We’re back! Hopefully you guys had a great and safe Memorial Day, as things get back to normal on our side of town. So here we are with yet another Top 5 post of ours, that highlights villains from your favorite anime titles, who become that ‘Man in the Mirror’ and makes that change – for various reasons. Whether it’s a battle against the protagonist or the urge to do bad suddenly isn’t in their best interest anymore, these villains (in many cases) either become assets to the company of the protagonist, or deal their own brand of justice against other villains the only way they see fit.

Number 5: Vegeta (DBZ and Super)

We know we’ve talked about this guy over a thousand times already, but he’s a prime example of a villain turned good. When he first came to earth with his partner Nappa, he wanted nothing more but to defeat Goku (Kakarot) and cause terror. After being killed by Frieza, the mighty saiyan prince now finds himself in the ranks of the Z-Warriors – but still carries that saiyan pride with him wherever he goes.

Number 4: Crona (Soul Eater)

Some villains become villains by either birth, choice, or through intent. Crona (in her case) was bullied into it by her abusive mother Medusa. She did what she was told even though she didn’t want to, but after meeting up with Maka, she decided she didn’t need her mother’s ‘approval’ anymore – and left the Dark Side.

Number 3: Orochimaru (Naruto Franchise)

Talk about a complete 180! Remember when Orochimaru founded the Sound Village, killed the Third Hokage, tried to go after Sasuke’s body, caused a war between the Hidden Leaf and the Hidden Sand (sort of), and kidnapped children? We did. Now he’s attended Naruto’s wedding and is on good terms with the ones that he’s killed. If you ask us, he’s been given more than a second chance – he’s been given a whole new life.

Number 2: Viral (Gurren Lagann)

He was the first antagonist of Gurren Lagann, but now he’s a part of Team Dai-Gurren taking on the Anti-Spiral. Back in his villainous days he referred to humans as nothing more than “naked apes”, and wanted nothing more than to rid himself of them. Now he finds himself as an invaluable ally to Dai-Gurren – after being disrespected by his comrades and spending more time with humans, of course.

Number 1: Sosuke Aizen (Bleach)

Let it be known to some fans of the series, that Aizen is a (lovable and charming) jerk. He pretended to be nice before killing his subordinate; Momo, then became the main villain for a large chunk of the series – until he’s sent to Hell Jail. Eventually he teams up with Ichigo to take on the bigger bad, and after they defeat him and save the world, Aizen ends up back in Hell Jail to serve out his sentence for his crimes. It’s a pretty long list, so it’ll be awhile before he gets out…

There you have it! Our Top 5 anime villains who have crossed over from the dark side, to the light. Also, the second chapter of our fanfiction title Sonic Beatdown: Danganronpa Silver, will be delayed until next Thursday. However, the first chapter will be posted on Fanficion.net tomorrow night!

Until then my friends, stay gold! 🙂

This one’s dedicated to all of the 90’s kids out there, and some 2000’s kids as well! Back in the 90’s there were lots of cartoons that grabbed out attention; such as Dexter’s Lab, Cow & Chicken, Power Rangers, and several others. Also around this time, we were introduced to one of the most popular action-packed animated programming blocks of the 20th century – that is still alive and kicking to this very day! for 21 years this programming block has been the cornerstone of our childhood; from shows like Dragon Ball Z, Sailor Moon, Yu-Yu Hakusho, Inuyasha, and more.

If you ever had the chance to experience Toonami during its early years, you may have gotten the opportunity to hear its first host; Moltar from Space Ghost. (God rest his soul.) From the mid 90’s to now Toonami has gone through a lot, and has also given us a lot in return. For this post we’re counting down our Top 5 inspirational speeches from our very own Toonami T.O.M. (aka, Steve Blum!)

Number 5: The Positivity Speech

They say we’re living in ‘Dark Times’ and bad news seems to follow us wherever we go, but one things for sure, you gotta dig deep…and find that extra dose of positivity!

Number 4: The Friends Speech

We all need someone to lean on, a shoulder we can cry on, and someone to laugh with. That’s what friends are for; they love you, they’re there when you need them, and if you have true friends, they’ll never let you down.

