro has the gall to say that Eruruu is like his mother. What, man? She was your sister, now she is your mother? Are you trying to say that Eruruu is nothing but an unfuckable relative? (NOTE: I am told that this is the point in the game where Hakuoro and Eruruu have SECHS).
  
• Also, Hakuoro is drinking heavily.
• Hakuoro, Eruruu and Aruruu (and Mukuru) take a holiday together.
• When Hakuoro returns, everyone makes ready to counterattack Kuccha Keccha. Hakuoro plans to use all cavalry to try to fight Kuccha Keccha on equal terms.
• Hakuoro's hero units all gang up on Touka whereas Hakuoro lures Orikakan away from the battlefield. Touka has no trouble holding off against Oboro, Kurou, Benawi and Karura. Meanwhile, Hakuoro loses his Woptar but manages to takedown Orikakan.
• Hakuoro asks once again who the hell Rak Shine is and Orikakan explains once again. Hakuoro suddenly has a vision of his body turning smoky and black but Orikakan sees that Hakuoro is also changing. When Hakuoro asks Orikakan what he saw, Orikakan got shot in the neck.
• The shooter is Yue (remember him?) He basically says that he used Orikakan to bring out the beast inside Hakuoro. He rides away with a guy with white hair and wings.
• Hakuoro returns victorious. However, the show ends with Yue advancing with an army spread as wide as the eye can see.

Episode 14

• There really isn't much to say about this episode. Most of it consists of Shikeripetim soldiers attacking, then Hakuoro's hero units counterattacking which leads to Shikeripetim soldiers retreating/getting slaughtered by the thousands. Also, the character designs (of the first half of the episode) look hideous (though the animation is more fluid).
• Touka tries to kill herself but Hakuoro prevents her from doing so and orders her to bury Orikakan in his homeland.
• Hakuoro's strategy consists mainly of defense (remember Shikeripetim's army is 10x that of Tusukuru's).
• Yue enjoys watching POW's duke it out to death in gladiatorial-style combat. He apparently has some special plans for his POW's thanks to the white-haired angel dude? His plan has something to do with Hakuoro.
• Touka joins Hakuoro after returning from Orikakan's burial. And she kicks major ass.
• Hakuoro reveals his plan. He will take a few soldiers + Touka + Karura + (Eruruu?) on a mission to eliminate Yue while the bulk of the army defends against the Shikeripetim's main fighting force.

Ep. 15

• Benawi and Co. assemble on the high ground overlooking a river. When the fog clears, Kurou estimates ten thousand enemy whereas Oboro estimates five times as much. Benawi believes they have met the bulk of the enemy.
  
• Meanwhile, Hakuoro's Special Forces attack easily breach the defenses of Yue's castle thanks to Karura, who also make short work of those three messengers from episode 9.
• Hakuoro, Touka and Eruruu (and some other swordsmen and archer) run down Yue's hall and are trapped in a large antechamber. Some doors open and VAMPIRES (I'm serious) come out. Yue comes down and says that they are the best warriors from countries he has defeated and that he brought out the "beast" in them. But all they are there for is to bring out the greatest beast of all. Hakuoro and Co.'s attacks don't seem to be effective until Karura smashes in and makes mincemeat out of them. Hakuoro and Eruruu run after Yue while the rest take care of the vampires.
• Yue says that he wants to make a beast out of Hakuoro and everything he has done up to this point was to grow that beast. To provoke him, he sets his own capital city on fire. They fight.
• Yue disarms Hakuoro (Hakuoro, why use the damn fan all the time?) As he charges towards Hakuoro's face, Hakuoro suddenly has a flashback of the monster from episode 1. His arm suddenly grows large and black and knocks Yue down.
  
• Hakuoro chases Yue further. Thanks to Touka, Hakuoro now has a sword and they are fighting on equal terms. Upon a stalemate where both stab each other in the shoulder, Hakuoro turns into a monster and turns Yue into giblets :) Afterwards, Hakuoro has no idea what happened. The white haired angel dude was watching the whole thing.
  
• Eruruu and the others are waiting outside in the rain for Hakuoro. Back at the homefront, Benawi says that Hakuoro must have won.