Number 3: The Respect Speech

Aretha Franklin said it best; R-E-S-P-E-C-T! Half of us out there really need to listen to that song more. The world doesn’t owe you a thing, so even if certain people don’t deserve it, you got to respect them. Their space, their way of life, everything. (That goes for guys and girls in relationships too, you have to give respect to gain it.)

Number 2: The Bullies Speech

You wanna know the real reason why bullies pick on you? We’ll give you a hint; it’s the one thing you possess that makes you different from all the rest…

Number 1: The Dreams Speech

It’s true, a lot of us have dreams of being or doing something we have our hearts set on. A wise man once said, that dreams are repressed desires of the things in life we wish we could have. The coolest part about dreams is the fact that we have the power to make them a reality, but in spite of the fact that life can throw you a curve ball, you never EVER want to give up on your dreams!

Toonami has gotten us through some tough times growing up, but if you remember hearing these and other speeches, then you know that you’re not alone. That will do it for this post, but never forget the wise words from this legendary program.

Bang! 😉

Picture yourself in this situation; you’re finally on the last episode of one of your favorite anime titles (you don’t have to tell us which one), and just when the action reaches its climax, the series ends in an abrupt freeze frame or you see the all too familiar “To Be Continued…” title card come into play. Yep, you’ve officially experienced your first cliffhanger – which actually makes an anime title that much more exciting (because they leave you wanting more)!

Throughout the years cliffhangers in anime have done one of two things; leave the door open for sequels or somewhat of a continuation through the movie, or cause the series as a whole to take a hiatus (leaving any inkling of a sequel to be carried out through the manga). Whatever the case may be, an anime title with a great plot as well as character development may sometimes come with a cliffhanger, so to that here are our Top 5 picks that end in said cliffhangers.

Number 5: Corpse Princess: Shikabane Hime

Although this series has several years on it, it’s filled with a lot of action as well as some funny moments. Makina and Ouri manage to track down the Seven Stars and come across Hokuto, who turns out to be their true leader. During the final episode we’re treated to a battle between Makina and Hokuto as the former fights against the latter in order to help her understand what it means to live and die. The episode cuts off abruptly, as the viewers wonder how the end of the fight turned out – but I guess we’ll never know. (BTW, the episode afterwards is an OVA about the ‘original’ corpse princess.)

Number 4: Deadman Wonderland

This title’s another good one to check out if you haven’t already done so. Deadman Wonderland tells the story of Ganta as he finds himself inside a prison/amusement park for a crime he didn’t commit; slaughtering all of his classmates. Using his own blood as a weapon Ganta and Shiro find themselves fighting against other inmates that want him dead, all the way up to the final episode – which leaves you hanging. There may not be a second season to this awesome title (even though we wish there was), but the manga picks up where the anime left off.

Number 3: Attack On Titan

One of the most successful anime titles of its time is getting a third season! Attack On Titan is an action-packed nail biter that has its fans on the edge of their seats, in most cases. Aside from making a big footprint in commercial success in Japan as well as America, the final episode of the first season left us with a cliffhanger so huge, that it almost gave its fanbase a heart attack. With season three on the way, we’re hopeful that a lot of the questions fans have will be answered.

Number 2: Akame ga Kill

One of the most anticipated anime titles of 2014, Akame ga Kill was filled with all of the bounty-hunting, evil-slaughtering action that you’d find in a type of series like this. Every episode was just as action-packed as the last up until the final episode of the series that leaves us in cliffhanger limbo. All that’s left is a rather intensive battle that cuts off abruptly, leaving you wondering what ever happened to the remaining members of Night Raid. Still, this is a title that newer anime fans looking for action-packed thrills should check out!

Number 1: Claymore

In yet another action-packed anime series, Claymore tells the story of Raki and Clare (who are Claymores) as they battle against a monstrous demon race known as the Yoma. Every episode indeed does leave you wanting more, however once you reach the final episode of the series, you’re treated to a scene where Clare goes up against her greatest nemesis. However, you’re left in suspense due to the fact that results of the battle are up in the air, but even so, this series tells a beautiful story that’s worth looking into.

That’s it for our Top 5 as well as our week! We wish you guys a Happy Mother’s Day to all of the mothers in your lives you helped make you, who you are.

Until next week, stay golden! 😉